2:1 Now Naomi1 had a relative2 on her husband’s side of the family named Boaz. He was a wealthy, prominent man from the clan of Elimelech.3 2:2 One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go4 to the fields so I can gather5 grain behind whoever permits me to do so.”6 Naomi7 replied, “You may go, my daughter.” 2:3 So Ruth8 went and gathered grain in the fields9 behind the harvesters. Now she just happened to end up10 in the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.
Boaz and Ruth Meet
2:4 Now at that very moment,11 Boaz arrived from Bethlehem12 and greeted13 the harvesters, “May the Lord be with you!” They replied,14 “May the Lord bless you!” 2:5 Boaz asked15 his servant16 who was in charge of the harvesters, “To whom does this young woman belong?”17 2:6 The servant in charge of the harvesters replied, “She’s the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the region of Moab. 2:7 She asked,18 ‘May I follow the harvesters and gather19 grain among the bundles?’20 Since she arrived she he has been working hard21 from this morning until now22—except for23 sitting24 in the resting hut25 a short time.”26
2:8 So Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen carefully,27 dear woman!28 Do not leave to gather grain in another field. You need not29 go beyond the limits of this field. You may go along beside30 my female workers.31 2:9 Take note of32 the field where the men33 are harvesting and follow behind with the female workers.34 I will tell the men35 to leave you alone.36 When you are thirsty, you may go to37 the water jars38 and drink some of the water39 the servants draw.”40
2:10 Ruth41 knelt before him with her forehead to the ground42 and said to him, “Why are you so kind43 and so attentive to me,44 even though45 I am a foreigner?”46 2:11 Boaz replied to her,47 “I have been given a full report of48 all that you have done for your mother-in-law following the death of your husband—how you left49 your father and your mother, as well as your homeland, and came to live among people you did not know previously.50 2:12 May the Lord reward your efforts!51 May your acts of kindness be repaid fully52 by the Lord God of Israel, from whom you have sought protection!”53 2:13 She said, “You really are being kind to me,54 sir,55 for you have reassured56 and encouraged57 me, your servant,58 even though I am59 not one of your servants!”60
2:14 Later during the mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and have61 some food! Dip your bread62 in the vinegar!” So she sat down beside the harvesters. Then he handed63 her some roasted grain. She ate until she was full and saved the rest.64 2:15 When she got up to gather grain, Boaz told65 his male servants, “Let her gather grain among66 the bundles! Don’t chase her off!67 2:16 Make sure you pull out68 ears of grain for her and drop them so she can gather them up. Don’t tell her not to!”69 2:17 So she gathered grain in the field until evening. When she threshed70 what she had gathered, it came to about thirty pounds71 of barley!
Ruth Returns to Naomi
2:18 She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw72 how much grain73 she had gathered. Then Ruth74 gave her the roasted grain she had saved from mealtime.75
2:19 Her mother-in-law asked her,76 “Where did you gather grain today? Where did you work? May the one who took notice of you be rewarded!”77 So Ruth78 told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked. She said, “The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz.”
2:20 Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be rewarded79 by the Lord because he Naomi Instructs Ruth
lwav-<u <kynda-<u hzh dsjh <tycu rva hwhyl <ta <ykrb,
“May you [plural] be blessed by the Lord, you who [plural]/because you [plural] have extended such kindness to your master Saul.” Here rva refers back to the second plural pronoun <ta (“you”) in the formula, as the second plural verb <tycu after rva indicates. Though hwhy is in closer proximity to rva, it is not the antecedent. The evidence suggests that Ruth 2:20 should be translated and interpreted as follows: “May he [Boaz] be blessed by the Lord, he who [i.e., Boaz]/because he [i.e., Boaz] has not abandoned his loyalty to the living and dead.” See B. A. Rebera, “Yahweh or Boaz? Ruth 2.20 Reconsidered,” BT 36 (1985): 317-27, and F. W. Bush, Ruth, 134-36. By caring for the impoverished widows’ physical needs, Boaz had demonstrated loyalty to both the living (the impoverished widows) and the dead (their late husbands).See Chisholm, From Exegesis to Exposition, 72.