Annotations for Ruth

1:1–5 Naomi Loses Her Husband and Sons. The book of Ruth opens with huge sadness that sets the scene for the story of a childless widow, Naomi (1:6—4:17). From the outset, the book’s underlying question is “Where is God in all this?”

1:1 judges. The famous leaders who led Israel during the era that the book of Judges reports. famine. Often sent Israelites to nearby countries that had ample food, mainly Egypt and Philistia (Gen 12:10; 26:1; 2 Kgs 8:1–2). live for a while. The Hebrew word evokes the ancient tradition of hospitality and its legal protection of resident aliens, the status of Israel’s patriarchs (Gen 12:10; 47:4). Mosaic law later established similar protection in Israel (Exod 23:9; Deut 10:18). Moab. Sits along the Dead Sea’s lower east bank between the Arnon and Zered Rivers (Num 21:13). The Moabites descended from the son born from Lot’s incestuous union with his older daughter (Gen 19:37).

1:2 Elimelek. Means “my God is king”; affirms God’s royal sovereignty. Naomi. See note on v. 20. Mahlon. Ruth’s husband (4:10); his name probably means “weakling” or “sickly person.” Kilion. Probably means something like “frail person.” Both names bode ill for their fates. Ephrathites. Cf. 4:11.

1:3 Elimelek’s death suddenly reduces Naomi to widowhood with two sons to raise. The book offers no explanation for this tragedy. Israel’s morality declined in the period of the judges, so Elimelek’s death might be punishment for sin (i.e., for his leaving Judah rather than trusting God to provide during the famine).

1:4 Orpah. Means “obstinate” or “with thick hair.” Ruth. Means “refreshment.” about ten years. Implies “a good, long time,” i.e., time enough for fertile wives to bear children (cf. Gen 16:3), but not in this case.

1:5 her two sons and her husband. Tallies up Naomi’s cruel losses in reverse order; the tragic end of the family line now seems certain.

1:6–22 Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem. The main story (1:6—4:17) begins with two brief scenes in which Naomi voices her anger and grief for the first time (vv. 8–18, 19–21). The word “return” (repeated 12 times)—back to Moab or back to Judah—brackets the section (vv. 6, 22) and sounds its main theme. Naomi’s powerful words reiterate the question “Where is God in all of this?”

1:6 come to the aid. Invokes a key Hebrew word for divine interventions (cf. Gen 21:1 [“was gracious to”]; Exod 3:16 [“have watched over”]; 20:5 [“punishing . . . for”]) to mark the first of only two reports in Ruth of God’s direct intervention (4:13 for the second intervention).

1:8–18 Down the road, Naomi tries to persuade the two young widows to return to Moab rather than accompany her to Bethlehem. Orpah obeys and returns (v. 14), but Ruth’s beautiful declaration of commitment (vv. 16–17) finally silences Naomi (v. 18).

1:8 mother’s home. Probably where marriages were arranged (Gen 24:28, 67; Song 3:4; 8:2). kindness. Hebrew ḥesed, meaning “compassion, commitment,” one of the book’s main themes (see Introduction: Themes; Theology). Naomi asks the Lord to repay the kindness of her two daughters-in-law with commensurate kindness (cf. 2:20; 3:10). The reward sought here is “rest” (v. 9).

1:9 rest. Settle into a long, satisfying marriage (cf. 3:1).

1:11-12 Return home . . . Return home. Naomi pleads with Orpah and Ruth to go where their best hopes for marriage and children lie: Why should they sacrifice their futures to share her hopeless one? The scene ends tenderly with Orpah’s tearful goodbye and departure and Ruth’s tearful, determined embrace of Naomi.

1:12–13 Naomi has in mind “levirate marriage,” the marriage of a childless widow to her brother-in-law to provide her late husband an heir (cf. Gen 38; Deut 25:5–10).

1:12 too old. Naomi is postmenopausal, so the younger women are foolish to stick with her. She cannot provide them with new husbands to replace her dead sons.

1:13 LORD’s hand. Symbolizes the Lord’s great power. turned against. Pictures Naomi as “under attack.”

1:15 Naomi’s final tactic is an appeal to peer pressure: Ruth should follow Orpah’s wise course.

1:16–17 Ruth renounces all her past ties in Moab to embrace Naomi’s country, family, and faith in Bethlehem.

