b. Ruth at the threshing-floor (3:6–13)
b. Ruth at the threshing-floor (3:6–13)
The next section of the book tells how Ruth carried out the plan, and how Boaz received her overtures. On this latter point D. B. Macdonald says, ‘Boaz is shown quietly handling the situation like a gentleman, and not either as an old fool or a village lout. He may be countrified but he has dignity and restraint.’2
6. This verse tells us that Ruth went down to the threshing-floor and did as she had been instructed. That is to say, she carried out the first part of the plan, taking up her position unobserved and waiting for Boaz to retire for the night. The fulfilment of the rest of her instructions had, of course, to come later.
7. It was harvest-time and therefore a time of feasting and enjoyment (cf. Isa. 9:3). Boaz ate and drank well and his heart was merry (the verb translated was merry is that rendered ‘that it may be well with thee’ in 3:1, AV, RV). In due course he went to bed at the end of the heap of corn (AV, RV). At harvest-time people would camp out, and in those days (as is the case still with country folk in that region) they did not mind hard beds! Probably his servants were in other places near the threshing-floor and Boaz would have had a place to himself. Ruth now came quietly. The word rendered softly does not mean ‘secretly’ but ‘quietly’, ‘so as not to be heard’. It is used of David when he cut the skirt from Saul’s robe (1 Sam. 24:4, Hebrew verse 5). The narrative does not say that she waited for a time but clearly she did, for Boaz was asleep when she came. Otherwise the conversation of verses 9ff. would have taken place here. Then she did as Naomi had told her. She uncovered Boaz’ feet and lay down.
8. The impression left is that Boaz slept for some time before discovering Ruth. At midnight something disturbed him. RSV renders, At midnight the man was startled, and AV, was afraid. Whatever it was that woke him scared him. The original meaning of the word is ‘tremble’ and it has been suggested that Boaz trembled on account of the cold, his feet being uncovered. This cannot be completely ruled out, but the verb more commonly means ‘to be afraid’ and it seems better to think that Boaz experienced a moment of terror on being woken suddenly. Then, as AV and RV put it, he turned himself. This may mean he turned over as RSV, or bent forward as KB, Moffatt. The word is concerned with turning, but not with a particular way of turning. Joüon thinks that the idea of turning leads to that of looking, with the meaning ‘looked all round him’. The point is not important. What is important is that his turning motion disclosed to him a woman lying at his feet. The narrator adds a touch of vividness with and, behold. He sees it all happening.
9. Now comes the moment of disclosure. In reply to Boaz’ question Ruth reveals her identity. She describes herself as your maidservant (RSV) thus taking a lowly place as before (cf. 2:13), but she uses a different word from that in the previous passage. There is probably not much difference of meaning, though the other word may have a slightly more menial flavour. What is clear is that Ruth is not taking anything for granted. Still at this moment she acts towards Boaz in humility. She proceeds to her plea. It seems that therefore of AV correctly interprets the Hebrew (HS, 56, 57R1). She looks for Boaz to take action simply because she is who she is. She employs an expressive metaphor and asks him to spread his skirt over her. It is used similarly for taking in marriage in Ezekiel 16:8. The spreading of the skirt over a widow as a way of claiming her as a wife is attested among Arabs of early days,3 and Joüon says it still exists among some modern Arabs. Cf. also Deuteronomy 27:20, etc. Wright points out that the word is singular in passages like Deuteronomy 22:30 (Hebrew 23:1); 27:20; 1 Samuel 24:4, 5; Ezekiel 16:8 and, indeed, wherever the skirt of a garment is meant. He accordingly takes it to refer here to wings: ‘ “spread thy wings over thine handmaid”, a much more delicate way for Ruth to intimate her wish.’ P. H. Steenstra in Cassel reminds us that the pointing of MT implies a dual with the suffix written defectively (it cannot be singular with lengthened shewa since it is not in pause). The word is more commonly used for ‘wings’ than for ‘skirt’, and it is used with this meaning, for example, when Boaz speaks of the religious aspect of Ruth’s change of country, ‘a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust’ (2:12, AV). Ruth had put herself under Yahweh’s ‘wing’ when she came to Judah. Now she seeks also to put herself under that of Boaz. KD understand the word to refer to ‘the corner of the counterpane, referring to the fact that a man spreads this over his wife as well as himself’. But ‘wings’ seems more probable. Ruth concludes by reminding Boaz that he is a near-kinsman (gō’ēl; see Additional note, pp. 272f.). Because of the family connection she has some right to look to him.
10. Ruth is not left long in doubt. Boaz’ response is to call down a blessing upon her (cf. 2:4, 12). He thinks that Ruth has shown more kindness (AV, RV) now than when she first came. The kindness at the beginning (AV, RV) will be that which Ruth showed to Naomi in not forsaking her and in gleaning to provide for her needs. Now to this she has added a further evidence of her regard for family relationships. She has not followed natural inclinations (in seeking a young man in marriage), but has shown a responsible attitude to the family in looking to her gō’ēl as her marriage partner. The word kindness is that used in 1:8 (see note on this). It includes the thought of faithfulness as well as that of benevolence. Ruth is steadfast as well as kindly in this action. Lattey renders ‘piety’ but this is hardly it, though Ruth has certainly shown dutifulness (with which in a note Lattey equates piety). Boaz sees her faithfulness in the fact that when she thought of marriage Ruth did not go after young men (the word means ‘choice’ men) whether poor or rich. She preferred to keep to family connections and thus showed her respect for the right. She did not simply let her own personal inclinations rule her. Knox translates, now, more than ever, thou hast shewn the goodness of thy heart; Berkeley, This your later kindness is lovelier than any previous one. There is an article with young men. It is not ‘young men’ in general that is meant but ‘the young men’, the definite group of young men in the village. We should not overlook the implied compliment to Ruth. Boaz clearly was certain that had she wished Ruth might have married a rich young man. There would be no point in praising her faithfulness to family obligations otherwise.
