In the days of the judges [see Judges], there’s a famine. Elimelech and Naomi and their two sons move to Moab. Elimelech dies. The sons marry Moabite women (Orpah and Ruth) and die. Naomi hears the famine in Israel is over now and wants to move back. Orpah and Ruth want to come. Naomi insists they remain in their native land and wishes them well, telling them not to destroy their opportunity to marry again by coming with her — especially since YHWH has turned against her. This convinces Orpah but Ruth says she will not leave Naomi, that Naomi’s people will be her people and Naomi’s god her god.
They arrive at Bethlehem. Ruth goes to the fields to glean among the ears of grain (her right as a widow). Boaz (a relative of Elimelech) asks the reapers about her. He tells Ruth that he’s ordered his men not to harrass her and she should glean in his field alone where she’ll get her fill. Ruth is surprised since she’s a non-Israelite but Boaz says he heard about how she left her homeland to come with Naomi and so YHWH will reward her. They share a meal.
Boaz gets his workers to leave extra grain so Ruth comes home with plenty. Naomi asks who was so generous. Naomi is thankful to YHWH and tells Ruth that Boaz is their relative and is eligible to continue Elimelech’s line by entering into levirate marriage with Ruth (see Deuteronomy). Naomi tells Ruth to bathe herself, go to Boaz’s threshing floor, wait until he’s finished eating and lies down, uncover his feet [FYI, foot is a common Biblical euphemism] and Boaz will tell her what to do.
Ruth obeys and tells Boaz he can become redeeming kinsman. Boaz praises her loyalty to YHWH’s commandment of levirate marriage since Ruth hasn’t gone after younger men instead. He says there’s an even closer relative of Elimelech who gets “first pick” but if he abstains, Boaz will. Boaz sneaks her out before morning so nobody knows a woman was there.
Boaz finds this relative and explains the situation. At first he accepts but finding out it would mean marrying Ruth declines, feeling it would then take away from his own estate. They perform chalitzah (the ritual of the shoe, see Deuteronomy) to finalise the refusal and Boaz then acquires Elimelech’s estate and Ruth’s hand in marriage. Ruth bears a son who is the father of Jesse who is the father of King David.
0 Comments