1:16 your God. Previously Ruth probably worshiped the Moabite god, Chemosh (Judg 11:24; 2 Kgs 23:13).

1:17 be buried. Ruth may allude to burial in a common family grave, an ancient practice attested by tombs at Beth Shemesh. May the LORD. Ruth’s oath invokes Yahweh by name for the first time and confirms how serious her commitment is.

1:19–21 Arriving at the gate of Bethlehem, Naomi laments her bitter fate and accuses the cruel divine hand she deems behind it.

1:19 stirred. Pictures an excited city abuzz with conversations as news of Naomi’s unexpected arrival spreads. Can this be Naomi? Women at the gate voice the town’s stunned disbelief.

1:20 Naomi. Means “my pleasant one,” an ironic insult (Naomi thinks) given her misery. Mara. Means “bitter.” Naomi prefers this name because she thinks that God made her life “very bitter.” Almighty. See note on Gen 17:1; cf. Gen 35:11; Job 5:17; 6:4, 14.

1:21 full . . . empty. Contrasts Naomi’s situation at her departure (she had a husband and sons) and her return (she is a childless widow). brought . . . back. A form of “return,” the chapter’s thematic key (see note on vv. 11–12). afflicted . . . brought misfortune. Climactically Naomi holds God accountable for her tragic life, another chapter theme.

1:22 Naomi returned. This summary closes the section that v. 6 opened (“return”). barley harvest. Dates the widows’ arrival to April and sets the scene for what comes next.

2:1–23 Ruth Meets Boaz in the Grain Field. The story takes a positive turn with the chance, first meeting of Ruth and Boaz. Ruth’s work proposal (v. 2) and her report to Naomi (vv. 18–23) bracket the meeting (vv. 3–17). In ch. 1 Naomi cried out against God, but ch. 2 shows subtle signs of kindly divine providence. The setting of Ruth 2–3 are the two main sites of the annual harvest, usually April for barley and May for wheat (1:22; 2:23). The first site, the harvest field proper (ch. 2), hosts the first three steps of the harvest: (1) cutting the grain stalks (usually done by men) with scythes or sickles and piling them along the edge of the field (Deut 16:9; Joel 3:13); (2) tying the reaped grain into bundles (usually done by women) to ready it for transport to the second site (v. 16); (3) gleaning (gathering) grain stalks left behind after the men and women have finished (vv. 7, 17). Transporting the bundled grain from the field to the second site, the threshing floor (ch. 3; Amos 2:13), was done by donkeys or carts. For the steps taken at the threshing floor, see note on 3:1–18.

2:1 Now Naomi had. The opening sentence inaugurates a new scene and introduces a new character. relative. Identifies Boaz as family (cf. 3:2). man of standing. Wealthy and highly respected (1 Sam 9:1; 1 Kgs 11:28). clan. Designates the group midway between a “tribe” and a “family” (cf. v. 3). Boaz. Means “in him is strength”; his name commends him as just the person to benefit the two widows.

2:2 pick up the leftover grain. Mosaic law authorized Ruth’s initiative to “glean” unharvested grain and grapes (Lev 19:9–10). This is step 3 in the harvesting process at the field (see note on vv. 1–23). In the field Ruth hopes to find unexpected kindness (“favor”) rather than mere grudging legalism. Cf. vv. 10, 13.

2:3 a field. Probably the large, flat acreage below the town’s eastern slope. As it turned out. The Hebrew twice uses a word that can be translated “her chance chanced upon”; this is tongue-in-cheek hyperbole to highlight Ruth’s “accidental” finding of Boaz’s field amid a patchwork of unmarked parcels. Divine providence again shows its presence.

2:4 Just then. Signals more divine providence: the arrivals of Ruth and Boaz overlap. The exchange of greetings invoking the Lord hints at his presence with owner and workers—and with Ruth too.

2:5 that young woman. Boaz’s question asks for Ruth’s social location (i.e., family, employer, etc.), not her name.

2:7 She said. A brief flashback reports Ruth’s activities that morning. This verse suggests that all three steps of the harvesting process at the field (see note on vv. 1–23) go on simultaneously.

