¹tn The disjunctive clause structure (note the pattern vav + subject + verb) here signals the beginning of a new scene.
²tn Traditionally “redeemer.” See the note on the phrase “guardian of the family interests” in 3:9.
³tn Heb “look, the guardian was passing by of whom Boaz had spoken.”
⁴tn Heb “turn aside.”
⁵tn Heb “a certain one.” The expression ynmla ynlp is not the name of the nearest relative, but an idiom which literally means “such and such” or “a certain one” (BDB 811), which is used when one wishes to be ambiguous (1 Sam 21:3; 2 Kgs 6:8). Certainly Boaz would have known his relative’s name, especially in such a small village, and would have uttered his actual name. However the narrator refuses to record his name in a form of poetic justice because he refused to preserve Mahlon’s “name” (lineage) by marrying his widow (see 4:5, 9-10). This close relative, who is a literary foil for Boaz, refuses to fulfill the role of family guardian. Because he does nothing memorable, he remains anonymous in a chapter otherwise filled with names. His anonymity contrasts sharply with Boaz’s prominence in the story and the fame he attains through the child born to Ruth. Because the actual name of this relative is not recorded, the translation of this expression is difficult since contemporary English style expects either a name or title. This is usually supplied in modern translations: “friend” (NASV, NIV, RSV, NRSV, TEV), “such a one” (KJV), “so-and-so” (JPS, NJPS). Perhaps “Mr. So-And-So!” or “Mr. No-Name!” makes the point. For discussion see A. Berlin, Poetics and Interpretation of Biblical Narrative, 99-101; R. Hubbard, The Book of Ruth, 233-35; F. W. Bush, Ruth, 196-97. In the present translation “John Doe” is used since it is a standard designation for someone who is a party to legal proceedings whose true name is unknown.
⁶tn Heb “and he turned aside.”
⁷tn Heb “and he took ten men from the elders of the town.”
⁸tn Or “redeemer.” See the note on the phrase “guardian of the family interests” in 3:9.
⁹tn The perfect form of the verb here describes as a simple fact an action that is underway.
sn Naomi…is selling. The nature of the sale is uncertain. Naomi may have been selling the property rights to the land, but this seems unlikely in light of what is known about ancient Israelite property laws. It is more likely that Naomi, being a woman, held only the right to use the land until the time of her remarriage or death (F. W. Bush, Ruth, 202-4). Because she held this right to use of the land, she also had the right to buy it back from the its current owner. (This assumes that Elimelech sold the land prior to going to Moab.) Since she did not possess the means to do so, however, she decided to dispose of her rights in the matter. She was not selling the land per se, but disposing of the right to its redemption and use, probably in exchange for room and board with the purchaser (F. W. Bush, Ruth, 211-15). If this is correct, it might be preferable to translate, “Naomi is disposing of her rights to the portion of land…”
¹⁰tn Heb “and I said [or perhaps, “thought to myself”], ‘I will [or “must”] uncover your ear, saying.’”
¹¹tn The phrase “before the leaders of my people” appears to refer to the leaders who were specially chosen as witnesses (v. 2) and the larger group of community leaders standing by. It is possible, however, that the phrases “before those sitting here” and “before the leaders of my people” are appositional and that both refer to the ten leaders mentioned in v. 2.
¹²tn Heb “if you will redeem, redeem.”
¹³tn Heb “but if he will not redeem, tell me.” Many emend the third person verb form (“he”) to the second person form because Boaz is addressing the closer relative. But it is possible that he briefly addresses the witnesses and refers to the closer relative in the third person. See J. M. Sasson, Ruth, 118.
¹⁴tn Following the imperative, the prefixed verb form with vav indicates purpose or result.
¹⁵tn Heb “for there is no one besides you to redeem, and I am after you.”
¹⁶tn Heb “in the day.”
¹⁷sn Acquire the field. This probably refers to the right to redeem and use the field. See the note on the word “selling” in v. 3.
¹⁸tn Heb “from the hand of Naomi.”
