Ruth 4:5-6

5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the^[a] dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.”

6 At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”

Ruth 4:5-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO RUTH 4

This chapter relates how an offer was made to the nearest kinsman of Ruth to redeem her, and the field her husband left, which he refused to do, Ru 4:1-8, upon which Boaz redeemed both, and married Ruth before the elders of the city as witnesses, and who congratulated him and her on that occasion, Ru 4:9-12, to whom a son was born, called Obed by the neighbours, Ru 4:13-17 and the chapter is concluded with the genealogy of David, who sprung from him, Ru 4:18-22.

Cross References

• 1. S Ruth 1:22
• 2. S Genesis 38:8; Deuteronomy 25:5-6; S Ruth 3:13; Matthew 22:24
• 3. Leviticus 25:25; Ruth 3:13
• 4. S Deuteronomy 25:7

Footnotes

• [a]. Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew (see also Septuagint) "Naomi and from Ruth the Moabite, you acquire the"