¹tn The disjunctive clause (note the vav + prepositional phrase structure) provides background information essential to the following narrative.
²tc The marginal reading (Qere) is udwm (“relative”), while the consonantal text (Kethib) has udym (“friend”). The textual variant was probably caused by orthographic confusion between consonantal udym and udwm.
³tn Heb “and [there was] to Naomi a relative, to her husband, a man mighty in substance, from the clan of Elimelech, and his name [was] Boaz.”
⁴tn The cohortative here expresses Ruth’s request. Note Naomi’s response, in which she gives Ruth permission to go to the field.
⁵tn Following the preceding cohortative, the cohortative with vav conjunctive indicates purpose/result.
⁶tn Heb “anyone in whose eyes I may find favor.” The expression wynyub /j-axma (“to find favor in the eyes of [someone]”) appears in Ruth 2:2, 10, 13. It is most often used when a subordinate or servant requests permission for something from a superior (BDB 336). Ruth will play the role of the subordinate servant, seeking permission from a land-owner to show benevolence by granting her request to glean in his field behind the harvest workers.
⁷tn Heb “she”; the referent (Naomi) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
⁸tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
⁹tn Heb “and she went and entered [a field] and gleaned in the field behind the harvesters.”
¹⁰sn The text is written from Ruth’s limited perspective. As far as she was concerned, she randomly picked a spot in the field. But God was providentially at work and led her to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who, as a near relative of Elimelech, was a potential benefactor.
¹¹tn Heb “and look.” The narrator invites the audience into the story and describes Boaz’s arrival as if they were present.
¹²map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4.
¹³tn Heb “said to.”
¹⁴tn Heb “said to him.”
¹⁵tn Heb “said to.”
¹⁶tn Heb “young man.”
¹⁷sn In this patriarchal culture Ruth would “belong” to either her father (if unmarried) or her husband (if married).
¹⁸tn Heb “said.”
¹⁹tn On the use of the perfect with vav consecutive after the cohortative, see IBHS 530.
²⁰tn Heb “May I glean and gather among the bundles behind the harvesters?” Others translate, “May I glean and gather [grain] in bundles behind the harvesters?” (F. W. Bush, Ruth, 117). For discussion of the terminology and process of harvesting, see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 59-61.
²¹tn Heb “and she came and she has persisted.” The construction dwmutw awbtw forms a dependent temporal sequence: “since she came, she has persisted.” Because dmu (“to stand, remain, persist”; BDB 764; HALOT 841.3c) has a broad range of meanings, dwmutw has been understood in various ways: (1) Ruth had stood all morning waiting to receive permission from Boaz to glean in his field: “she has stood (here waiting)”; (2) Ruth had remained in the field all morning: “she has remained here” (NASB, NCV, NAB); and (3) Ruth had worked hard all morning: “she has worked steadily” (REB), “she has been working” (TEV), “she has been on her feet (all morning)” (JPS, NJPS, NRSV). For discussion, see F. W. Bush, Ruth, 118-19.
²²tn Heb “and she came and she stood, from then, the morning, and until now, this, her sitting [in] the house a little.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is awkward and the meaning uncertain. For discussion see F. W. Bush, Ruth, 118-19.
²³tn Heb “except this.” The function and meaning of the demonstrative adjective hz (“this”) is difficult: (1) MT accentuation joins hz with htbv (“this her sitting”), suggesting that htbv hz functions as subject complement (see BDB 261.2a and Josh 9:12). (2) Others suggest that hz functions as an emphasizing adverb of time (“just now”; BDB 261.4h) and connect it with htu (“now”) to form the idiom htu hz (“now, just now”; BDB 261.4h; GKC §136d; see F. W. Bush, Ruth, 118-19). The entire line is translated variously: “she tarried a little in the house” (ASV); “she has been sitting in the house for a little while” (NASB); “except for a short rest in the shelter” (NIV); “that she tarried a little in the house” (KJV); “she has rested but little in the hut” (NJPS); “her sitting (= resting) in the house (has only been) for a moment.” We may paraphrase thus: “She came and has kept at it (= gleaning) from this morning until now, except for this: She has been sitting in the hut only a little while.” The clause as a whole is an exceptive clause: “except for this…”
²⁴tc The MT vocalizes consonantal htb? as HT*b=v! (“her sitting”; Qal infinitive construct from bvy, “to sit” + 3fs suffix), apparently taking the 3fs suffix as a subjective genitive: “she sat [in the hut only a little while]” (so KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV, REB, TEV, NCV, NJPS). On the other hand, LXX katevpausen (“she rested”) reflects the vocalization ht*b=v* (“she rested”; Qal perfect 3fs from tbv, “to rest”): “she rested [in the hut only a little while]” (so RSV, NRSV, NAB, CEV, NJB, JPS). The MT reading is more difficult; therefore it is probably original (see Brotzman, Old Testament Textual Criticism, 145).
