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Commentaries,
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Ruth
3:4
"It shall be
when he
lies
down, that you
shall
notice the
place
where
* he
lies, and you
shall
go and
uncover his
feet and
lie
down; then he
will
tell you
what you shall
do." (NASB:
Lockman) |
|
BBE: But see to it, when he goes to
rest, that you take note of the place where he is sleeping, and go in
there, and, uncovering his feet, take your place by him; and he will
say what you are to do.
CEV: Watch where he goes to
spend the night, then when he is asleep, lift the cover and lie down
at his feet. He will tell you what to do. (CEV)
GWT: When he lies down, notice the place
where he is lying. Then uncover his feet, and lie down there. He will
make it clear what you must do." (GWT)
KJV: And
it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where
he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee
down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.
NJB: But when he lies
down, take note where he lies, then go and turn back the covering at
his feet and lie down yourself. He will tell you what to do.' (NJB)
Young's Literal: and
it cometh to pass when he lieth down, that thou hast known the place
where he lieth down, and hast gone in, and uncovered his feet, and
lain down, -- and he doth declare to thee that which thou dost do.' |
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Septuagint (LXX):
kai
estai
(3SFMI)
en
to
koimethenai
(APN)
auton
kai
gnose
(2SFMI)
ton
topon
opou
koimatai
(3SPMI)
ekei
kai
eleuse
(2SFMI)
kai
apokalupsein
(2SFAI)
ta
pros
podon
autou
kai
koimethese
(2SFPI)
kai
autos
apaggelei
(3SFAI)
soi
a
poiesein (2SFAI)
English of
Septuagint: And it shall come to
pass when he lies down, that thou shalt mark the place where he
lies down, and shalt come and lift up the covering of his feet,
and shalt lie down; and he shall tell thee what thou shalt do |
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WHEN HE LIES DOWN
NOTICE THE PLACE WHERE HE LIES:
"Lies down...lies"
(07901) (sakab) means to take a horizontal position as for
example when lying down to sleep or for rest.
Sakab is used of the state of reclining as opposed to
sitting. One must realize that this word is used with reference to a sexual relationship,
but the context usually makes this use clear. For example when Lot's
daughters faced with the potential of childlessness, the older
reasoned with the younger saying
"Come, let us make our father
drink wine, and let us
lie with him, that we
may preserve our family through our father.”
(Ge
19:32).
There is
absolutely no such contextual suggestion of illicit behavior in Ruth
and in fact the author makes it clear that she lies down at his feet,
which is quite different from lying down directly beside him (See note
below from TWOT) The Greek Septuagint translates lie or lie down seven
times in chapter 3 with the Greek verb koimao which
means to sleep and has no use that I am can find suggesting a sexual
encounter. Thus the Septuagint translators seem to have no doubt about
Ruth's intentions and neither should the reader. Ruth was to find the right time for an approach which could be made privately and
without fear of embarrassing either party.
Boaz is sleeping at the threshing
floor to guard his crop against the kind of attacks described in
1 Samuel 23:1.
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LIE DOWN
(Sakab
07901) |
| The
Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament has the following
entry on "lie",
the Hebrew word šākab, commenting that it
"appears
most often in the Qal primarily with the meaning “to lie down
(in death)” or “to lie down (for sexual relations).”
Whenever the derivatives of šākab are used in a context of
sexual relationships, those relationships are illicit
(Ge30:15, 16; II Sam 11:11 may be exceptions). This is
no less true with the verb šākab itself. In one instance it is
used in legal statements that forbid certain types of sexual
liasons. Exodus 22:16 outlaws fornication:
“If a man
seduce a virgin who is not betrothed and ‘sleep/lie’ with her
he shall pay her price and make her his wife.”
Dt 22:22 advocates the death penalty for two people caught in
adultery:
“If a man is caught ‘sleeping/ lying’ with another
man’s wife both must die.”
Lev 18:22 and
Lev 20:13 use
šākab in the statement that prohibits homosexual
relationships:
“The man who ‘lies’ with a man … they must die.”
Finally in Deut 27:21 “lying” with animals is
cursed by the Law.
It is sobering to notice that for the above
sexual aberrations usually the death penalty was prescribed. To
be sure, the Bible does not tell us to what degree the
punishment was enforced across the board. But why do the
Scriptures inveigh so forcefully against tampering with the
sexual relationship....
Apart from legal texts šākab is
used in narrative sections that describe incidents of
inappropriate behavior.
The daughters of Lot made their father
drunk and then ‘slept’ with him (Gen 19:32ff.).
One
of Abimelech’s subjects almost inadvertently committed adultery
with Rebekah (Gen 26:10).
The verb is used to describe
the rape of Dinah, Jacob’s daughter, by Shechem (Gen 34:2,
7).
