Ruth 4 – Study

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Ruth 3:16 – 4:8

16 When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, ‘How did it go, my daughter?’

Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her 17 and added, ‘He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, “Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.”’

18 Then Naomi said, ‘Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.’

1 Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer[k] he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, ‘Come over here, my friend, and sit down.’ So he went over and sat down.

2 Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, ‘Sit here,’ and they did so. 3 Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, ‘Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. 4 I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.’

‘I will redeem it,’ he said.

5 Then Boaz said, ‘On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.’

6 At this, the guardian-redeemer said, ‘Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.’

7 (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.)

8 So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, ‘Buy it yourself.’ And he removed his sandal.

A. Find Out:

1. What did Ruth then do? v.16,17
2. What did Naomi counsel to do now? v.18
3. What did Boaz do? v.1,2
4. How did he present the subject and with what response? v.3,4
5. What did he also remind the man, and with what response? v.5,6
6. So how did they confirm that? v.7,8

B. Think:

1. Summarize in your own words how Boaz dealt with this?
2. How was the other man opportunistic but not caring?
3. How is it all brought to a righteous conclusion?

C. Comment:

      As Naomi had forecast, Boaz wouldn’t rest until the matter was settled. He went later in the morning to the town gate which, in those days, was the place where the elders of the town gathered and did the business of the town. When the other relative passed by (?coincidence???) Boaz calls him to sit down because there is some business to be attended to. Boaz calls the town elders to witness the transaction and thus puts it on a legal footing.

      He explains that Naomi wants to sell off (some of?) her land and so this man had the right of first purchase. The man thinks that is a good opportunity and so leaps at it. Boaz reminds him that it also involves the responsibility towards Ruth as the widow. Suddenly the man is not so keen. His reason seems to be that he was concerned that somehow this would threaten the future of his own existing property.

     He backs off and leaves the way open for Boaz. That was quite legitimate if the next in line was willing – and Boaz was! The means of confirming such a transaction, in those days, was to take off your sandal and hand it over to the other party in the presence of the elders. This was purely a custom and not prescribed in the Law. Perhaps a shoe suggested he was giving up his right to walk over that piece of land and thus give up all rights to it. Done formally before the elders it was the sure confirmation of what had been agreed. The way is now open for Boaz to go ahead and marry Ruth.

D. Application:

1. Righteousness sometimes has to take slow paths.
2. Sometimes we have to wait patiently for such paths to be established.

Passage: Ruth 4:9-22

9 Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, ‘Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. 10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his home town. Today you are witnesses!’

11 Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, ‘We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.’

13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi: ‘Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.’

16 Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, ‘Naomi has a son!’ And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18 This, then, is the family line of Perez:

Perez was the father of Hezron,

19 Hezron the father of Ram,

Ram the father of Amminadab,

20 Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

Nahshon the father of Salmon,

21 Salmon the father of Boaz,

Boaz the father of Obed,

22 Obed the father of Jesse,

and Jesse the father of David.

A. Find Out:

1. How did Boaz clarify what he had done? v.9
2. What also did he say he had done and why? v.10
3. How did the elders bless this? v.11
4. What further blessing did they add? v.12
5. What was the outcome of this? v.13,17
6. How was this significant? v.22

B. Think:

1. How was Boaz acting honourably for the family’s sake?
2. What is the significance of the elders’ blessing?
3. What was the significance of this in the long term?

C. Comment:

     The nearest relative has stood back and so the way is open for Boaz to proceed to marry Ruth. (In such a way he also acquires the land without paying for it!!). He does it to ensure that the name of Ruth’s prior father-in-law will not disappear from the town’s records. The name of a person or family was considered very significant. Their name recorded in history reminded the world of their part in history. We may think we are insignificant but Scripture challenges that belief!

     The elders, in their blessing, refer to Rachel and Leah who were distant relatives of Jacob in a foreign land, who became the main mothers of the family and nation of Israel. Their names were well remembered. Then there was also Tamar who acted to ensure that the family name was continued. (To see more of this go to the first two studies in Matthew’s Gospel to see the ‘natural’ genealogy of Jesus).

     Ruth and Boaz are married and soon there is the sound of tiny feet and Obed is born. With the passing of years Obed became the father of Jesse who became the father of king David, so often referred to by Jesus. Ruth thus becomes a figure mentioned in the natural genealogy of Jesus (Mt 1:5). A Gentile foreigner has become a part of the family of God. The Lord is concerned for ALL peoples. Thank goodness, thank the Lord that He includes Jew AND Gentile in His family.

D. Application:

1. Your name is significant – it identifies you. You are important!
2. You are a player in God’s mighty plan. Rejoice in that!