2:8 My daughter. Boaz is probably Naomi’s contemporary, i.e., much older than Ruth (3:10). listen to me. Emphatically, Boaz grants Ruth permission to glean, promises her protection (“not to lay a hand on you,” v. 9; cf. vv. 15–16), and even provides her water (v. 9).

2:10 bowed down. Ruth recognizes Boaz’s authority and has gratitude for his unexpected generosity. found such favor. This echo of Ruth’s earlier wish (v. 2; cf. v. 13) signals that she has found exactly the person she was looking for! notice me. This phrase is a pun on the Hebrew word for “foreigner.” Ruth’s statement means “You’ve ‘noticed’ one usually ‘unnoticed.’ ”

2:11 I’ve been told. Devotion to Naomi has earned Ruth a positive reputation in Bethlehem (cf. 3:11). His praise echoes both Naomi’s wish (1:8) and Ruth’s sweeping commitment (1:16).

2:12 richly rewarded. In employer-employee language, Boaz hopes that Yahweh will “repay” Ruth’s actions “in full.” Theologically, Boaz’s words create expectations that if good things later come to Ruth, the Lord the “paymaster” is likely behind them. wings. As a bird’s wings protect its young, so the Lord protects all who “take refuge” under his “wings” (Pss 36:7; 57:1; 61:4).

2:14 Boaz’s invitation to lunch and his personal attention grant Ruth additional “favor.” left over. Well satisfied herself, Ruth sets aside a portion to take home (cf. v. 18).

2:15-16 don’t reprimand . . . rebuke her. Rather than impede Ruth, Boaz’s workers pull out extra stalks (v. 16) for her to glean. By providing Ruth plenty to glean, Boaz further shows his “favor” (v. 13) toward her.

2:15 sheaves. Piles of (reaped) grain left by reapers beside the field (see step 1 of the harvesting process at the field in the note on vv. 1–23).

2:16 bundles. Stacks of stalks tied up for transport to the threshing floor (see step 2 of the harvesting process at the field in the note on vv. 1–23).

2:17 ephah. See NIV text note; by any standard this is an amazing amount—food for about a week and a half—for one day of gleaning. Through Boaz, God has rewarded Ruth.

2:18 Naomi immediately notices the startling quantity of grain Ruth has brought home. Additionally, Ruth’s leftover portion (v. 14) will feed Naomi today, further testimony to her daughter-in-law’s devotion.

2:19 notice. Naomi’s two quick questions and spontaneous blessing show excitement that someone has taken special notice of Ruth (cf. “notice” in v. 10; see note). Boaz. The author strings out the excitement by making the as-yet unspoken name the very last word.

2:20 He has not stopped showing. Probably refers to Yahweh, although possibly Boaz (cf. Gen 24:27). kindness. Hebrew ḥesed (see 1:8 and note; 3:10). guardian-redeemers. Hebrew gō ʾ ēl (see NIV text note; cf. 4:14); it designates a group of close relatives responsible for getting family members out of difficulties. It also describes God as rescuer of Israel from Egyptian slavery (Exod 6:6 [“will redeem”]; 15:13 [“have redeemed”]) and Babylonian exile (Isa 43:1, 14 [“have redeemed” and “Redeemer,” respectively]). Both human and divine examples of kindness and protection anticipate the work of Christ, the Redeemer par excellence.

2:21 The permission to glean now extends into the wheat harvest (cf. v. 23), thus prolonging the contacts between Ruth and Boaz.

2:22 Just to be safe, Naomi asks that Ruth stay with Boaz’s female workers (cf. 3:2). Concern for Ruth’s safety recurs in ch. 2 (cf. vv. 9, 15–16), no doubt because Ruth is a Moabite and because immorality was widespread during the period of the judges.

2:23 The end of spring harvests (April-May) ends Ruth’s day-to-day contact with Boaz. Some further step is necessary to resume their connection and to pave the way for Yahweh to reward Ruth.