¹⁹tc The MT tamw may be understood in two ways: (1) “and from” (vav conjunction “and,” plus preposition /m “from,” plus definite direct object marker ta) parallel to the preceding dym (“from [the hand of]”), suggesting the field would be purchased from Naomi and from Ruth; or (2) “and” (vav conjunction “and,” plus enclitic mem, plus direct object marker ta) introducing the second part of the acquisition: the nearest kinsman would be acquiring the field and Ruth (for discussion see F. W. Bush, 202). However, the BHS editors suggest reading -ta <g (“as well as…”; emphatic particle <g “also,” BDB 168-69; and the definite direct object marker ta) introducing the second part of the acquisition: He would be acquiring the field and Ruth. This alternate reading is reflected in the Vulgate reading quoque (“and also”) and supported by parallel usage in v. 9, “I am acquiring the field from Naomi, and also (-ta <g) Ruth the Moabitess the wife of the deceased.”
²⁰tc The MT (Kethib) reads ytynq (“I acquire,” qal perfect 1cs): “When you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, I acquire Ruth the Moabitess…” However, the marginal reading (Qere) is htynq (“you acquire,” qal perfect 2ms reflected in 2ms forms in Greek, Latin, Aramaic, Syriac): “When you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess…” The Qere is probably original because the Kethib is too difficult syntactically and contextually, while the Qere makes perfect sense: (1) Boaz stated in 3:13 that the nearest kinsman had the first right to acquire Ruth if he wanted to do so, and only the Qere reading here presents him with that option; and (2) Boaz announces in 4:9-10 that he was acquiring the field and Ruth as a package deal in 4:9-10, and only the Qere reading here presents the nearest kinsman with the same package deal. The Kethib probably arose by a scribe trying to harmonize 4:5 with the 1cs form in 4:9-10 without fully understanding the ploy of Boaz in 4:5. See E.R. Brotzman, Old Testament Textual Criticism, 159-60; K. McCarter, Textual Criticism, 45; F. W. Bush, Ruth, 216-17.
²¹tc The presence of two difficult textual problems in this line (see two preceding notes) has produced a combination of four different ways in which this line can be rendered: (1) “When you acquire the field from Naomi, you must acquire [it] from Ruth the Moabitess the wife of the deceased” (KJV, NKJV); (2) “When you acquire the field from Naomi and from Ruth the Moabitess, you must acquire the wife of the deceased” (JPS, NJPS, NIV); (3) “When you acquire the field from Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess the wife of the deceased” (NASB, TEV, NCV, TEV, NLT, RSV, NRSV); and (4) “When you acquire the field from Naomi, then I acquire Ruth the Moabitess the wife of the deceased” (REB). The third option is adopted here.
sn Our deceased relative. This refers to Mahlon, viewed as Elimelech’s heir.
²²tn Heb “in order to raise up the name of the deceased over his inheritance.”
²³sn I would ruin my own inheritance. It is not entirely clear how acquiring Ruth and raising up an heir for the deceased Elimelech would ruin this individual’s inheritance. Perhaps this means that the inheritance of his other children would be diminished. See R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth, 245-46.
²⁴tn Heb “redeem for yourself, you, my right of redemption for I am unable to redeem.”
sn Here it appears that the acquisition of Ruth along with the land was an obligatory package deal (“When you acquire the field from Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth…”). On the other hand, Boaz viewed marriage to Ruth as voluntary in 3:13 (“If he does not want to redeem you, I will redeem you”), and presented the acquisition of the field as voluntary in 4:4 (“If you want to exercise your right…but if not, tell me!”). Initially, Boaz makes the transaction appear to be a mere land deal in 4:4. When the nearest relative jumped at the land offer, Boaz confronted him with the attendant social/family obligation of marrying Ruth to raise up an heir for the deceased to inherit this very land. By conducting the transaction in public where the close relative would need to save face, Boaz forced him either to reject the offer entirely or to include Ruth in the deal—but he could not take the land and reject Ruth. Either way, Ruth would be cared for and Elimelech’s line continued. But if he took Ruth, the acquisition of the land would be more economically burdensome than beneficial, so he yielded his purchase option to Boaz. For discussion, see F. . Bush, Ruth, 229-33.
