INTRODUCTION TO RUTH 4 This chapter relates how an offer was made to the nearest kinsman of Ruth to redeem her, and the field her husband left, which he refused to do, Ruth 4:1, upon which Boaz redeemed both, and married Ruth before the elders of the city as witnesses, and who congratulated him and... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN WENT BOAZ UP TO THE GATE,.... In the middle of the day, as Josephus d says, to the gate of the city, where people were continually passing and repassing to and from the country, and where he was most likely to meet with the person he wanted to see and converse with, and where courts of judicatu... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE TOOK TEN MEN OF THE ELDERS OF THE CITY,.... Who were such, not merely in age but in office, who were the heads of thousands, fifties, and tens; ten of whom were a quorum to do business in judiciary affairs, to determine such matters as Boaz had propose, as to whom the right of redemption of a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID UNTO THE KINSMAN,.... That is, Boaz said to the kinsman he called to, and who sat down by him before the ten elders that were present: NAOMI, THAT IS COME AGAIN OUT OF THE LAND OF MOAB, SELLETH A PARCEL OF LAND; meaning, that she was determined upon it, and was about to do it, and would... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I THOUGHT TO ADVERTISE THEE,.... To give him notice of it; or "I said" g; he said in his heart and mind, purposing to do it; or he said it to Ruth, promising her that he would do it: SAYING, BUY IT BEFORE THE INHABITANTS, AND BEFORE THE ELDERS OF MY PEOPLE; or before those that sat there, even... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID BOAZ,.... In order to try the kinsman, whether he would abide by his resolution, he acquaints him with what he had as yet concealed: WHAT DAY THOU BUYEST THE FIELD OF NAOMI, THOU MUST BUY IT ALSO OF RUTH THE MOABITESS, THE WIFE OF THE DEAD; the wife of Mahlon, who was dead, the eldest son... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE KINSMAN SAID, I CANNOT REDEEM IT FOR MYSELF,.... On such a condition, because he had a wife, as the Targum suggests; and to take another would, as that intimates, tend to introduce contention into his family, and make him uncomfortable; so Josephus says h, he had a wife and children, for tha... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THIS WAS THE MANNER IN FORMER TIME IN ISRAEL CONCERNING REDEEMING,.... It is a custom, and not a law, that seems here referred to, when an estate was bought and sold; not the law in Leviticus 25:25, though that respects the redemption of an estate by a near kinsman, yet no such manner was enjoin... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEREFORE THE KINSMAN SAID UNTO BOAZ, BUY IT FOR ME,.... Which is repeated to show he gave his full consent to it, that he should make the purchase of it if he pleased, and which he confirmed by the following rite: SO HE DREW OFF HIS SHOE; thereby signifying that he relinquished his right to th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BOAZ SAID UNTO THE ELDERS, AND UNTO ALL THE PEOPLE,.... Who were present at the gate of the city, or in court: YE ARE WITNESSES THIS DAY THAT I HAVE BOUGHT ALL THAT WAS ELIMELECH'S; all the land which belonged to him, who was the husband of Naomi, and the father of Ruth's husband, whose estate... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER, RUTH THE MOABITESS, THE WIFE OF MAHLON, HAVE I PURCHASED TO BE MY WIFE,.... Which was the condition on which the purchase of the land was, that whoever bought that should take her for his wife; nor did Boaz do evil in marrying her, though a Moabitess. Moab was not one of the nations with w... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE IN THE GATE, AND THE ELDERS, SAID, WE ARE WITNESSES,.... Both of the purchase of the estate by Boaz being legally made, and of the marriage of Ruth to him, the condition of the bargain: THE LORD MAKE THE WOMAN THAT IS COME INTO THINE HOUSE; not into his house, strictly... [ Continue Reading ]
AND LET THY HOUSE BE LIKE THE HOUSE OF PHAREZ, WHOM TAMAR BARE UNTO JUDAH,.... Of whose tribe the Bethlehemites were, and were also of the house or family of Pharez, as appears from Ruth 4:18, c. who was born to Judah of Tamar, one of another nation, as Ruth was, and from whom sprung a very numerous... [ Continue Reading ]
SO BOAZ TOOK RUTH, AND SHE WAS HIS WIFE,.... Without any other rites or ceremonies than what are here expressed; for as yet the rites and ceremonies now in use with the Jews o, in marriages had not obtained: and when he went in unto her; which is a modest expression of the conjugal duty performed hi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE WOMEN SAID UNTO NAOMI,.... The inhabitants of Bethlehem, as they fell into her company; or perhaps these were the women that were called to the labour of Ruth, and attended the birth of the child: BLESSED BE THE LORD, WHICH HATH NOT LEFT THEE THIS DAY WITHOUT A KINSMAN; a grandchild born to... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SHALL BE UNTO THEE A RESTORER OF THY LIFE,.... Of the joys, pleasures, and comforts of it, which she had been deprived of through the death of her husband and her two sons, ever since which she had lived a sorrowful life; all the comfort she had was from her daughter-in-law, and now a grandch... [ Continue Reading ]
AND NAOMI TOOK THE CHILD, AND LAID IT IN HER BOSOM,.... As a token of her most tender love and affection for it; this it is probable she did quickly after the birth of it: AND BECAME A NURSE UNTO IT; that is, after the mother had suckled and weaned it, then she took it from her, and brought it up.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE WOMEN HER NEIGHBOURS GAVE IT A NAME,.... Josephus says q Naomi gave it, by the advice of her neighbours; very probably on the eighth day when he was circumcised, and the neighbours were invited on that occasion, at which time it seems it was usual to give names to children, see Luke 1:59. Th... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF PHAREZ,.... The son of Judah, by Tamar before mentioned, Ruth 4:12, for the intention of this genealogy is to confirm the truth of Jacob's prophecy, of Shiloh the Messiah coming from the tribe of Judah, Genesis 49:10 and therefore it begins with Pharez, well known to... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HEZRON BEGAT RAM,.... Called Aram by the Septuagint, and so in Matthew 1:3, AND RAM BEGAT AMMINADAB; in whose name there is no variation, neither in the book of Chronicles nor in the Evangelists; both these, as well as the next, were born in Egypt.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AMMINADAB BEGAT NAHSHON,.... The prince of the tribe of Judah, as the Targum adds; and so he was when the Israelites were come out of Egypt, and were in the wilderness at the time of the dedication of the altar, Numbers 7:12 called Nahsson, Matthew 1:4, and Nahshon begat Salmon; or, as in the He... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SALMON BEGAT BOAZ,.... Of Rahab the harlot, whom he married, Matthew 1:5 the very same person that makes a principal part of this book, and whom the Targum here takes to be the judge Ibzan, Ruth 1:1. AND BOAZ BEGAT OBED; of Ruth; of whom see the preceding verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND OBED BEGAT JESSE,.... The Bethlehemite, the father of David: AND JESSE BEGAT DAVID; the Targum adds, the king of Israel; and so the Syriac and Arabic versions add, the king; from whence it is by some concluded that this book was written by Samuel, not only after the birth of David, but after he... [ Continue Reading ]