Ruth 3:14-18

Ruth Returns to Naomi Ruth 3:14-18

14 And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor.
15 Also he said, Bring the veil that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and she went into the city.
16 And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her.
17 And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother-in-law.
18 Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day.

8.

Why did Ruth rise so early? Ruth 3:14

Boaz was anxious to protect Ruth's physical well-being. He did not want to send her out into the night from the threshing floor. She would be at the mercy of such men as those who milled about Lot's house in Sodom (Genesis 19) and the men of Gibeah who tried to misuse the Levite in the days of the judges (Judges 19-21). Boaz also was careful to protect Ruth's reputation. Although he was willing to keep her safe from harm during the middle of the night, he counseled her to leave his threshing floor early in the morning before the sun was risen. In this way, any who saw her leave would not be able to discern who she was and would not point a finger of scandal in her direction.

9.

What kind of veil did Ruth wear? Ruth 3:15

The veil into which Boaz poured the grain was a large garment, possibly similar to a large shawl. The cloaks worn by ancient people were very full. One part could be thrown over the shoulder and another corner could be gathered up under the arm. By holding a certain part of the pallium, as it is sometimes called, Ruth could receive into her bosom the grain which Boaz gave her. The garment is called a veil since it could easily be drawn up over the face to hide the countenance of a modest woman from the unholy gaze of wicked men.

10.

How much barley did Boaz give to ?Ruth 3:15

The old rabbins said the measure was a seah which is equal to two ephahs. Since an ephah was nearly equal to a bushel, Boaz would have given twelve bushels to Ruth by this calculation, Certainly this is incorrect. Ruth could not have carried such a large quantity of barley. The smallest unit of dry measure was a log and equaled approximately a pint. If Boaz gave six of these measures to Ruth, the amount of grain she received would be approximately the same as one omer which was the amount of daily provision made for the children of Israel during their exodus as God gave them manna (Exodus 16:16). This is the better view.

11.

Why did Naomi say, Who art thou? Ruth 3:16

Since Ruth had left the threshing floor of Boaz before anyone could tell who she was, Naomi may have been unable to identify Ruth in the darkness when she arrived home. The question, however, makes a fuller inquiry than the mere matter of identification. Naomi was asking what kind of person it was who stood before her. She was trying to find out in what circumstances Ruth had returned. She really wanted to know what had been accomplished. She was anxious to find out what Boaz had done. Her question was much the same as asking, How did it go?

12.

Why did Ruth call attention to the six measures of barley? Ruth 3:17

Ruth told Naomi all about her interview with Boaz. She must have rehearsed every detail and finally called attention to the six measures of barley as concrete evidence of the favor which Boaz had bestowed upon her. The concern of Boaz reached not only to Ruth's needs, but to the immediate needs of both Ruth and Naomi. Ruth recited how Boaz had told her not to go empty to her mother-in-law. In a sense, the gift of six measures of barley was more for Naomi than for Ruth herself.

13.

Why did Naomi tell Ruth to sit still? Ruth 3:18 a

Naomi wanted Ruth to remain quietly at home. Such instructions were also given to Tamar by Judah as he told his daughter-in-law to remain a widow (Genesis 38:11). Naomi was instructing Ruth not to look any further for a husband. She had earlier instructed her not to glean in anybody else's field, and she felt sure of Boaz's good intentions. God had blessed Naomi and Ruth as they made their way from Moab to Bethlehem. By His good providence, Ruth had been led to glean in a field which belonged to a near kinsman. Naomi had guided Ruth to remind Boaz of his fraternal duty. Now the time had come for the two women to await the consummation of the matter.

14.

Why was Naomi confident concerning the outcome? Ruth 3:18

Naomi knew Boaz was a man of faith and ability. Everything he had done pointed to his intentions and abilities to consummate his agreement with Ruth. Naomi had told Ruth to stay at home and await the outcome, She instructed her to learn in this way how the matter would fall. It was more needful for Ruth to put her confidence in Boaz than for her to take any other actions on her part. Naomi believed Boaz to be a man of deep faith, and she must have had faith in God's providence for the outcome of Ruth's association with Boaz.