|
| |
INDEX
PREVIOUS
NEXT
|
COLLECTIONS
Commentaries,
Word Studies, Devotionals, Sermons, Illustrations
Old and New Testament. |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Ruth 4:1
Now
Boaz
went up to the
gate and
sat
down
there, and
behold, the
close
relative of
whom
Boaz
spoke was
passing by, so
he
said,
"Turn
aside,
friend,
sit
down
here." And he
turned
aside and
sat
down. |
|
BBE: And Boaz went up to the
public place of the town, and took his seat there: and the near
relation of whom he had been talking came by; and Boaz, crying out to
him by name, said, Come and be seated here. And he came and was
seated.
CEV: In the
meanwhile, Boaz had gone to the meeting place at the town gate and was
sitting there when the other close relative came by. So Boaz invited
him to come over and sit down, and he did.
GWT: Boaz went to the city gate and
sat there. Just then, the relative about whom he had spoken was
passing by. Boaz said, "Please come over here and sit, my friend." So
the man came over and sat down.
KJV: Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down
there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom
he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned
aside, and sat down.
NJB: Boaz, meanwhile, had gone up to the gate and sat
down, and the relative of whom he had spoken then came by. Boaz said
to him, 'Here, my friend, come and sit down'; the man came and sat
down. (NJB)
Young's Literal: And Boaz hath gone up to the gate, and sitteth there, and lo,
the redeemer is passing by of whom Boaz had spoken, and he saith,
'Turn aside, sit down here, such a one, such a one;' and he turneth
aside and sitteth down. |
|
Septuagint (LXX):
kai
Boos
anebe
(3SAAI)
epi
ten
pulen
kai ekathisen
(3SAAI)
ekei
kai
idou
o agchisteutes
pareporeueto (3SIMI)
on
eipen
Boos
kai
eipen
(3SAAI)
pros
auton
Boos
ekklinas
kathison (2SAAM)
ode kruphie
kai
exeklinen (3SAAI)
kai
ekathisen
(3SAAI)
English of
Septuagint: And Booz went
up to the gate, and sat there; and behold, the relative passed
by, of whom Booz spoke: and Booz said to him, Turn aside, sit
down here, such a one: and he turned aside and sat down |
|
|
|
|
NOW: Ruth 3 concludes with Naomi saying to Ruth,
“Sit still, my daughter
until you know how the matter turns out; for the man will not rest until
he has settled it today."
The theme of chapter is redemption and restoration.
Theme of Ruth 4 is
In the heart & home of Boaz
Ruth & Naomi: Redeemed & Restored
|
RUTH 4:
"THE DENOUEMENT" |
|
De·noue·ment also dé·noue·ment \da\-nu/-ma/
[French denouement, lit, untying, from Mid French desnouement, from
desnouer to untie, from Old French desnoer, fr des- de- + noer to tie,
fr Latin nodare, fr nodus knot] (1752) final outcome of the main
dramatic complication in a literary work; outcome of a complex sequence
of events --
The previous chapter left us with a "cliff-hanger" - Ruth and Boaz are
obviously in love, and want to get married, with Boaz exercising the
right of the goel - the kinsman-redeemer. Yet, there is a kinsman closer
to Ruth, and he has priority. Will he claim the right of
kinsman-redeemer towards Ruth, and keep her and Boaz from coming
together? |
The Book of Ruth opens with three funerals but closes with a wedding.
There is a good deal of weeping recorded in the first chapter, but the
last chapter records an overflowing of joy in the little town of
Bethlehem. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the
morning” (Ps
30:5).
