![]() ![]() As readers, we really do not have enough information in the text to make a firm decision, and the reason is likely that the property was ancillary to the point of the record, which was about Ruth and getting her and Naomi well taken care of. There are some other possibilities as well. Another possibility is that the verb can also be taken as a participle in which case the sense would be that Naomi “has put up for sale” the land. The verb translated “is selling” is a perfect tense (past tense) verb, so one possibility is that the land had already been sold to someone outside the family because of Naomi’s situation, and now Naomi is appealing to have the land bought back by a kinsman-redeemer and brought back into the family. There are a number of possibilities based on the Hebrew text and the Law of Moses. “is selling.” There is a huge amount of scholarly discussion about this piece of land. “ten men.” The Mosaic Law required two or three witnesses, but in getting ten, Boaz will make the conclusion to his case indisputable. Others have suggested that not naming the man may be a literary device to contrast the fact that he refused to keep the name of Elimelech’s son Mahlon alive by not marrying Ruth. Some have suggested personal embarrassment, although the man would have been long dead by the time the book of Ruth was written, but his clan would almost certainly been alive. Different reasons have been proposed for the book of Ruth not personally naming the man. A literal translation of the Hebrew text would be more like “Turn aside, such and such” or “Turn aside, certain one.” The NET goes so far as to call the man “John Doe.” The translation “friend,” done in many versions, is interpretive. “friend.” The Hebrew is purposely vague and does not give the man’s name even though Boaz would have known it and seems certain to have used it in this situation. We see God’s hand at work in that the very man Boaz needed to meet with showed up at the city gate apparently not long after Boaz himself arrived. “And behold.” The word “behold” is to catch our attention, but here it adds an element of surprise. The fact that Bethlehem had a wall and a gate at this early time in its history shows that it was a town of some importance. ![]() “ city gate.” In the biblical culture of the Old Testament, it was the custom that the elders of a city would sit at the city gate (Gen. “went up.” The town was higher in elevation than the fields around it (cp. “Now Boaz.” The action shifts from Ruth and Naomi to Boaz (see commentary on Ruth 3:18). God’s rewards are rich, and we all are able to partake in them. ![]() Classic love tale that everyone loves with a happy ending and blessings all around. I love how Boaz and Ruth live happily ever after, as does Naomi. Great lesson on how God works for our good in all things. It’s remembering how good God is in the times of sorrow that can get you through life. Life is good and full of joy, as are everything and everyone around us. God rewards all of us who seek him earnestly.Ģ ) God works for our good. Both Naomi and Ruth had a heart for God, so God gave them the ultimate gift - ancestors of Jesus and a great life. QUESTIONS FOR RUTH 4ġ ) Those who seek God and follow God are rewarded with goodness. As a result, Ruth had a son named Obed who was the father of Jesse and then David. The elders stood as witnesses and blessed his marriage to Ruth. Boaz announces that he will redeem the property belonging to Naomi that was her husband’s and her sons’ and that he will take Ruth for his wife in order to maintain the name of the dead with the property. Consequently, the man then took off his sandal in order to legalize the transaction. The man changes his mind, saying he might endanger his own estate. However, Boaz then tells him with the property come Naomi and Ruth. He asks the kinsman-redeemer if he will redeem Naomi’s husband’s property. When he appears, Boaz asks him to join him in a meeting with 10 elders of the town. Boaz heads to the town gate to wait for the closer kinsman-redeemer. ![]()
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