The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

by John MacArthur

10“Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, jthat the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from 5his position at the gate. You are witnesses this day.”

  11And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. kThe LORD make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who lbuilt the house of Israel; and may you prosper in mEphrathah and be famous in nBethlehem.

  12“May your house be like the house of oPerez, pwhom Tamar bore to Judah, because of qthe offspring which the LORD will give you from this young woman.”

  Descendants of Boaz and Ruth

  (Matt. 1:2–6)

  13So Boaz rtook Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, sthe LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son.

  14Then tthe women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a 6close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel!

  15“And may he be to you a restorer of life and a 7nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is ubetter to you than seven sons, has borne him.”

  16Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him.

  17vAlso the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “There is a son born to Naomi.” And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

  18wNow this is the genealogy of Perez: xPerez begot Hezron;

  19Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab;

  20Amminadab begot yNahshon, and Nahshon begot zSalmon;8

  21Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed;

  22Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot aDavid.

  Ruth Commentaries

  Ruth 1

  1:1–5 This introduction to Ruth sets in motion the following events, which culminate in Obed’s birth and his relationship to the Davidic line of Christ. See Introduction: Background and Setting.

  1:1 famine. This disaster sounds similar to the days of Abraham (Gen. 12), Isaac (Gen. 26), and Jacob (Gen. 46). The text does not specify whether or not this famine was God’s judgment (cf. 1 Kin. 17, 18, esp. 18:2). Bethlehem, Judah. Bethlehem (“house of bread”) lies in the territory given to the tribe of Judah (Josh. 15) about 6 mi. S of Jerusalem. Rachel, the wife of Jacob, was buried nearby (Gen. 35:19; cf. 4:11). Bethlehem eventually received the title “city of David” (Luke 2:4, 11). Later, Mary delivered Christ (Luke 2:4–7; cf. Mic. 5:2) and Herod slaughtered the infants here (Matt. 2:16). This title (Judg. 17:7, 9; 19:1, 2, 18) serves to distinguish it from Bethlehem of Zebulun (Josh. 19:15). dwell. Elimelech intended to live temporarily in Moab as a resident alien until the famine passed. Moab. See Introduction: Background and Setting.

  1:2 Elimelech. His name means “my God is king,” signifying a devout commitment to the God of Israel. Most likely, he was a prominent man in the community whose brothers might have included the unnamed close relative and Boaz (cf. 4:3). Naomi. Her name means “pleasant.” Mahlon and Chilion. Their names mean “sick” and “pining” respectively. Ephrathites. A title used of people who lived in the area anciently known as Ephrath (Gen. 35:16, 19; 48:7) or Ephrathah (Ruth 4:11; Mic. 5:2), but later more prominently called Bethlehem (1:1). Jesse, father of David, is called “an Ephrathite of Bethlehem” (1 Sam. 17:12) and “Jesse the Bethlehemite” (1 Sam. 16:1, 18; 17:58).

  1:4 the women of Moab. See Introduction: Interpretive Challenges. Orpah. Her name means “stubborn.” Ruth. Her name means “friendship.” about ten years. This period would seem to include the entire time of Naomi’s residency in Moab.

  1:5 the woman survived. Naomi, a widow in Moab whose two sons had died also, believed that the LORD had afflicted her with bitter days until she would die (1:13, 20, 21). No reason for the death of these 3 men in her life is given. Ruth married Mahlon, and Orpah united with Chilion (cf. 4:10).

  1:6–22 The death of Elimelech and his two sons (1:3, 5) prepared the way for Naomi and Ruth to leave Orpah in Moab (1:6–14) and return together to Bethlehem (1:15–22).

  1:6 the LORD had visited His people. Obviously the Lord had sent rain to break the famine. The sovereignty of Jehovah on behalf of Israel permeates the pages of Ruth in several ways: 1) actually for good (2:12; 4:12–14), 2) perceived by Naomi for bad (1:13, 21), and 3) in the context of prayer/blessing (1:8, 9, 17; 2:4, 12, 20; 3:10, 13; 4:11). The return of physical prosperity only shadowed the reality of a coming spiritual prosperity through the line of David in the person of Christ.

  1:7 she went out. Naomi had friends (1:19), family (2:1), and prosperity (4:3) awaiting her in Bethlehem.

  1:8–10 Naomi graciously encouraged her two daughters-in-law to return to their homes (1:8) and to remarry (1:9), but they emotionally insisted on going to Jerusalem (1:10).

  1:11–13 Naomi selflessly reasoned a second time for their return, because she would be unable to provide them with new husbands (possibly in the spirit of a levirate marriage as described in Deut. 25:5, 6). If Orpah and Ruth waited, they would most likely have become as old as Naomi was then before they could remarry (cf. Gen. 38:11).