J Vernon McGee notes that
"Boaz
has had to stand aside with his arms folded, but now he is free to move
because Ruth has claimed him as her kinsman-redeemer. And I say
this reverently to you, my friend: Christ, like Boaz, is not free to
move in your behalf until you claim Him as your Kinsman-Redeemer. Boaz
is ready to act in the capacity of kinsman-redeemer. Ruth is to wait and
let him be the one to make all the arrangements. He is the one now who
will step out into the open and claim her, actually jeopardizing
everything that he has and everything that he is. But he wants her; he
loves her. This is the great message of this book: redemption is a
romance; because God loves us He redeemed us. You will have to invite
Him in. God offers the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus, but you
have to reach out your hand and take it by faith. By faith you receive
Christ." (McGee,
J. V. Ruth and Esther: Women of Faith. Nashville: Thomas Nelson
Publishers)
BOAZ WENT UP
TO THE GATE
AND SAT DOWN THERE: (Dt 16:18;
17:5;
21:19;
25:7;
Job 29:7;
31:21;
Am 5:10-12,15)
Gate (08179)
(sa'ar) indicates the main entrance to a city or building and can
be used to stand for city or town itself
In the ancient east, the main gate of the town was a short
passageway through the thick city wall which provided the town an
entrance and exit. A series of small alcoves lined the passage, and the
whole gate area served as both bazaar and courthouse, functioning
as the local law court.
The gate was the place where the esteemed men of the city sat.
There the ancients gathered to buy and sell, to settle legal matters,
and to gossip.
As someone has said the city
gate was somewhat analogous to our modern city council chamber and
courtroom rolled into one. This gate was open to the public
scrutiny to observe whether justice was done.
As an example of the type of
business conducted at the city gate Moses gives instructions that an
Israelite who doubted the virginity of his bride was to make a formal
accusation to the “elders of the city.” If her parents gave proof of
virginity showing the accusation was false, the husband was to pay a
penalty and was prohibited from divorcing the woman. However, if she was
found not to be a virgin, then she was to be put to death. Moses writes
that
"the girl's father and her mother shall take and bring out the
evidence of the girl's virginity to the elders of the city at the
gate." (Deut
22:15, cf.
2 Sa 15:2;
Job 29:7;
Lam 5:14).
So clearly the city gate was
the site of serious judgments and Boaz had a serious issue to bring
before the goel and the elders.
AND BEHOLD THE CLOSE RELATIVE
(GOEL) OF WHOM BOAZ SPOKE WAS PASSING BY:
(see note
Ruth 3:12)
Don't miss once again the mysterious,
sovereign, providential hand of God in this event for it just so “happened”,
another "designed, divine coincidence", that the closest relative
walked by at that very moment. I wonder how many times I have missed
seeing such a "designed, divine coincidence" because at that very
moment I was not walking in the Spirit but walking in Sin! I often
wonder (and this is purely speculative of course) if this isn't why in
the book of the Revelation, God will wipe away every tear from our
eyes?! Lord, give us 20/20 spiritual vision to see the "divine
coincidences" not as annoyances but as opportunities, for the
advancement of Thy Kingdom for the sake of Thy Name through our Great
High Priest. Amen.
"Behold"
is an exclamation used to
point out an important fact or action which follows and functions as an
interjection demanding attention. The idea is "look!" "see!"
Close relative (01350)
(ga'al) (click
for word study of ga'al and go'el)
is actually a verb in the Hebrew (accounting for is frequent translation
as "redeem") which has active participle, Go'el, (which is translated kinsman, redeemer
or avenger) and a passive participle, Geullah, this
latter used in
Ruth 4:6;
Ruth 4:7.
As the TWOT states
The participial form of the Qal stem
of the verb has practically become a noun in its own right though it may
properly be considered as merely a form of the verb. (Harris,
R. L., Harris, R. L., Archer, G. L., & Waltke, B. K. Theological
Wordbook of the Old Testament Moody Press) The basic idea is to redeem or do
the part of a kinsman and thus to redeem his kin from difficulty or
danger. Boaz was focused and on a
mission, immediately addressing the goel, the nearest kinsman, and then gathering 10 elders.