tn Heb “and she came and she stood, from then, the morning, and until now, this, her sitting [in] the house a little.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is awkward here and the meaning uncertain. F. W. Bush takes dmu (“to stand”) in the sense “to stay, remain,” connects hz (“this”) with the preceding htu (“now”) as an emphasizing adverb of time (“just now”; see BDB 241), and emends ty]B^h^ HT*b=v! (“her sitting [in] the house”) to ht*b=v* (“she rested”), omitting tybh as dittographic (F. W. Bush, Ruth, 118-19). Another option is to translate, “She came and has stood here from this morning until now. She’s been sitting in the house for a short time.” In this view the servant has made Ruth wait to get permission from Boaz. It is difficult, however, to envision a “house” being in the barley field.
²⁵tc Several translations (NAB, NEB, RSV, NRSV, JB, TEV, CEV) suggest deleting MT tybh (lit. “the house”) due to dittography with htb in htbv which precedes; however, several ancient textual witnesses support the MT (medieval Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac, Targum). The LXX ejn tw'/ ajrgw'/ (“[in] the field”) probably does not represent an alternate Hebrew textual tradition, but merely the translator’s attempt to smooth out a difficult Hebrew text.
tn “[in] the house.” The noun tybh (lit. “the house”) functions as an adverbial accusative of location, and probably refers to a “hut, shelter,” providing shade for workers in the field, such as those still used by harvesters in modern Israel (TDOT 2:111-15). This kind of structure is probably referred to with different terms in Isaiah 1:8, “like a shelter (hksk) in a vineyard, like a hut (hnwlmk) in a field of melons.” Some translations render tybh literally as “the house” (KJV, NKJV, NASB), while others nuance it as “the hut” (NIV, JPS, NJPS).
²⁶tn Heb “a little while.” The adjective fum functions in a temporal sense (“a little while”; e.g., Job 24:24; BDB 589-90) or a comparative sense (“a little bit”; BDB 589.1). The foreman’s point is that Ruth was a hard worker whose only rest lasted for just a short time.
²⁷tn Heb “Have you not heard?” The idiomatic, negated rhetorical question is equivalent to an affirmation (see F. W. Bush, Ruth, 119, and GKC §150.e).
²⁸tn Heb “my daughter.”
²⁹tn The switch from the negative particle la (see the preceding statement, “do not leave”) to al may make this statement more emphatic. It may indicate that the statement is a policy applicable for the rest of the harvest (see v. 21).
³⁰tn Heb “and thus you may stay close with.” The imperfect has a permissive nuance here.
³¹sn The female workers would come along behind those who cut the grain and bundle it up. Staying close to the female workers allowed Ruth to collect more grain than would normally be the case (see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 61, and F. W. Bush, Ruth, 121).
³²tn Heb “let your eyes be upon.”
³³tn Heb “they.” The verb is masculine plural, indicating that the male workers are the subject here.
³⁴tn Heb “and go after them.” The pronominal suffix (“them”) is feminine plural, indicating that the female workers are referred to here.
³⁵tn Male servants are in view here, as the masculine plural form of the noun indicates.
³⁶tn Heb “Have I not commanded the servants not to touch [i.e., “harm”] you?” The idiomatic, negated rhetorical question is equivalent to an affirmation (see v. 8). The perfect is either instantaneous, indicating completion of the action concurrent with the statement (see F. W. Bush, Ruth, 107, 121-22, who translates, “I am herewith ordering”) or emphatic/rhetorical, indicating the action is as good as done.
³⁷tn The juxtaposition of two perfects, each with vav consecutive, here indicates a conditional sentence (see GKC §112.kk).