  1:12 I am too old. Naomi was probably over 50.

  1:13 the hand of the LORD. A figure of speech which describes the Lord’s work. The Lord is spirit (John 4:24) and therefore does not have a literal hand.

  1:14, 15 At the second plea to return, Orpah turned back. Naomi pleaded with Ruth a third time to return.

  1:15 her gods. Refers to Chemosh the chief Moabite deity who required child sacrifice (2 Kin. 3:27) and other local deities.

  1:16–18 Ruth recited her hallmark expression of loyalty to Naomi and commitment to the family she married into.

  1:16 And your God, my God. This testimony evidenced Ruth’s conversion from worshiping Chemosh to Jehovah of Israel (cf. 1 Thess. 1:9, 10).

  1:17 The LORD do so to me. Ruth’s vow bore further testimony to her conversion. She followed the path first blazed by Abraham (Josh. 24:2).

  1:19 they came to Bethlehem. A trip from Moab (at least 60–75 mi.) would have taken about 7–10 days. Having descended about 4,500 ft. from Moab into the Jordan Valley, they then ascended 3,750 ft. through the hills of Judea. all the city. Naomi had been well known in her prior residency (cf. Ephrathites of Bethlehem, 1:2). The question, “Is this Naomi?” most likely reflected the hard life of the last decade and the toll that it took on her appearance.

  1:20, 21 Naomi…Mara…full…empty. Naomi’s outlook on life, although grounded in God’s sovereignty, was not hopeful; thus she asked to be renamed “Mara,” which means “bitter.” Her experiences were not unlike Job’s (Job 1, 2), but her perspective resembled that of Job’s wife (Job 2:10). In reality, Naomi had 1) a full harvest prospect, 2) Ruth plus Boaz, and 3) the hope of God’s future blessing.

  1:22 Ruth the Moabitess. This title also appears at 2:2, 21; 4:5, 10. Ruth stands out as a foretaste of future Gentile conversions (cf. Rom. 11). at the beginning of barley harvest. Normally the middle to the end of Apr.

  Ruth 2

  2:1–23 Two widows, newly at home in Bethlehem after Naomi’s 10 year absence, needed the basics of life. Ruth volunteered to go out and glean the fields for food (cf. James 1:27). In so doing, she unintentionally went to the field of Boaz, a close family relative, where she found great favor in his sight.

  2:1 relative…of the family. Possibly as close as a brother of Elimelech (cf. 4:3), but if not, certainly within the tribe or clan. a man of great wealth. Lit. “a man of valor” (cf. Judg. 6:12; 11:1) who had unusual capacity to obtain and protect his property. Boaz. His name means “in him is strength.” He had never married or was a widower (cf. 1 Chr. 2:11, 12; Matt. 1:5; Luke 3:32).

  2:2 glean. The Mosaic law commanded that the harvest should not be reaped to the corners nor the gleanings picked up (Lev. 19:9, 10). Gleanings were stalks of grain left after the first cutting (cf. 2:3, 7, 8, 15, 17). These were dedicated to the needy, especially widows, orphans, and
strangers (Lev. 23:22; Deut. 24:19–21).

  2:3 she happened to come. Here was a classic example of God’s providence at work. part of the field. Possibly a large community field in which Boaz had a plot.

  2:4–17 Note throughout how Boaz manifested the spirit of the law in going beyond what the Mosaic legislation required by 1) feeding Ruth (2:14), 2) letting Ruth glean among the sheaves (2:15), and 3) leaving extra grain for her to glean (2:16).

  2:4 The LORD be with you. This unusual labor practice speaks to the exceptional godliness of Boaz and his workers.

  2:7 sheaves. Bundles of grain stalks tied together for transport to the threshing floor.

  2:7, 17 morning…evening. Ruth proved to be diligent in her care for Naomi.

  2:7 the house. Most likely a temporary shelter built with branches by the side of the field (cf. 3:18).

  2:8 my daughter. Boaz was about 45–55 years old and a contemporary of Elimelech and Naomi. He would naturally see Ruth as a daughter (3:10, 11), much like Naomi did (cf. 2:2, 22; 3:1, 16, 18). Boaz contrasted himself with younger men (3:10). my young women. The ones who tied up the sheaves.

  2:9 young men. The ones who cut the grain with hand sickles (cf. 2:21).

  2:10 a foreigner. Ruth remained ever mindful that she was an alien and, as such, must conduct herself humbly. Possibly she had knowledge of Deut. 23:3, 4. She acknowledged the grace (lit. “favor”) of Boaz.