Reuben “slept” with his father’s concubine Bilhah
while Jacob was absent (Gen 35:22).
The sons of Eli
engaged in amorous pursuits in their free time (I Sam
2:22).
Amnon violated his half-sister Tamar (II Sam
13:11, 14), emulating, no doubt, the activities of his own
father with Bathsheba (II Sam 11:4).
By contrast
when the Bible makes reference to a sexual relationship that is
within the boundaries of God’s will it usually uses a phrase
such as
“Adam knew his wife and she conceived” (Gen
4:1, 17) or
“Abraham went in unto Hagar and she
conceived” (Gen 16:4).
The latter phrase is used
even in Gen 38:18 of Judah and Tamar, father-in-law and
daughter-in-law respectively, where Judah denied Tamar her
levirate rights. (Harris,
R. L., Harris, R. L., Archer, G. L., & Waltke, B. K. Theological
Wordbook of the Old Testament Moody Press)
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YOU SHALL GO UNCOVER HIS FEET
AND LIE DOWN: (1Th 5:22) :
To propose
marriage to Boaz by utilizing an ancient Near Eastern custom. Since
Boaz is a generation older than Ruth (see note
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.
In recognition of the sexual innuendos of Ruth’s uncovering Boaz’s
feet, the LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac were all careful in their
translations to make it clear that only the place of Boaz’s feet was
involved.
The Israelites had previously been
tempted into sin by the daughters of Moab for
"While Israel
remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the
daughters of Moab. For they (the daughters of Moab) invited the
people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed
down to their gods. So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and
the LORD was angry against Israel." (Nu
25:1-3).
Ruth the Moabitess however was
here to appeal to Boaz not to tempt him to follow her gods for she had
already chosen to seek refuge under the wings of "Jehovah, the God
of Israel". (see note
Ruth 2:12)
THEN HE WILL TELL YOU WHAT TO DO;
Naomi
probably had in mind that Boaz would recognize Ruth's action as an
appeal to marry her as the next of kin. |
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Ruth
3:5
She
said to her,
"All that you
say I will
do." (NASB:
Lockman) |
BBE: And she said, I will do all you
say.
CEV: Ruth answered,
"I'll do whatever you say." (CEV)
GWT: Ruth answered her, "I will do
whatever you say." (GWT)
KJV: And
she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.
NJB: Ruth said, 'I shall do everything
you tell me.' (NJB)
Young's Literal: And
she saith unto her, 'All that thou sayest -- I do.' |
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Septuagint (LXX):
eipen (3SAAI)
de Routh
pros
auten
panta
osa
ean
eipes
(2SAAS)
poieso (1SFAI)
English of
Septuagint: And Ruth said
to her, All that thou shalt say, I will do |
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AND SHE SAID TO HER ALL THAT YOU SAY
I WILL DO:
Note Ruth's immediate, unquestioning obedience to the directions of
her mother-in-law (cf. note
Ruth 2:22-23)
Ruth is an excellent illustration of an excellent example of James'
exhortation for saints to
"be quick to hear, slow to speak..."
Ruth was not only a hearer of the Word, but she was a doer. A
willingness to obey the Lord (in this case the one that the Lord had
placed over her) is the secret of knowing what He wants us to do and
being blessed when we do it. Jesus taught this important principle
declaring that
“If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know
of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself.”
(Jn
7:17
Jn 14:21).
The International Children's Bible paraphrase clearly emphasizes the
relation between doing and knowing --
"If anyone chooses to DO what
God wants, THEN he will KNOW that my teaching comes from God. He will
know that this teaching is not my own."
The chosen people said the
same thing but failed to follow up with their actions. E.g., in Ex
19:8
"all the people answered together and said, "All that the LORD
has spoken we will do!" And Moses brought back the words of the people
to the LORD." (Ex 19:8)
and again in (Ex 24:3)
when
"Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of the
LORD and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one
voice, and said, "All the words which the LORD has spoken we will do!"
even when Moses
"took the book of the covenant and read it in the
hearing of the people" that ; and they repeated "All that the
LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!" (Ex 24:7)
Ruth had a tender heart, a
submissive spirit and an obedient response to do "all" that
Naomi said. |
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Ruth 3:6
So she
went
down to the
threshing
floor and
did according
to
all that her
mother-in-law
had
commanded her. (NASB:
Lockman) |
|
BBE: So she went down to the grain-floor
and did all her mother-in-law had said to her.
CEV: She went out to the
place where Boaz was working and did what Naomi had told her. (CEV)
GWT:
Ruth went to the threshing floor and did exactly as her mother-in-law
had directed her. (GWT)
KJV: And
she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother
in law bade her.