³⁸tn Heb “vessels, receptacles.”
³⁹tn Heb “some of that which.”
⁴⁰tn The imperfect here either indicates characteristic or typical activity, or anterior future, referring to a future action (drawing water) which logically precedes another future action (drinking).
⁴¹tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
⁴²tn Heb “she fell upon her face and bowed to the ground.”
⁴³tn Heb “Why do I find favor in your eyes…?” The expression ynyub /j axm (“to find favor in the eyes of [someone]”) is often characterized by the following features: (1) A subordinate or servant is requesting permission for something from a superior (master, owner, king). (2) The granting of the request is not a certainty but dependent on whether or not the superior is pleased with the subordinate to do so. (3) The granting of the request by the superior is an act of kindness or benevolence; however, it sometimes reciprocates loyalty previously shown by the subordinate to the superior (e.g., Gen 30:27; 32:6; 33:8, 10, 15; 34:11; 39:4; 47:25, 29; 50:4; Num 32:5; Deut 24:1; 1 Sam 1:18; 16:22; 20:3, 29; 27:3; 2 Sam 14:22; 16:4; 1 Kgs 11:19; Esth 5:8; 7:3; BDB 336). While Boaz had granted her request for permission to glean in his field, she is amazed at the degree of kindness he had shown—especially since she had done nothing, in her own mind, to merit such a display. However, Boaz explains that she had indeed shown kindness to him vis-à-vis Naomi (v. 11).
⁴⁴tn Heb “Why do I find favor in your eyes by recognizing me, though I am a foreigner?” The infinitive construct with prefixed l= here indicates manner. The disjunctive clause (note the pattern vav + subject + predicate nominative) here has a circumstantial/concessive function.
⁴⁵tn Heb “and I am a foreigner.” The disjunctive clause (note the pattern vav + subject + verb) is circumstantial/concessive here.
⁴⁶sn The similarly spelled terms rkn (“to notice”) and yrkn (“foreigner”) in this verse form a homonymic wordplay. This highlights the unexpected nature of the attentiveness and concern Boaz displayed to Ruth.
⁴⁷tn Heb “answered and said to her.”
⁴⁸tn Heb “it has been fully reported to me.” The infinitive absolute here emphasizes the following finite verb from the same root. Here it emphasizes either the clarity of the report or its completeness. See R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth, 153, n. 6.
⁴⁹tn The vav consecutive construction here has a specifying function. This and the following clause elaborate on the preceding general statement and explain more specifically what she did for her mother-in-law.
⁵⁰tn Heb “yesterday and the third day.” This Hebrew idiom means “previously, in the past” (Exod 5:7,8,14; Exod 21:29,36; Deut 4:42; 19:4,6; Josh 3:4; 1 Sam 21:5; 2 Sam 3:17; 1 Chr 11:2).
⁵¹tn Heb “repay your work.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive of prayer (note the jussive form in the next clause).
⁵²tn Heb “may your wages be complete.” The prefixed verbal form is a distinct jussive form, indicating that this is a prayer for blessing.
⁵³tn Heb “under whose wings you have sought shelter.”
⁵⁴tn Heb “I am finding favor in your eyes.” In v. 10, where Ruth uses the perfect, she simply states the fact that Boaz is kind. Here the Hebrew text switches to the imperfect, thus emphasizing the ongoing attitude of kindness displayed by Boaz.
⁵⁵tn Heb “my master.”
⁵⁶tn Or “comforted.”
⁵⁷tn Heb “spoken to the heart of.” As F. W. Bush points out, the idiom here means “to reassure, encourage” (Ruth, 124).
⁵⁸tn Ruth here uses a word (hjpv) that describes the lowest level of female servant (see 1 Sam 25:41). Note Ruth 3:9 where she uses the word hma, which refers to a higher class of servant.
⁵⁹tn The imperfect verbal form of hyh is used here. F. W. Bush shows from usage elsewhere that the form should be taken as future (Ruth, 124-25).
⁶⁰tn The disjunctive clause (note the pattern vav + subject + verb) is circumstantial/concessive here.
⁶¹tn Heb “eat.”
⁶²tn Heb “your portion.”
⁶³tn The Hebrew verb fbx occurs only here in the OT. For discussion of its meaning, including the etymological evidence, see BDB 840; R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth, 174; and F. W. Bush, Ruth, 125-26.