  2:11 fully reported to me. This speaks to both Naomi’s quickness to speak kindly of Ruth and Boaz’s network of influence in Bethlehem. Ruth remained true to her promise (1:16, 17).

  2:12 wings…refuge. Scripture pictures God as catching Israel up on His wings in the Exodus (Ex. 19:4; Deut. 32:11). God is here portrayed as a mother bird sheltering the young and fragile with her wings (cf. Pss. 17:8; 36:7; 57:1; 61:4; 63:7; 91:1, 4). Boaz blessed Ruth in light of her newfound commitment to and dependence on the Lord. Later, he would become God’s answer to this prayer (cf. 3:9).

  2:14 vinegar. Sour wine, mixed with a little oil, used to quench thirst.

  2:15 among the sheaves. Boaz granted her request (2:7) to go beyond the letter of the law.

  2:17 ephah. Over one-half bushel, weighing about 30 to 40 lbs.

  2:18 what she had kept back. Not the gleaned grain, but rather the lunch ration which Ruth did not eat (cf. 2:14).

  2:20 His kindness. Naomi began to understand God’s sovereign working, covenant loyalty, lovingkindness, and mercy toward her because Ruth, without human direction (2:3), found the near relative Boaz. one of our close relatives. The great kinsman-redeemer theme of Ruth begins here (cf. 3:9, 12; 4:1, 3, 6, 8, 14). A close relative could redeem 1) a family member sold into slavery (Lev. 25:47–49), 2) land which needed to be sold under economic hardship (Lev. 25:23–28), and/or 3) the family name by virtue of a levirate marriage (Deut. 25:5–10). This earthly custom pictures the reality of God the Redeemer doing a greater work (Pss. 19:14; 78:35; Is. 41:14; 43:14) by reclaiming those who needed to be spiritually redeemed out of slavery to sin (Ps. 107:2; Is. 62:12). Thus, Boaz pictures Christ, who as a Brother (Heb. 2:17), redeemed those who 1) were slaves to sin (Rom. 6:15–18), 2) had lost all earthly possessions/privileges in the Fall (Gen. 3:17–19), and 3) had been alienated by sin from God (2 Cor. 5:18–21). Boaz stands in the direct line of Christ (Matt. 1:5; Luke 3:32). This turn of events marks the point where Naomi’s human emptiness (1:21) begins to be refilled by the Lord. Her night of earthly doubt has been broken by the dawning of new hope (cf. Rom. 8:28–39).

  2:22 do not meet you. Ruth the Moabitess would not be treated with such mercy and grace by strangers outside of the family.

  2:23 the end of…harvest. Barley harvest usually began about mid-Apr. and wheat harvest extended to mid-June—a period of intense labor for about two months. This generally coincided with the 7 weeks between Passover and the Feast of Weeks, i.e., Pentecost (cf. Lev. 23:15, 16; Deut. 16:9–12).

  Ruth 3

  3:1–18 Encouraged by Ruth’s day in Boaz’s field, Naomi instructed Ruth in the way she should go to insure a brighter future. Ruth carefully followed Naomi’s directions to solicit redemption by Boaz, while the Lord had prepared Boaz to redeem Ruth. Only one potential obstacle remained, a relative nearer than Boaz.

  3:1 security. Naomi felt responsible, just as she did in 1:9, for Ruth’s future husband and home.

  3:2 tonight. Winnowing (tossing grain into the air to finish separating the grain from the chaff) normally occurred in late afternoon when the Mediterranean winds prevailed. Sifting and bagging the grain would have carried over past dark, and Boaz may have remained all night to guard the grain from theft. threshing floor. Usually a large, hard area of earth or stone on the downwind (E) side of the village where threshing took place (loosening the grain from the straw and winnowing).

  3:3, 4 Naomi instructed Ruth 1) to put on her best appearance and 2) to propose marriage to Boaz by utilizing an ancient Near Eastern custom. Since Boaz was a generation older than Ruth (2:8), this overture would indicate Ruth’s desire to marry Boaz, which the older, gracious Boaz would not have initiated with a younger woman.

  3:7 his heart was cheerful. Using the same language of 3:1 (“security”…“be well”), Boaz is described as having a sense of well being, which is most readily explained by the full harvest in contrast to previous years of famine (cf. Judg. 18:20; 1 Kin. 21:7).

  3:9 Take your maidservant. Ruth righteously appealed to Boaz, using the language of Boaz’s earlier prayer (2:12), to marry her according to the levirate custom (Deut. 25:5–10). See Introduction: Interpretive Challenges.

  3:10 kindness. Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi, the Lord, and even Boaz is commended by Boaz. after young men. Ruth demonstrated moral excellence in that 1) she did not engage in immorality, 2) she did not remarry outside the family, and 3) she had appealed for levirate redemption to an older, godly man.