3:1–18 Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor. Harvesting (see note on 2:1–23) gives way to threshing at the threshing floor (see note on v. 2). Naomi sends Ruth there to have a secret talk with Boaz about marriage. The final four steps of the harvest take place at the threshing floor: (1) threshing, separating the husk from the grain, requires either beating the husks with a stick or using a toothed threshing sledge (2:17; Isa 41:15; Amos 1:3) or crushing the husks under cattle hooves or the wheels of carts (Deut 25:4; Isa 28:28; Hos 10:11); (2) winnowing, throwing the threshed grain into the air with a special long-handled fork, uses the wind to blow the husk away, while the grain falls to the ground (3:2; Ps 1:4; Jer 15:7); (3) sifting removes any remaining unwanted matter from the winnowed grain (Amos 9:9); (4) bagging readies the grain for transport to the city to be consumed, sold, or bartered (Gen 42–44).

3:1–5 In 2:2, Ruth initiated the foray to the field, but here a revived Naomi, seizing what seems to be a golden opportunity, takes the initiative—and for a new purpose.

3:1 Ruth’s gleaning initiative benefited Naomi (2:2); now Naomi’s plan will benefit Ruth. home. The Hebrew word translated as “home” alludes to the “rest” Naomi wished for Ruth in 1:9. What Naomi earlier wished from Yahweh she will seek to arrange herself.

3:2 relative. Cf. 2:1 and note. Tonight. Boaz’s plans and isolated location offer an opportunity not to be missed. winnowing. Tossing the kernel-chaff mix upward, causing the heavier grain to fall to the ground for collection, while the wind blows the chaff away (see step 2 of the harvesting process at the threshing floor in the note on vv. 1–18). threshing floor. A flat, large open space of exposed bedrock or hardened clay downhill east of the town (see note on v. 3), where the velocity of prevailing winds allows harvesters to beat or crush kernels to separate the edible grain from its husk (see step 1 of the harvesting process at the threshing floor in the note on vv. 1–18). Darkness and isolation will guard the secrecy and confidentiality of the proposed conversation.

3:3 Wash . . . perfume . . . best clothes. Naomi instructs Ruth to dress herself as a bride (Ezek 16:9–12) to be attractive to Boaz. Her bridal dress might also symbolize the end of her mourning period for her husband (2 Sam 12:20) and signal her openness to marry again. go down. Apparently downhill east of Bethlehem (see note on v. 2). finished eating and drinking. Naomi may have hoped that the meal would induce Boaz to sleep and postpone the conversation until everyone else had gone home or fallen asleep.

3:4 uncover his feet. Ruth is secretly to fold back the skirt of Boaz’s long tunic, exposing the “area around the feet” (Hebrew margĕlôt), and “lie down” there. These proposed actions seem very forward but in fact involve no moral compromise by either Ruth or Boaz (cf. v. 11). The exposure of Boaz’s feet to the night chill will awaken him at the best moment for a private conversation (see notes on vv. 3, 8). More important, the gesture symbolizes Ruth’s willingness to marry Boaz (cf. v. 9; Ezek 16:8). For the legal basis of her appeal, see note on v. 9. For a comparable situation involving Tamar and Judah, see Gen 38:13–30 (cf. Ruth 4:12). tell you what to do. Seeing the gesture, Boaz is to explain what Ruth is to do next.

3:6–15 Sometime after dark, Ruth descends from the town to the threshing floor and carries out Naomi’s plan. Ruth’s secret visit with Boaz runs serious risks for them both. If discovered, it could easily be misread as an illicit rendezvous, since prostitutes sometimes did business at threshing floors (Hos 9:1). Public embarrassment and tarnished reputations might hound them and complicate the family’s acceptance of their marriage.

3:6 Once again the author summarizes an entire scene in advance (cf. 1:6; 2:3).

3:7 in good spirits. Due to the food and drink. grain pile. Grain already winnowed and almost ready for use or sale; steps 3 and 4 of the harvesting process at the threshing floor (see note on vv. 1–18) are still to follow. Providentially, Boaz lies at its “far end,” a more secluded spot.

3:8 middle of the night. Other winnowers, if present, are probably asleep. The darkness obscures the identities of Boaz and Ruth; they become merely “the man” and “a woman.” something startled. May mean that Boaz shivered from cold feet or vaguely sensed something amiss. a woman lying at his feet. This surprising discovery was the last thing Boaz expected.