Naomi had been correct in her assessment of Boaz's determination to
settle the matter as quickly as possible (see note
Ruth 3:18)
Don't miss the phrase "was
passing by" for surely
this is another one of several divine coincidences in this book. It was
no accident that the goel just happened to be walking by the city
gate on this important day in the life of Boaz and Ruth.
Matthew Henry adds that
"Providence
favored Boaz in ordering it so that this kinsman should come by thus
opportunely, just when the matter was ready to be proposed to him. Great
affairs are sometimes much furthered by small circumstances, which
facilitate and expedite them."
SO HE SAID TURN ASIDE FRIEND SIT DOWN HERE AND HE TURNED ASIDE AND
SAT DOWN: (Isa 55:1;
Zech 2:6)
"Friend" (06423) translates the rhyming expression
peloni almoni which means "a certain unnamed person or place". The words my friend became a catch phrase in
Israel. Rabbinic writings used the designation for an unknown “John
Doe.”
The idea in Hebrew is "Mr. So-and-so"
either whose name is not known (unlikely in this case) or who is not
worth mentioning. How ironic that the very one who was so anxious for
the preservation of his own inheritance, is now not even known by name!
Commenting on the omission of the
nearer relative’s name, Matthew Poole writes
Doubtless Boaz knew his name, and
called him by it; but it is omitted by the holy writer, partly because
it was unnecessary to know it; and principally in way of contempt, as is
usual, and as a just punishment upon him, that he who would not preserve
his brother’s name might lose his own.
Expositor's Bible Commentary adds that
"The idiom was used when the writer did not deem it essential to give
the person's name (cf.
1Sa 21:2;
2Ki 6:8). It does not mean that Boaz
did not know his name. The use of this idiom here has also been
interpreted as deliberate on the part of the storyteller. As it was
shameful not to fulfill the role of kinsman-redeemer, the kinsman was
unworthy of mention by name." (Gaebelein,
F, Editor: Expositor's Bible Commentary OT 7 Volume Set: Books:
Zondervan Publishing)
J. Vernon McGee has an interesting
note on "friend"
writing that
"The Septuagint threw some light upon this (meaning
of "friend") by giving the word kruphie, which means “hidden one.”
The Hebrew conveyed the same idea by the use of two words, the first
meaning “to point out” and the second meaning “to conceal.” It
was the clear intention of the writer to conceal this name." (Ibid)
In any event, the goel responded to Boaz,
for he was a man who commanded respect in Bethlehem.
The goel knew he would be prepared for
some serious business when he was invited to sit down. |
|
|
Ruth
4:2 He
took
ten
men of the
elders of the
city and
said,
"Sit
down
here." So they
sat
down. (NASB:
Lockman) |
BBE: Then he got ten of the responsible
men of the town, and said, Be seated here. And they took their seats.
CEV: Then Boaz got ten of
the town leaders and also asked them to sit down. After they had sat
down,
GWT: Then Boaz chose ten men who were
leaders of that city and said, "Sit here." So they also sat down.
KJV: And he took ten men of the
elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.
NJB: Boaz then picked out ten of the town's elders and
said, 'Sit down here'; they sat down. (NJB)
Young's Lit: And he taketh ten men of the elders of the city, and saith, 'Sit
down here;' and they sit down. |
|
Septuagint (LXX):
kai
elaben
(AAI) Boos
deka
andras
apo
ton
presbuteron
tes
poleos
kai
eipen kathisate
(2PAAM)
ode
kai ekathisan
(3PAAI)
English of
Septuagint: And Booz took ten
men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye here; and they
sat down |
|
|
AND HE TOOK TEN MEN OF THE ELDERS OF THE CITY AND SAID SIT DOWN HERE
SO THEY SAT DOWN: (Ex 18:21,22;
21:8;
Dt 29:10;
31:28;
1 Ki 21:8;
Pr 31:23;
Lam 5:14;
Acts 6:12):
"He
took"
Boaz took hold
(the primary meaning of the Hebrew verb is to grasp or take hold of) of 10
men from the elders to serve as witnesses, although only two or three
witnesses were needed for judicial proceedings (cf.