  3:11 virtuous. In all respects, Ruth personifies excellence (cf. Prov. 31:10). This same language has been used of Boaz (“a man of great wealth” or more likely “a man of valor” in 2:1), thus making them the perfectly matched couple for an exemplary marriage.

  3:12 a relative closer than I. Boaz righteously deferred to someone else who was nearer in relationship to Elimelech. The nearer relative may have been Boaz’s older brother (cf. 4:3) or Boaz may have been his cousin. The fact that the neighbor women said, “There is a son born to Naomi” at Obed’s birth would suggest the brother or cousin relationship to Elimelech (4:17).

  3:13 I will perform the duty. Boaz willingly accepted Ruth’s proposal, if the nearer relative was unable or unwilling to exercise his levirate duty. as the LORD lives. The most solemn, binding oath an Israelite could vow.

  3:14 lay at his feet. According to the text, no immorality occurred. Boaz even insisted on no appearance of evil.

  3:15 six ephahs. The Hebrew text gives no standard of measurement; ephah has been inserted by the translators only as a possibility. However, 6 ephahs would weigh about 200 lbs., which was far too much for Ruth to carry home in her shawl. Therefore, deemed most reasonable is 6 seahs (60–80 lbs.), which would have been twice the amount Ruth had previously gleaned (see 2:17).

  3:18 this day. Naomi knew that Boaz was a man of integrity and would fulfill his promise with a sense of urgency. They needed to wait on the Lord to work through Boaz.

  Ruth 4

  4:1–22 God’s divine plan fully blossomed as Boaz redeemed Naomi’s land and Ruth’s hand in marriage. Naomi, once empty (1:21), is full; Ruth, once a widow (1:5), is married; most importantly, the Lord has prepared Christ’s line of descent in David, through Boaz and Obed, back to Judah (Gen. 49:10) to fulfill the proper messianic lineage.

  4:1 went up. Apparently the threshing floor was below the level of the gate. Compare Ruth 3:3, “go down to the threshing floor.” the gate. The normal public place to transact business in ancient times (cf. 2 Sam. 15:2; Job 29:7; Lam. 5:14). friend. The Heb. text is not clear whether Boaz called him directly by name (which is then no
t mentioned by the author) or addressed him indirectly.

  4:2 ten men. This number apparently comprised a quorum to officially transact business, although only two or three witnesses were needed for judicial proceedings (cf. Deut. 17:6; 19:15).

  4:3 Naomi…sold. This phrase could possibly be translated, “Naomi is about to sell…” (cf. Jer. 32:6–15). As a widow, she needed the money for living expenses, knowing that the land would ultimately be returned at Jubilee (Lev. 25:28). our brother Elimelech. Boaz and the unnamed relative were most likely either brothers or cousins.

  4:4 Buy it back. As authorized by the Mosaic law (Lev. 25:23–28).

  4:5 you must also buy. Both redeeming Ruth and the land would not have been required by the letter of the levirate law (Deut. 25:5, 6). Perhaps this exemplified Boaz’s desire to obey the spirit of the law (see note on 2:4–17) or maybe redemption of land and marriage had been combined by local tradition. The levirate principle appears first in Scripture at Gen. 38:8 (cf. Matt. 22:23–28).

  4:6 lest I ruin my own inheritance. He was unwilling to have the family portfolio split between his existing children and the potential offspring of a union with Ruth. You redeem. The closer relative relinquished his legal right to the land and Ruth. This cleared the way for Boaz to redeem both.

  4:7 took off his sandal. The Scripture writer explained to his own generation what had been a custom in former generations. This kind of tradition appears in Deut. 25:5–10 and apparently continued at least to the time of Amos (cf. 2:6; 8:6). The closer relative legally transferred his right to the property as symbolized by the sandal, most likely that of the nearer relative.

  4:9 I have bought. Boaz exercised his legal option to redeem both the land and Ruth before appropriate witnesses.

  Ruth 4:9

  Ruth: The Proverbs 31 Wife

  The “virtuous” wife of Proverbs 31:10 is personified by “virtuous” Ruth of whom the same Heb. word is used (3:11). With amazing parallel, they share at least 8 character traits (see below). One wonders (in concert with Jewish tradition) if King Lemuel’s mother might not have been Bathsheba, who orally passed the family heritage of Ruth’s spotless reputation along to David’s son Solomon. Lemuel, which means “devoted to God,” could have been a family name for Solomon (cf. Jedediah, 2 Sam. 12:25), who then could have penned Prov. 31:10–31 with Ruth in mind. Each woman was: