Bible Commentaries

Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek ^a rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?

(a) Meaning that she would provide her with a husband, with whom she might live peacefully.

Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: [but] make not thyself known unto the ^b man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.

(b) Boaz, nor yet any other.

And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his ^c 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.

(c) That is, he had refreshed himself among his servants.

And he said, Blessed [be] thou of the LORD, my daughter: [for] thou hast ^d shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.

(d) You showed yourself repeatedly to be more virtuous.

Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, [that] if he ^e will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman's part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, [as] the LORD liveth: lie down until the morning.

(e) If he will take you to as his wife because of his relation by marriage, according to God's law, (Deuteronomy 25:5).

And when she came to her mother in law, she said, ^f Who [art] thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her.

(f) Believing by her returning home that he had not taken her as his wife, she was astonished.