3:9 Who are you? Boaz asks the name of the female figure before him (cf. 2:5), and Ruth supplies it. Spread the corner . . . over me. The symbolic response to the uncovered feet signals agreement to marry (cf. Ezek 16:8). “Corner” plays on “wings” (of the Lord) in Boaz’s earlier remark (2:12) about Ruth’s finding refuge (both are forms of the same Hebrew word). Ruth’s wordplay appeals to Boaz’s godliness, asking him to provide her protection after Yahweh’s example. guardian-redeemer. See note on 2:20. For marriage to a guardian-redeemer, see Introduction: Themes; Theology. The appeal to Boaz as guardian-redeemer (cf. 2:20) may be implicit in Naomi’s plan, or it may be Ruth’s own innovation; it invites him to agree to marriage by “covering” her (cf. v. 9; Ezek 16:8).

3:10 The LORD bless you. Boaz blesses Ruth for far outdoing her earlier, remarkable “kindness” (Hebrew ḥesed, see note on 1:8), alluding to 2:11 (cf. 1:8–9). Ruth chooses marriage to a guardian-redeemer, which benefits Naomi, rather than choosing to pursue “younger men.” my daughter. See 2:8 and note.

3:11 I will do for you all you ask. Boaz promises to marry Ruth. woman of noble character. The only other occurrences of this phrase are in Prov 12:4; 31:10 (“wife”). It reflects Bethlehem’s high regard for Ruth and compares her to the ideal woman. The phrase is parallel to the phrase about Boaz in 2:1 and reckons Ruth a good match for him.

3:12 Boaz reveals an unexpected complication in the situation: an even closer relative has a prior right to serve as Naomi’s gō ʾ ēl.

3:13 as surely as the LORD lives. A traditional oath backs up Boaz’s promise to “redeem” (i.e., marry) Ruth.

3:14 Ruth’s rising before dawn (“before anyone could be recognized”) gets Boaz thinking (“he said” to himself, not aloud). No one must know. Lest the wild gossip tarnish Ruth’s reputation and complicate Boaz’s dealings with the other gō ʾ ēl (cf. Hos 9:1).

3:15 shawl. Probably a large, sturdy head covering to go with Ruth’s long tunic. six measures. About seven quarts (about 6.5 liters), a very generous gift—nearly three times what she gleaned her first day (2:17). The large amount requires Boaz’s help in loading it. For the purpose of this gift, see 3:17. he went back. Boaz went back to town by himself rather than with Ruth to keep their visit a secret.

3:16–18 Ruth returns home alone to debrief an understandably excited Naomi about the night’s events.

3:16 How did it go . . . ? The Hebrew is the same as that of Boaz’s earlier question of Ruth in v. 9. Here, however, Naomi is not seeking to learn Ruth’s identity (she recognizes Ruth!) but Ruth’s present situation after meeting Boaz. Presumably, Ruth reports Boaz’s promise concerning arranging their marriage.

3:17 Ruth quotes Boaz to explain that the barley is for Naomi. six measures. Symbolizes a magnificent reversal: Naomi now has plenty of food, and Ruth may soon provide her family line with an heir. empty-handed. Recurs from 1:21 (“empty”), where it describes the famine and death of Naomi’s past.

3:18 Wait. Naomi counsels Ruth to be patient because Boaz “will not rest” until he settles the matter. Ruth’s fate is in Boaz’s very capable hands.

4:1–22 Two scenes and an epilogue—a genealogy—bring the book to a close. Boaz dominates the first scene (vv. 1–12) and his newborn child the second (vv. 13–17). Ruth is mentioned but is not present in either scene, and fittingly, in the second scene the moment belongs to Naomi.

4:1–12 Boaz Marries Ruth. This tells how Ruth became the wife of Boaz rather than that of the other guardian-redeemer. The other man waves his prior right; Boaz acquires both Ruth and Elimelek’s land; and a brief ceremony celebrates public acceptance of the outcome.

4:1 town gate. A large open space between a town’s outer and inner walls and their gates. It serves as the town courthouse, where trials and administrative hearings are held. The gate area at Dan illustrates the size and layout of this common ancient city entrance (see photo). just as. Highlights the providential timing of Boaz’s encounter with the man he wants to see (cf. 2:4). “Come over here . . .” So he went over. The two apparently settle into one of the small alcoves along the walls and away from the foot traffic.

4:2 elders. Heads of the town’s main families; they governed ancient towns as a kind of town council. The number of members varied (cf. Judg 8:14); “ten” may have been the minimum legal quorum required for this case. Sit here. Given the context, it may mean “Sit as a court.”