Dt 17:6).
Centuries later 10 became the number
necessary for a Jewish marriage benediction or a quorum for a
synagogue meeting.
For an official prayer meeting in modern Judaism 10
men are required.
The point is that this was a
time in history when few written records were kept, and attestation by
a number of witnesses was the most efficient way to be certain that a
transaction was made legally secure.
"Elders"
(02205) is related to the Hebrew word (zaqan) for beard. The elders
functioned in both a political and judicial role. They would hear
disputes, weigh the evidence and render a decision. As alluded to
earlier, in the case of Boaz, they were functioning primarily as
witnesses rather than as jurors.
Matthew Henry comments on the character of Boaz which was indicated by
his willingness to call public witnesses writing that
"Honest
intentions dread not a public cognizance." "Sit down"
Boaz commanded them
to sit, and they responded to Boaz, a "pillar" in the community, a man of excellence and
one not given to jesting or wasting people's time. |
|
|
Ruth
4:3 Then he
said to the
closest
relative,
"Naomi, who has
come
back from the
land of
Moab, has to
sell the
piece of
land
which belonged to our
brother
Elimelech. (NASB:
Lockman) |
|
BBE: Then he said to the near relation,
Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is offering for a
price that bit of land which was our brother Elimelech's:
CEV: he said to the
man: Naomi has come back from Moab and is selling the land that
belonged to her husband Elimelech. (CEV)
GWT: Boaz said to the man, "Naomi, who
has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the field that
belonged to our relative Elimelech. (GWT)
KJV: And he said unto the
kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth
a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's:
NJB: Boaz then said to
the man who had the right of redemption, 'Naomi, who has come back
from the Plains of Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to
our brother, Elimelech. (NJB)
Young's Literal: And he saith to the redeemer, 'A portion of the field which
is to our brother, to Elimelech, hath Naomi sold, who hath come back
from the fields of Moab; |
|
Septuagint (LXX):
kai
eipen (3SAAI) Boos
to agchistei
ten
merida
tou
agrou
e
estin (3SPAI)
tou
adelphou
hemon
tou Abimelech
e
dedotai (3SRMI) Noemin
te
epistrephouse (PAPFSD)
ex
agrou Moab
English of
Septuagint: And Booz said to the
relative, The matter regards the portion of the field which was
our brother Elimelech's which was given to Noemin, now returning
out of the land of Moab |
|
|
THEN HE SAID TO THE CLOSEST RELATIVE (GOEL)
"NAOMI, WHO HAS COME BACK FROM THE LAND OF MOAB HAS TO SELL THE PIECE
OF LAND WHICH BELONGED
TO OUR BROTHER ELIMELECH:
(Ps 112:5;
Pr 13:10)
"Naomi...has
to sell the piece of land"
because as a widow, she needed the money for living expenses. No
information is given as to how she came to possess it. This
verse reveals for the first time in the story that Naomi owned
property.
The Amplified Version translates
this verse as follows:
"And he said to the kinsman, "Naomi, who has
returned from the country of Moab, has sold the parcel of land
which belonged to our brother Elimelech"."
The well respected Old
Testament commentary (Keil and Delitzsch) translates this verse similarly:
"The
piece of field which belonged to our brother (i.e., our relative)
Elimelech (as an hereditary family possession), Naomi has sold..."
NKJV also has "sold the piece of land" again implying a
completed transaction.
Young's Literal also has "a portion of the
field...hath Naomi sold".
Other versions translate the
verse as picturing Naomi in the act of selling the land, not
necessarily as a past tense event.
In context, Boaz tells the
nearest kinsman to buy it and so to redeem
it, implying that indeed it may have already been sold.
Leviticus records that
"If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so
poor he has to sell part of his property, then his nearest kinsman
(the kinsman redeemer) is to come and buy back what his relative
has sold." (Lev
25:25)
The land would ultimately be returned at Jubilee (Lev
25:28) is uncertain. Since Jubilee comes only every fifty
years and so God had provided another way to redeem the land. The
kinsman redeemer could purchase the land.
Mills notes that
"The English
text emphasizes Naomi’s return, but the Hebrew literally reads, “The
portion of the field which is our brother Elimelech’s, has been sold
by Naomi who has returned from the fields of Moab.” By placing the
field first in his sentence, Boaz emphasized the material aspect
rather than the personal aspect of the transaction, and in so doing
probably appealed to an avaricious streak in this relative."
(Mills, M: Ruth : A study guide to the book of Ruth Dallas: 3E
Ministries, 1999)
Calling Elimelech "our
brother" is the
Hebrew word ('ah) that means simply "a relative" or "kinsman", in this case
bringing out the fact both Boaz and the goel were related to Elimelech.
"Piece
of land which belonged to Elimelech"
Remember that Ruth was married to Mahlon, so at first this statement
seems somewhat confusing. Warren Wiersbe offers a reasonable
explanation that
"In the case of Ruth and Naomi, Elimelech’s property had either been
sold or was under some kind of mortgage, and the rights to the land
had passed to Ruth’s husband Mahlon when Elimelech died. This explains
why Ruth was also involved in the transaction. She was too poor,
however, to redeem the land." (Wiersbe,
W: Be Committed: An Old Testament Study. Ruth and Esther. Victor. 1993) |
|
|
Ruth
4:4 "So I
thought to
inform you,
saying,
'Buy it
before those who are
sitting here, and
before the
elders of my
people.
If you will
redeem it,
redeem it; but
if not,
tell me that I may
know; for
there is
no
one but you to
redeem it, and I am
after you.' " And he
said, "I will
redeem it." (NASB:
Lockman) |
BBE: And it was in my mind to give you
the chance of taking it, with the approval of those seated here and of
the responsible men of my people. If you are ready to do what it is
right for a relation to do, then do it: but if you will not do it, say
so to me now; for there is no one who has the right to do it but you,
and after you myself. And he said, I will do it.
CEV: I am telling you about this, since you are his closest
relative and have the right to buy the property. If you want it, you
can buy it now. These ten men and the others standing here can be
witnesses. But if you don't want the property, let me know, because I
am next in line. The man replied, "I will buy it!" (CEV)
GWT: So I said that I would inform you. Buy it in the presence
of these men sitting here and in the presence of the leaders of our
people. If you wish to buy back the property, you can buy back the
property. But if you do not wish to buy back the property, tell me.
Then I will know that I am next in line because
there is no other relative except me." The man said, "I'll buy back
the property." (GWT)
KJV: And I thought to advertise
thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of
my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not
redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem
it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.
NJB: I thought I should tell you about
this and say, "Acquire it in the presence of the men who are sitting
here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you want to
use your right of redemption, redeem it; if you do not, tell me so
that I know, for I am the only person to redeem it besides yourself,
and I myself come after you." ' The man said, 'I am willing to redeem
it.' (NJB)
Young's Literal: and I said, I uncover thine ear, saying, Buy before the
inhabitants, and before the elders of my people; if thou dost redeem
-- redeem, and if none doth redeem -- declare to me, and I know, for
there is none save thee to redeem, and I after thee.' And he saith, I
redeem it.' |
|
Septuagint (LXX):
kago
eipa (1SAAI)
apokalupso
(1SFAI)
to
ous
sou
legon
ktesai
(2SAMM)
enantion
ton kathemenon (PMPMPG)
kai
enantion
ton
presbuteron
tou
laou
mou
ei agchisteueis
(2SPAI) agchisteue (2SPAM)
ei
de
me agchisteueis (2SPAI)
anaggeilon (2SAAM)
moi
kai
gnosomai(1SFMI)
oti
ouk
| | |