NJB: So she went down to the
threshing-floor and did everything her mother-in-law had told her (NJB)
Young's Literal: And
she goeth down to the threshing-floor, and doth according to all that
her mother-in-law commanded her |
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Septuagint (LXX):
kai
katebe
(3SAAI)
eis
ton
alo
kai
epoiesen
(3SAAI)
kata
panta
osa
eneteilato
(3SAMI)
aute
e
penthera
autes
English of
Septuagint: And she went
down to the threshing-floor, and did according to all that her
mother-in-law enjoined her |
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SO SHE WENT DOWN
TO THE THRESHING FLOOR:
The men would deposit the
sheaves on the floor and then separate the grain from the stalks by
having oxen walk on it or by beating the stalks. Once the
grain was separated, the workers would throw the grain into the air
and the breeze would carry the chaff away while the grain fell to the
floor. The grain would then be sifted. An understanding of this
process helps one better visualize Jesus' metaphor which He applied to
Peter saying
"Satan has
demanded permission to sift you like wheat'' (Lu 22:31)
AND DID ACCORDING TO ALL
THAT HER MOTHER IN LAW
HAD COMMANDED HER:
(Jn
2:5;
15:14)
"Did
according to all"
and in so doing she fulfilled God's command to "Honor your
...mother" (Ex 20:12)
and she did not forsake her "mother's teaching." (Pr 1:8)
Divine providence does not
eliminate human activity. Ruth lay crosswise at Boaz's feet-- a
position in which Eastern servants frequently sleep in the same
chamber or tent with their master; and if they want a covering, custom
allows them that benefit from part of the covering on their master's
bed. Resting, as the Orientals do at night, in the same clothes they
wear during the day, there was no indelicacy in a stranger, or even a
woman, putting the extremity of this cover over her.
Naomi in this declaration expresses complete confidence in the integrity of
their kinsman-redeemer. And
Ruth carried
out the plan in exact detail as matchmaker Naomi had laid it out. |
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Ruth 3:7
When
Boaz had
eaten and
drunk and his
heart was
merry, he
went to
lie
down at the
end of the
heap of
grain; and she
came
secretly, and
uncovered his
feet and
lay
down. (NASB:
Lockman) |
|
BBE: Now when Boaz had taken meat and
drink, and his heart was glad, he went to take his rest at the end of
the mass of grain; then she came softly and, uncovering his feet, went
to rest.
CEV: After Boaz finished
eating and drinking and was feeling happy, he went over and fell
asleep near the pile of grain. Ruth slipped over quietly. She lifted
the cover and lay down near his feet. (CEV)
GWT: Boaz had eaten and drunk to his
heart's content, so he went and lay at the edge of a pile of grain.
Then she went over to him secretly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.
(GWT)
KJV: And
when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie
down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came softly, and
uncovered his feet, and laid her down.
NJB: When Boaz had finished eating and
drinking, he went off happily and lay down beside the pile of barley.
Ruth then quietly went, turned back the covering at his feet and lay
down. (NJB)
Young's Literal: And
Boaz eateth and drinketh, and his heart is glad; and he goeth in to
lie down at the end of the heap; and she cometh in gently, and
uncovereth his feet, and lieth down. |
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Septuagint (LXX):
kai
ephagen
(3SAAI) Boos
kai egathunthe
(3SAPI)
e
kardia
autou
kai
elthen
(3SAAI)
koimethenai
(APN)
en
meridi
tes stoibes
e
de
elthen
(3SAAI) kruphe
kai
apekalupsen
(3SAAI)
ta
pros
podon
autou
English of
Septuagint:
And
Booz ate and drank, and his heart was glad, and he came to lie
down by the side of the heap of corn; and she came secretly, and
lifted up the covering of his feet |
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WHEN BOAZ HAD EATEN AND DRUNK AND
HIS HEART WAS MERRY:
(Ge
43:34;
Jdg 16:25;
19:6
19:9
19:22;
2Sa 13:28;
Est 1:10;
Ps 104:15;
Ecc 2:24;
8:15;
9:7;
10:19;
1 Cor 10:31;
Eph 5:18)
"His heart was glad"
(YLT)
"was feeling happy" (CEV)
"drank to his heart's
content" (NAB)
"he lay down very contentedly" (TLB)
"he
was in a good mood" (TEV)
"and was feeling satisfied"
(NET) "Merry"
(03190)
(yatab) means made well, happy, cheerful, joyful. 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.
Jdg 18:20).
Yatab is often used in idiomatic expressions with heart (as in
current verse) where it means to be pleased or to be happy.