4:3 Given the events of ch. 3, mentioning “Naomi” and her “piece of land” seems a surprise. The subject had not come up before, but both “land” and “wife” may underlie his promise as gōʾēl to do “all you ask” (3:11). Boaz may also want, for now, to keep Naomi out front and Ruth in the background. selling the . . . land. Naomi’s destitution may also require its sale for her financial survival. She offers it first to the family (i.e., a guardian-redeemer) before selling it to an outsider. Alternatively, the sale may concern only the right to redeem it. This assumes that Elimelek had already sold it to an outsider and that Naomi’s poverty forces her to enlist a guardian-redeemer to return it to the family. For more legal background, see Introduction: Particular Challenges.

4:4 buy it in the presence of . . . redeem it. To “redeem” land is to return or retain it within the clan’s inheritance by purchase through a public legal process. no one . . . except you. Boaz is the gōʾēl “next in line,” not the closest relative (3:12). I will redeem it. The man understandably decides to do his duty. Since Naomi will have no more sons to claim the property, it will become his, free and clear.

4:5 the dead man’s widow. Ruth. The introduction of Ruth gives the transaction a more specific purpose: to produce an heir to “maintain” the connection between the land and her late husband (v. 10). Unlike Naomi, Ruth may bear a son to claim ownership, preventing the gō ʾ ēl from recouping his purchase price.

4:6 endanger my own estate. He may fear in the end having to divide his present holdings among both his own heirs and children born to him by Ruth after the birth of Naomi’s heir. If the latter were to be his only heir, he may fear loss of his land to Elimelek’s family (an outcome that Boaz might also face). Or perhaps he simply does not want to be bothered with such complexities. In any case, the man’s refusal only underscores the kindness and generosity of Boaz toward two needy widows, much as Orpah’s return to her home underscores Ruth’s selfless devotion to Naomi (1:14).

4:7 The author’s parenthetical comment (note the parentheses) explains the ancient sandal ceremony for any “redemption and transfer of property” to an audience probably unfamiliar with it. The Nuzi documents from Mesopotamia also mention this custom.

4:8 Buy it yourself. The sandal transfer to Boaz makes him the legal owner of the redemption right.

4:9 I have bought. Marks the moment of formal purchase from Naomi of “all the property.”

4:10 as my wife. Declares that Ruth is now his wife and that the purpose of their marriage is to produce an heir for Mahlon (v. 5). name will not disappear. The hoped-for heir will ensure that both Mahlon’s family and hometown remember him and honor his heir’s property rights. Today you are witnesses! The customary legal formula to finalize matters.

4:11a We are witnesses. The crowd’s reply voices official, public approval of everything (cf. Josh 24:22). Deal done!

4:11b–12 Two wishes for Ruth bracket two for Boaz.

4:11b standing. Cf. 2:1. Ephrathah. The ancient patriarchal name for Bethlehem, home of the Ephrathite clan (1:2; Gen 35:19; 48:7; Ps 132:6; cf. Mic 5:2). The crowd wishes Ruth the fertility of Israel’s founding mothers, Rachel and Leah, to “build” Boaz a large, prominent family.

4:12 Perez. Son of Judah and Tamar (Gen 38:29); he founded the leading clan of Judah to which Boaz belongs (see vv. 18, 21). Ruth parallels Tamar, another non-Jew: both take daring steps to continue a family line, and both in the end belong to a royal lineage that links David with Abraham, a connection Jesus’ genealogy highlights (Matt 1:1, 3, 5, 17). Taken together, the crowd’s wishes affirm Ruth as, so to speak, “one of us.”

4:13–17 Naomi Gains a Son. The story quickly moves from the public square to the wedding night and the later birth of a son (v. 13). The closing scene (vv. 14–17) finds Naomi and the town’s women (but not Boaz and Ruth) welcoming Obed as Naomi’s “son” (v. 17). It thus offers a happy reversal of the unhappy arrival scene (1:19–21).

4:13 enabled her to conceive. Boaz “made love” to Ruth, but she became pregnant because Yahweh intervened. This is the second of only two acts of direct divine intervention in the book (see 1:6). Such divine actions stamp the newborn with a special divine destiny (cf. Gen 21:1–2; 1 Sam 1:27; Luke 1:31–35).

