Ruth 4:1-22
1 Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.
2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.
3 And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's:
4 And I thoughta to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.
5 Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.
6 And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.
7 Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel.
8 Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe.
9 And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi.
10 Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.
11 And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:
12 And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman.
13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son.
14 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not leftb thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.
15 And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.
16 And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.
17 And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18 Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,
19 And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,
20 And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon,c
21 And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,
22 And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.
Ruth 4:1. The gate: the place of justice. Job 29; Genesis 19. Ten men judged and attested the fairness of the price until the jubilee. Such sales being open, were freer from disputes. Boaz took ten men to attest the sale of the land; in other places the witnesses only are named; but seven officers constituted a synagogue, and it is likely that those courts did not consist of less than seven. Deuteronomy 16:18.
Ruth 4:11. The Lord make the woman like Rachel and like Leah. Note, a woman must not be touched till the nuptial benediction is thus first pronounced by the legal authorities.
Ruth 4:17. They called his name Obed, that is serving, because of Ruth's condition. Ancient names were generally conferred conformably to prominent circumstances attendant on the birth of a son.
Ruth 4:20. Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz, Obed, Jesse, David; by which it appears that David was not descended from the firstborn of those fathers, but rather from the youngest sons; for on an average they could not have been less than eighty or ninety years of age when the sons here named were born.
REFLECTIONS.
Boaz, so fearful of offending in receiving a wife to his bosom, to whom another man had a prior claim; Boaz, so fearful of scandal and reproach, lost no time in receiving her in the manner prescribed by custom and by law. As early in the morning as circumstances would admit, he assembled the elders and the nearer kinsman, that he might honourably purchase the land, and marry the widow of Mahlon. His singular virtue, which had appeared on the preseding night, was now distinguished before the elders of his city by sound policy and superior address. With what fairness does this venerable man make the first overture to his relative, and with what firmness does he support the rights of the widow. The relative, fearful to mar his own inheritance by advancing money for the redemption of land, which would go to another branch of the family, and fearful perhaps of a numerous offspring from so young a widow, resigned at once all claims in favour of Boaz. How easily does providence soon or late applain our difficult paths when we act with prudence, and proceed in duty by honourable means. This good man by the haste of passion might have involved himself in a long and bitter enmity with his relative; but by waiting one day, the Lord added lustre to his name, and blessed his marriage with a son.
We ought not to overlook the singular happiness of the Moabian stranger. Inspired with the love of piety, and impelled with a sense of filial duty, she had abandoned her country, her relatives, and her gods, to trust under the wings of JEHOVAH; and now the Lord established her in the princely line of Judah, and with a thousand blessings from his people. From this poor, but virtuous woman, descended Obed; for the Lord had undertaken her cause. From her descended Jesse, the long promised root which should raise an ensign for the nation, and in whom the gentiles should trust. From her descended David, and a line of twenty three kings to reign in Jerusalem. From her descended many prophets, as Isaiah, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego. In a word, from this poor stranger descended Jesus Christ, the hope of all nations, and the Redeemer of the world. What a chain of providences: what a reverse of situation from adversity to prosperity. What clusters of blessings are here comprised in one. What an argument for all young people, seeking their bread out of their father's house, to seek the Lord, and trust in him alone. Learn then, oh my soul, to rely on the Lord, and to abide by his covenant. Apply to Jesus Christ, thy near kinsman, and he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. Repose thy confidence under his Almighty wings, and he will lead thee to participate of David's mercies, and of eternal glory.
We ought not to forget, on this occasion, the greatness of Naomi's joy. This woman had borne exile and afflictions for ten years; death had thrice repeated his strokes, and taken away a husband and both her sons; time had wasted the whole of her property; and her old age seemed menaced with a tempestuous winter. But confiding in the Lord, suddenly the sunshine of prosperity broke forth, and his blessings exceeded her utmost hopes. Happy is that widow who makes the Lord her portion, and calls upon his name night and day. The watchful eye of him who is the widow's portion, and the orphan's friend, shall raise her up benefactors on earth, and give her in due time an inheritance among the sanctified at his right hand.