²⁵tn Heb “and this formerly in Israel concerning redemption and concerning a transfer to ratify every matter.”
²⁶tn Heb “a man removed his sandal and gave [it] to his companion.”
²⁷tn Heb “the legal witness.”
²⁸tc The LXX adds “and gave it to him,” which presupposes the reading wl /tyw. This seems to be a clarifying addition (see v. 7), but it is possible the scribe’s eye jumped from the final vav on olun (“his sandal”) to the final vav on wl (“to him”), accidentally omitting the intervening letters.
²⁹tn Heb “in order to raise up the name of the deceased over his inheritance.”
³⁰tn Heb “be cut off.”
³¹tn Heb “and from the gate of his place.”
³²tn Following the jussive, the imperative with prefixed vav indicates purpose or result.
³³tn The phrase lyj-hcuw (lit. “do strength”) has been variously translated: (1) financial prosperity: “may you become rich” (TEV), “may you be a rich man” (CEV), “may you achieve wealth” (NASB), “may you prosper” (NKJV, NJPS); (2) social prominence: “may you become powerful” (NCV), “may you have standing” (NIV), “may you be great” (NLT), “may you do well” (NAB); (3) reproductive fertility: “may you produce children” (NRSV); and (4) social activity: “may you do a worthy deed” (REB).
³⁴tc Heb “and call a name.” This statement appears to be elliptical. Usually the person named and the name itself follow this expression. Perhaps ar*q=W <v@- should be emended to <v@-ar@Q*y]w+,, “and your name will be called out,” that is, “perpetuated” (see Gen 48:16, cf. also Ruth 4:14b). The omission of the suffix with “name” could be explained as virtual haplography (note the letter bet, which is similar to kaf, at the beginning of the next word). The same explanation could account for the omission of the prefixed yod on the verb “call” (yod and vav are similar in appearance). Whether one reads the imperative (the form in the MT ) or the jussive (the emended form), the construction indicates purpose or result following the earlier jussive “may he make.”
³⁵map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4.
³⁶tn Heb “your house.”
³⁷tn Heb “and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, from the offspring whom the Lord gives to you from this young woman.”
sn Perez is an appropriate comparison here, because (1) he was an ancestor of Boaz, (2) he was born to Tamar by a surrogate father (Judah) after the death of her husband, and (3) he had an unbroken line of male descendants extending over several generations (see vv. 18-22).
³⁸tn Heb “from the seed.”
³⁹tn Heb “and Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife and he went in to her.” Here the phrase “went in to her” is a euphemism for having sexual relations.
⁴⁰tn Heb “gave her conception.”
⁴¹tn Or “redeemer.” See the note on the phrase “guardian of the family interests” in 3:9. As the following context indicates, the child is referred to here.
⁴²tn The “guardian” is the subject of the verb, as the next verse makes clear.
⁴³tn Heb “may his name be called [i.e., “perpetuated”; see Gen 48:16] in Israel.”
⁴⁴tn Heb “and he will become for you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age.”
⁴⁵tn Heb “who, she.”
⁴⁶tn Or “breast.”
⁴⁷tn Heb “his nurse,” but this refers to a dry nurse, not a medical attendant.
⁴⁸tn The name means “one who serves,” perhaps anticipating how he would help Naomi (see v. 15).
⁴⁹sn The concluding genealogy demonstrates that the prayers of blessing made earlier were fulfilled. Boaz’s line did become like the line of Perez, and both Boaz and Obed became famous. God’s blessing upon Ruth and Boaz extended beyond their lifetime and immediate family, for their great descendant, David, became the greatest of Israel’s kings, and his descendant in turn, Jesus the Messiah, became greater still.
⁵⁰tn Or “generations.”
⁵¹sn Salmon appears to be an alternate spelling of Salmah in the preceding line.
⁵²sn The theological message of the Book of Ruth may be summarized as follows: God cares for needy people like Naomi and Ruth; he is their ally in this chaotic world. He richly rewards people like Ruth and Boaz who demonstrate sacrificial love and in so doing become his instruments in helping the needy. God’s rewards for those who sacrificially love others sometimes exceed their wildest imagination and transcend their lifetime.