4:14 Women, who once greeted “bitter” Naomi at Bethlehem’s gate (1:19–20), now address “pleasant” Naomi with promises, not wishes (cf. vv. 11–12). The newborn gives Naomi the benefit of another gō ʾ ēl besides Boaz (v. 15). This detail casts David and his descendants as a lineage of guardian-redeemers whose reigns are expected similarly to rescue Israel from enemies and to provide for Israel’s needs. In David’s line, the guardian-redeemer par excellence is Jesus Christ. The book of Ruth features human actions, but “praise be to the LORD” (cf. 2:4, 19, 20; 3:10) voices the author’s view of providence: divine action through human action. famous. Expands the crowd’s wishes (v. 11) beyond Bethlehem to “throughout Israel” and subtly anticipates the revelation of the newborn’s revered descendant, David (v. 17b).

4:15 renew your life. The infant guardian-redeemer will remove Naomi’s tragic grief, and her deceased husband’s family line will continue. sustain you. He will also supply her daily food when “old age” prevents Naomi from doing so herself. Both mark reversals of ch. 1. better . . . than. The women highly praise Ruth, a woman of remarkable love and devotion, for surpassing even the lofty ideal of “seven sons” (cf. 2:11; 3:10). seven sons. Israel especially valued sons as family protectors, and seven represented a family made complete (1 Sam 2:5; Job 1:2; Jer 15:9).

4:16 cared for him. The term for “nursing mother,” “nanny,” or “foster mother,” i.e., one who cares for dependent children on behalf of or in the absence of parents (2 Sam 4:4; 2 Kgs 10:1, 5; cf. Esth 2:7). The term implies that Naomi will be a hands-on mother caring for her “son.”

4:17a said. The actual naming comes next (“they named him”). Probably means “proclaimed his significance [Hebrew šēm]”—i.e., “Naomi has a son!” The naming uses the traditional wording for a birth announcement (Job 3:3; Isa 9:6; Jer 20:15), here with a touch of special amazement and joy. Obed. Means “one who works/serves”; may anticipates the child’s service for Naomi (cf. v. 15). Naomi has come full circle. She arrived from Moab “empty” (1:21)—a tragic, childless widow who asked to be called Mara (“bitter one”) rather than Naomi (“my pleasant one”) (see note on 1:20). But her newborn “son” has restored her from “empty” to “full” and from “bitter one” to a joyous “pleasant one.”

4:17b He was. The story suddenly stops, and the narrator springs the biggest surprise: Obed turns out to be the grandfather of the great King David. God has rewarded Naomi’s suffering and Ruth’s devotion, fulfilling, if not exceeding, the “prayer” for Ruth made by both Boaz (2:12) and the crowd (vv. 11–12).

4:18–22 The Genealogy of David. The genealogy formula “the family line of” (cf. Gen 10:1; 36:9) heads the list of ten names, a common schema in ancient royal genealogies (cf. 1 Chr 2:10–12; Matt 1:3b–6a). It spans the more than eight centuries between the patriarchs (“Perez”) and the united monarchy of David. Like the closing credits of a movie, it lists names—a few known, but most not—of those who produced this memorable family. Its theme is the centuries-long divine providence that eventually gave Israel David.

4:20 Nahshon. The brother-in-law of Aaron (Exod 6:23); recalls the exodus-wilderness period when Judah emerged as a leading tribe under Nahshon’s leadership (Num 2:3–4). The author makes the point that David descends from a family of leaders.

4:21 Obed. Known only in genealogies.

4:22 Jesse. Appears twice: 1 Sam 16:1–16; 17:12. David. Symbolizes the triumph of God’s providence, a triumph that confirms his divine appointment as king. Thus, the book of Ruth links the family line in Genesis that cherished hopes of kingship with their realization in 1 Samuel through David. The book’s portrait of David’s righteous ancestral family also sharply contrasts the raucous unfaithfulness of the people in the book of Judges. It anticipates God’s response in 1 Samuel to the repeated refrain hoping for a good king that echoes across Judg 17–21. From the ancient family line of Abraham descends a revered guardian-redeemer, David, from whom Jesus, the Son of David and guardian-redeemer par excellence, descends to redeem the world.