Bible Commentaries

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Ruth 2

Clinging to a Counterfeit Cross
Introduction

1  Ruth gleans in the field of Boaz.
4  Boaz takes notice of her,
8  and shews her great favour.
18  That which she got, she carries to Naomi.

Verse 1

And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.
kinsman
3:2,12
a mighty
Deuteronomy 8:17,18, Job 1:3, 31:25
Boaz
Boaz, according the Targumist, was the same as Ibzan.
4:21, Judges 12:8-10, 1 Chronicles 2:10-12, Matthew 1:5, Luke 3:32
Booz

Verse 2

And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.
glean ears
Leviticus 19:9,16, 23:22, Deuteronomy 24:19-21

Verse 3

And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.
gleaned
1 Thessalonians 4:11,12, 2 Thessalonians 3:12
hap was
Heb. hap happened.
2 Kings 8:5, Esther 6:1,2, Matthew 10:29, Luke 10:31

Verse 4

And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee.
The Lord
Psalms 118:26, 129:7,8, Luke 1:28, 2 Thessalonians 3:16, 2 Timothy 4:22, 2 John 1:10,11
And they
4:11, Genesis 18:19, Joshua 24:15, Psalms 133:1-3, 1 Timothy 6:2

Verse 5

Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?
4:21, 1 Chronicles 2:11,12

Verse 6

And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:
the servant
This seems to have been a kind of steward, who had the under- management of the estate.
Genesis 15:2, 24:2, 39:4, Matthew 20:8, 24:45
It is the
1:16,19,22

Verse 7

And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house.
I pray
Proverbs 15:33, 18:23, Matthew 5:3, Ephesians 5:21, 1 Peter 5:5,6
continued
Proverbs 13:4, 22:29, Ecclesiastes 9:10, Romans 12:11, Galatians 6:9
in the house
It seems that the reapers were now resting in a tent, erected for that purpose; and that Ruth had just gone in with them, to take her rest also.

Verse 8

Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:
my daughter
1 Samuel 3:6,16, 2 Kings 5:13, Matthew 9:2,22
neither
Song of Solomon 1:7,8
abide
Matthew 10:7-11, Philippians 4:8

Verse 9

Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.
touch thee
Genesis 20:6, Job 19:21, Psalms 105:15, Proverbs 6:29, 1 Corinthians 7:1, 1 John 5:18
go
Genesis 24:18-20, Matthew 10:42, John 4:7-11

Verse 10

Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?
fell
Genesis 18:2, 1 Samuel 25:23
Why have
2,13, 2 Samuel 9:8, 19:28, Luke 1:43,48, Romans 12:10
seeing
Isaiah 56:3-8, Matthew 15:22-28, 25:35, Luke 7:6,7, 17:16-18

Verse 11

And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.
all that
1:11,14-22, Psalms 37:5,6
and how
Psalms 45:10, Luke 5:11,23, 14:33, 18:29,30, Hebrews 11:8,9,24-26

Verse 12

The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.
recompense
1 Samuel 24:19, Psalms 19:11, 58:11, Proverbs 11:18, 23:18; *marg:; Matthew 5:12, 6:1, 10:41,42, Luke 6:35, 14:12-14, Colossians 2:18, 2 Timothy 1:18, 4:8, Hebrews 6:10, 11:6,26
wings
1:16, Psalms 17:8, 36:7, 57:1, 61:4, 63:7, 91:4, Matthew 23:37

Verse 13

Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.
Let me find
or, I find favour.
Genesis 33:8,10,15, 43:14, 1 Samuel 1:18, 2 Samuel 16:4
friendly
Heb. to the heart.
Genesis 34:3, Judges 19:3
not like
1 Samuel 25:41, Proverbs 15:33, Philippians 2:3

Verse 14

And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.
At meal-time
Job 31:16-22, Proverbs 11:24,25, Isaiah 32:8, 58:7,10,11, Luke 14:12-14
dip thy morsel
Vinegar, robb of fruits, etc., are used for this purpose in the East to the present day; into which, says Dr. Shaw, they dip the bread and hand together.
parched
1 Samuel 17:17, 25:18, 2 Samuel 17:28
she did
Deuteronomy 8:10, 11:15, 2 Kings 4:43,44, Matthew 14:20
was sufficed
18, Psalms 23:5

Verse 15

And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:
glean
The word glean comes from the French glaner to gather ears or grains of corn. This was formerly a general custom in England and Ireland: the poor went into the fields, and collected the straggling ears of corn after the reapers; and it was long supposed that this was their right, and that the law recognized it; but although it has been an old custom, it is now settled by a solemn judgment of the Court of Common Pleas, that a right to glean in the harvest field cannot be claimed by any person at common law. Any person may permit or prevent it on his own grounds. By the Irish Acts, 25 Henry VIII. c. 1, and 28 Henry VIII. c. 24, gleaning and leasing are so restricted as to be in fact prohibited in that part of the United Kingdom.
reproach
Heb. shame.
James 1:5

Verse 16

And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.
Deuteronomy 24:19-21, Psalms 112:9, Proverbs 19:17, Matthew 25:40, Romans 12:13, 2 Corinthians 8:5-11, Philemon 1:7, Hebrews 6:10, 1 John 3:17,18

Verse 17

So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.
she gleaned
Proverbs 31:27
ephah
Exodus 16:36, Ezekiel 45:11,12

Verse 18

And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed.
she had reserved
14, John 6:12,13, 1 Timothy 5:4

Verse 19

And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz.
blessed
10, Psalms 41:1, 2 Corinthians 9:13-15
Boaz
1 Kings 7:21

Verse 20

And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.
Blessed
3:10, 2 Samuel 2:5, Job 29:12,13, 2 Timothy 1:16-18
hath not
2 Samuel 9:1, Proverbs 17:17, Philippians 4:10
one of our
or, one that hath right to redeem.
3:9, 4:6, Leviticus 25:25, Deuteronomy 25:5-7, Job 19:25

Verse 21

And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.
Thou shalt
7,8,22, Song of Solomon 1:7,8
young men
The word hannëârim should be translated the servants; both male and female being included in it, the latter especially: see ver. 8, 22, 23.

Verse 22

And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field.
Ruth
Ruth is said, by the Targumist, to have been the daughter of Eglon, king of Moab.
It is good
Proverbs 27:10, Song of Solomon 1:8
meet
or, fall not upon thee.

Verse 23

So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.
Proverbs 6:6-8, 13:1,20, 1 Corinthians 15:33, Ephesians 6:1-3

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