It does not seem warranted to
interpret "his heart was merry" as indicating that Boaz was drunk" as
some commentaries do. It should be noted however that the
Septuagint (LXX)
translates the
Hebrew yatab with the Greek verb agathuno which in a few
contexts does refer to merry with wine (cf 2 Samuel 13:28). But
to be of good cheer does not mean he was drunk. He could hardly guard
the grain heap if he was drunk. His subsequent actions and words
during this night do not suggest he was drunk but that he was in
command of his senses. Finally, as stated earlier, Boaz had reason to
have a merry heart, for the harvest season was a joyful time for the
Jews (Isa 9:3;
Isa16:10),
and this is the way God wanted it.
"Seven days you shall celebrate a
feast to the LORD your God in the place which the LORD chooses,
because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in
all the work of your hands, so that you shall be altogether joyful.”
(Deut
16:15).
HE WENT TO LIE DOWN AT THE END OF THE HEAP OF GRAIN
AND SHE CAME SECRETLY:
"he lay down to sleep at the far end of the grain heap" (NET)
"Secretly"
(03909,) or softly so as not to be heard {kruphe
from "krupto": privately or secretly}, for example as
in (1 Sa 24:4) when David cut Saul's garment.
It is increasingly clear that Boaz interpreted Ruth’s bold actions as
a request for marriage. Some commentators have cynically described the
entire episode as an example of the wily ways of a woman to get her
man. This kind of interpretation shows a lack of sensitivity to the
chain of events that are unfolding in the story.
UNCOVERED HIS FEET AND LAY DOWN:
Four times in this chapter there is
mention of feet (Ru 3:4, 7–8, 14
Click to view all four). Ruth had
fallen at the feet of Boaz in response to his gracious words (see note
Ruth 2:10),
but now she was coming to his feet to propose marriage. She was asking
him to obey the law of the kinsman redeemer and take her as his wife.
.She was assuming a position of submission and humility. Note that
Ruth did not tickle his feet or nudge him to awaken him, but patiently
waited for the events to unfold. Once again we gain insight into the
virtuous character of this woman willing to wait on the Lord's timing
as indicated by "and it happened in the middle of the night",
just as earlier
"she happened to come to the portion of the
field belonging to Boaz." (see note
Ruth 2:3).
Oh, how wonderful it would be
if we all had such an inner resolve to wait upon the Lord's timing in
the various events in our life, instead of so often attempting to
manipulate people and circumstances to achieve what we desire or think
the conclusion of a matter should be. Lord, give us a "Ruth like"
spirit, willing to wait "all night" if need be, trusting in the
perfect timing of Your providential outworking of the circumstances of
our life. Amen. There is a time to sit still and wait and there is a
time for action as Ruth will subsequently illustrate.
You need to be aware that some scholars point out that the word "feet"
can be a
euphemism for sexual organs and in their liberalism these writers ascribe such a
meaning here! I think they are taking the Hebrew words totally out of
context considering that both Boaz & Ruth were known as people "of
excellence" which emphasizes that they were both not just
externally strong but that they were internally virtuous.
Explanatory Note on
a Difficult Passage --
Ruth 3:6ff
"Some commentators on this text have suggested that Ruth’s bold move
that night on the threshing floor went beyond the normal boundaries of
propriety and included sexual relations with Boaz. Their argument is
that harvest time the world over is a time of celebration of the rites
of fertility. At these times the ancients allowed themselves more
license than usual. During this harvest celebration, then, after Boaz
had imbibed enough wine to make himself drunk, Ruth approached him in
order to force him into marriage. Others have interpreted Boaz’s “feet”
as a sexual euphemism for the male reproductive organ. If this were
the meaning, then the story would be making a discreet reference to
fleshly indulgence. But these suggestions are unnecessary; it seems
that the author chose his words carefully so as to avoid any possible
innuendo.
To begin with, it is extremely unlikely that Boaz was drunk (cp same
word in
Ru 3:1
and fact that it did not say he was drunk as it did of Noah in
Gen 9:21). after the good meal he had eaten. The text simply
says that he “was in good spirits.” His mood was mellow, and his
demeanor was upbeat. And why not? He had the results of all his hard
labor right there on the threshing floor with him. But his feasting
brought on drowsiness, so he retired to one side of the pile of grain
that had been threshed. It is doubtful that he would have guarded this
pile of grain by himself, that there would have been no other workers
present who would awaken at the crack of dawn to get back to work
alongside him.
Later, after Boaz had fallen asleep, Ruth went and carefully uncovered
his feet and apparently crawled under his cover, lying perpendicular
to his feet. There are no sexual overtones in the reference to his
feet, for Boaz was startled at midnight when his feet suddenly touched
the woman’s body.
Ruth immediately made her objective clear when she requested, “Spread
the corner of your garment over me.” She was using the accepted idiom
meaning “Marry me”—other passages in which the same expression is used
are
Ezek
16:8,
Dt 22:30 and | | |