11. Boaz tells Ruth not to be afraid for he will do for her all she says. He gives as his reason that Ruth has such an excellent reputation. Much more than is recorded had clearly happened during the months the two widows had been at Bethlehem. The writer of the book has a definite purpose in view, and he leaves out what is not relevant. But quite plainly Ruth had become well known to all the villagers. The word translated city (AV) here is literally ‘gate’. In Palestinian towns the usual place of assembly was the gate (see further the note on 4:1). ‘All the gate’ thus means ‘all the people who assemble in the city’, or, as E. A. Speiser4 puts it in an important article, ‘the whole body of my people’. ‘It is a matter of common knowledge’ will give the sense of it. The expression is an unusual one and is found only here. Boaz may have in mind the legal proceedings he was about to initiate. Ruth need not fear that her Moabite origin or anything else would be urged against her. All in the gate know her virtue and that will prove sufficient. It is also possible that ‘the gate’ stands for those who take part in judicial proceedings and thus means ‘all the important or influential people’, ‘all the responsible elders’. But a reference to the whole population of the city seems more probable.
The expression which is rendered virtuous (AV, RV) or of worth (Moffatt, RSV) as a description of Ruth at the end of the verse is difficult to translate. It is that rendered ‘of wealth’ in 2:1 where Boaz is introduced to us. It denotes ability or efficiency or attainment in any one of a number of directions, which is what gives the translation of RSV its attraction. AV and RV are too restricted in meaning. The word certainly includes virtuous in this context but it includes more also. Knox translates, all the city knows thee for a bride worth the winning. This is too free, but it does bring out the comprehensive excellence that the word denotes. It is used of the ideal woman (Prov. 31:10), and of her who is ‘a crown to her husband’ (Prov. 12:4).
12. And now is logical rather than temporal. Boaz is not contrasting this time with another time but moving on to another phase of the situation. He affirms with some emphasis that he certainly is a kinsman. Actually the construction is elliptical. He says ‘Truly … unless I am a kinsman’, and we are to supply, ‘may something unpleasant happen to me’. It is an idiomatic form of speech to give emphasis, just as an oath is sometimes employed. The Hebrew is undoubtedly difficult, and Joüon resolves the situation by omitting three words. This is a desperate course, and it is better to try to make sense of the text as it stands. There is a case, however, for omitting ’m (with the Qĕrē). It could have resulted from dittography since ’mnm follows the first kî. KD, however, reject this, holding that kî ’im is used here in the same way as in the formula employed in oaths, with the sense ‘except that’, ‘only’, i.e. ‘assuredly I am redeemer’. Cassel’s translator cites E. Bertheau, that kî ’im ‘excludes from the assurance the opposite of what forms its object yet more decidedly than the simple kî, thus: truly, indeed, only a goel am I = truly, I am certainly a goel—I am that and nothing else.’ Fortunately our uncertainties about the text do not extend to the meaning. Boaz is affirming in strong terms that he is a gō’ēl, a kinsman who could act for Ruth. But he goes on to point out that there was a man nearer of kin than he. In a town as small as Bethlehem it seems unlikely that this would not be known to Naomi (though conceivably Ruth may not have known all the complexities of her late husband’s family relationships). But Naomi probably calculated that Boaz was more likely to take action than the other, and therefore arranged for Ruth to meet him rather than the unnamed closer relation. It is implied, but not actually said, that in the case of a childless widow the next of kin had the prior right to marry the woman and raise up seed to the deceased. In Deuteronomy 25:5–10 it is envisaged that the brother of the deceased is to marry the widow, and no mention is made of anybody else. If the brother refuses to perform his duty that passage makes provision for the widow to humiliate him publicly. But it is not said that anyone else should take his place. However, this would appear to be a matter of common sense. And the present passage shows that it was not open for anyone in the family to perform the marriage. There was a due order. The next of kin had the privilege and responsibility, and only if he declined was it possible (and necessary) for another member of the family to take his place.
13. Boaz makes plain what is to be the order of things. First he tells Ruth to stay where she is. There is no point in her going elsewhere during the hours of darkness (cf. Song 5:7), and she will be quite safe where she is. In the morning Boaz promises action. The closer kinsman has the right to marry Ruth if he chooses to exercise that right. Interestingly Boaz does not use the word ‘marry’. He speaks rather of the man’s ‘doing the part of a kinsman’. It is family responsibility that he emphasizes. If the other will exercise his right to Ruth, then Boaz will accept it. But if he has no delight in doing this, then Boaz will do it for himself. His ‘I’ is emphatic, and it is reinforced by the strong expression as the Lord liveth (AV, RV). Boaz wants there to be no doubt about his determination. This being settled he tells Ruth to lie down till morning.