Ruth 2:8-16

The Kindness of Boaz Ruth 2:8-16

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:
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.
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?
11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been showed 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.
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.
13 Then she said, Let me find favor 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.
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.
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:
16 And let fall also some of the handfulls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.

7.

Why did Boaz make special arrangements about the water? Ruth 2:9

Men who hired workers were especially careful to provide water for them. Even in modern times these provisions are cared for with great detail. Men soon become disgruntled if good clean water is not made available to them. The hot climate of Palestine demands such arrangements. If Ruth were forced to provide her own jug for drinking water, she would be handicapped in this respect. It was a fine concession which Boaz made to her in this regard.

8.

What was the cause of the kind treatment? Ruth 2:11-12

Boaz heard a good report of Ruth. Word must have spread rapidly about the woman from a foreign country who had shown great kindness to her deceased husband's family. Boaz mentioned especially her leaving her own father and mother and her native land to come into Judah. He was impressed because she had entered a country about which she had no prior knowledge. He was also duly impressed with her renunciation of a former pagan faith in order to be counted among the redeemed of Israel. His picturesque expression of this action was similar to an expression used by Moses as he mentioned God's bearing the children of Israel on eagle's wings (Deuteronomy 32:11). Boaz prayed that Ruth would be rewarded by the Lord God of Israel under whose wings thou art come to trust.

9.

Why did Ruth compare herself unfavorably with the other gleaners? Ruth 2:13

She was a stranger in Israel. She said she was not like any of the handmaidens in the service of Boaz. She may have had different facial characteristics since she was not descended from one of the founders of the twelve tribes of Israel. Her people had been separated by location and social customs from the people of Israel. Her appearance was evidently different enough to set her apart. Some feel the main thrust of this book is to break down barriers of national and racial prejudice, and certainly Boaz did not withhold his kindness from Ruth because she was of foreign nationality.

10.

What was the parched corn? Ruth 2:14

Parched corn was a delicacy prepared by roasting the heads of grain (not ears of maize), Israel's offering of the firstfruits to the Lord demanded their giving green ears of corn dried by the fire, even corn beaten out of full ears (Leviticus 2:14), These roasted grains of wheat are still eaten by reapers in the harvest field. On occasion strangers will be offered some of these delicacies. One traveler told of coming into a field where nearly two hundred reapers and gleaners were working. The gleaners were nearly as numerous as the reapers. Some of them were resting from their labors and taking some refreshment. These offered the traveler some of their parched corn. Those who have partaken of this kind of grain describe the grains of wheat as being not yet fully dried and hard. They are roasted in a pan on an iron plate and constitute a very tasty bit of food. This is sometimes eaten along with bread or at other times in place of it. Boaz gave Ruth an abundant supply of the parched grain. She was not only satisfied, but saved some to take home to her mother-in-law.

11.

Why did Boaz give special instructions to his young men? Ruth 2:15-16

Ruth had evidently asked for permission to glean among the sheaves, an allowance which was not normally made. Boaz also felt it necessary to instruct his reapers not to torment her or cause her any injury. Furthermore, he instructed them to drop little bundles of grain for her. These were to be left lying so that she could pick them up and add to her supply of gleaned grain. Some of the workmen may have thought Ruth was out of place. Others may have resented the presence of a Moab woman among the other gleaners, but Boaz instructed them to reproach her not. He continued by saying, rebuke her not.