⁶⁴tn Heb “and she ate and she was satisfied and she had some left over.”
⁶⁵tn Or “commanded.”
⁶⁶tn Heb “even between.”
⁶⁷tn Heb “do not humiliate her.” This probably refers to a verbal rebuke which would single her out and embarrass her (see v. 16). See R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth, 176-77, and F. W. Bush, Ruth, 126.
⁶⁸tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis. Here llv (“pull out”) is a homonym of the more common verb meaning “to plunder.” An Arabic cognate is used of drawing a sword out of a scabbard (see BDB 1021).
⁶⁹tn Heb “do not rebuke her.”
⁷⁰tn Heb “she beat out.” She probably used a stick to separate the kernels of grain from the husks. See O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 63.
⁷¹tn Heb “there was an ephah.” An ephah was a dry measure, equivalent to one-tenth of a homer (see HALOT 43). An ephah was equivalent to a “bath,” a liquid measure. Jars labeled “bath” found at archaeological sites in Israel could contain approximately 5.8 gallons, or one-half to two-thirds of a bushel. Thus an ephah of barley would have weighed about twenty-nine to thirty pounds (just over 13 kg). See R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth, 179.
sn This was a huge amount of barley for one woman to gather in a single day. It testifies to her industry and to Boaz’s generosity.
⁷²tc MT vocalizes artw as the Qal verb ar\T@w~ (“and she saw”), consequently of “her mother-in-law” as subject and “what she gathered” as the direct object: “her mother-in-law saw what she gathered.” A few medieval Hebrew mss (also reflected in Syriac and Vg) have the Hiphil ar+T^w~ (“and she showed”), consequently taking taking “her mother-in-law” as the direct object and “what she gathered” as the double direct-object: “she showed her mother-in-law what she had gathered.” Although the latter has the advantage of making Ruth the subject of all the verbs in this verse, it would be syntactically difficult. For one would expect the accusative sign ta before “her mother-in-law” if it were the direct object of a Hiphil verb in a sentence with a double direct object introduced by the accusative sign ta, e.g., “to show (Hiphil of har) your servant (direct object marked by accusative sign ta) your greatness (double direct object marked by accusative sign ta)” (Deut 3:24). So the MT reading is preferred.
⁷³tn Heb “that which”; the referent (how much grain) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
⁷⁴tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
⁷⁵tn Heb “and she brought out and gave to her that which she had left over from her being satisfied.”
⁷⁶tn Heb “said to her.”
⁷⁷tn Or “blessed.”
⁷⁸tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
⁷⁹tn Or “blessed.”
⁸⁰tn Heb “to the living and the dead.”
⁸¹tn The Hebrew term lag is traditionally translated “redeemer.” In this context Boaz, as a “redeemer,” functions as a guardian of the family interests who has responsibility for caring for the widows of his deceased kinsmen.
⁸²tn On the force of the phrase yk <g here, see F. W. Bush, Ruth, 138-39.
⁸³tn Heb “with the servants who are mine you may stay close.” The imperfect has a permissive nuance here. The word “servants” is masculine plural.
⁸⁴tn Heb “until they have finished all the harvest which is mine.”
⁸⁵tn Naomi uses the feminine form of the word “servant” (as Boaz did earlier, see v. 8), in contrast to Ruth’s use of the masculine form in the preceding verse. Since she is concerned for Ruth’s safety, she may be subtly reminding Ruth to stay with the female workers and not get too close to the men.
⁸⁶tn “and they will not harm you in another field.”
⁸⁷tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
⁸⁸tn Heb “and she stayed close with.”
⁸⁹sn Barley was harvested from late March through late April, wheat from late April to late May (O. Borowski, Agriculture in Ancient Israel, 88, 91).
⁹⁰tn Heb “and she lived with her mother-in-law.” Some interpret this to mean that she lived with her mother-in-law while working in the harvest. In other words, she worked by day and then came home to Naomi each evening. Others understand this to mean that following the harvest she stayed at home each day with Naomi and no longer went out looking for work (see F. W. Bush, Ruth, 140). Others even propose that she lived away from home during this period, but this seems unlikely. A few Hebrew mss (so also Latin Vg) support this view by reading, “and she returned to her mother-in-law.”