Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
RUTH 3
Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor
1 One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for. 2 Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. 3 Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.”
5 “I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered. 6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.
7 When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. 8In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned—and there was a woman lying at his feet!
9 “Who are you?” he asked.
“I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family.”
10 “The Lord bless you, my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. 11 And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character. 12 Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family, there is another who is more closely related than I. 13 Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer, good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it. Lie here until morning.”
14 So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, “No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor.”
15 He also said, “Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out.” When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and placed the bundle on her. Then he went back to town.
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.”
Application Notes
3:1-9 As widows, Ruth and Naomi could only look forward to difficult times. (See the note on 1:8-9 for more on the lives of widows in this culture.) But when Naomi heard the news about Boaz's kindness toward Ruth, her hope for the future was renewed (2:20). Typical of her character, she thought first of Ruth, encouraging her to see if Boaz would take the responsibility of being a “guardian-redeemer” to her.
A guardian-redeemer was a close relative who volunteered to take responsibility for his extended family. When a woman's husband died, the law provided that she could marry the brother of her dead husband (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). But Naomi had no more sons. In such a case, the nearest relative to the deceased husband could become a guardian-redeemer and marry the widow. However, the nearest relative did not have to do this. If he chose not to, the next nearest relative could take his place. If no one chose to help the widow, she would probably live in poverty the rest of her life, because in Israelite culture the inheritance was passed on to a man's son or nearest male relative, not to his wife. To take the sting out of these inheritance rules, there were laws for gleaning and for guardian-redeemers.
We have a guardian-redeemer in Jesus Christ, who, though he was God, came to earth as a man in order to save us. By his death on the cross, he has redeemed us from sin and hopelessness and thereby purchased us to be his own possession. This guarantees our eternal inheritance (Phillippians 2:6-8; Titus 2:14; Hebrews 9:15; 1 Peter 1:18-19).
3:2 The threshing floor was the place where the grain was separated from the harvested wheat stalks. The wheat stalks were threshed or crushed, either by hand or by oxen, and the valuable grain (inner kernels) was separated from the worthless chaff (the outside shell). The floor was made from rock or hard soil and located outside the village, usually on an elevated site where the wind would blow away the lighter chaff when the threshed wheat was thrown into the air (winnowed). Boaz spent the night beside the threshing floor for two reasons: (1) to prevent theft and (2) to wait for his turn to thresh grain. (Threshing was often done at night because daylight hours were spent harvesting.)
3:4 Naomi's advice seems strange, but she was not suggesting a seductive act. In reality, Naomi was telling Ruth to act in accordance with Israelite custom and law. By uncovering Boaz's feet and lying down under his covering, Ruth was informing Boaz that he could be her guardian-redeemer—that he could find someone to marry her or marry her himself. At first it was family business, nothing romantic. But the story quickly turned beautifully romantic when Boaz realized what Ruth was suggesting. He was overcome, knowing that she could have chosen someone else, someone richer or younger, and not followed Israelite custom (3:10). From this start, they developed an unselfish love and a deep respect for each other.
3:5 As a foreigner, Ruth may have thought that Naomi's advice was odd. But Ruth followed the advice because she knew Naomi was kind, trustworthy, and filled with integrity. Each of us knows a parent, older friend, or relative who is always looking out for our best interests. Be willing to listen to the advice of those who are older and wiser than you are. The experience and knowledge of such people can be invaluable.
3:6 Why was Ruth so willing to follow Naomi's instructions? She knew that she could trust Naomi, and she also knew how godly and kind Boaz was from the first day she met him. She had witnessed his love for the Lord, his obedience to God's law, his kindness, his respect toward women, his empathy for the poor, and his generosity (see 2:4-16). These are some of the characteristics that matter most when considering a relationship, whether seeking a spouse, a mentor, or a best friend.
3:10-15 Difficulties and hardships can winnow away external appearances and pretenses to reveal the true inner character of a person. For Ruth, the hardships of losing her husband, leaving her country, and choosing to follow Naomi and serve her by working in the fields revealed an inner character that was strong and beautiful. If you have experienced difficulties as Ruth did, how have these experiences ·winnowed· you? If such difficulties are still ahead of you, what will they reveal about your true inner character? Be the kind of person who works hard every day to display a virtuous character that is strong and beautiful in the eyes of God. Then, no matter what difficulties you face, you will be showing honor to God and blessing those who are around you.
3:12-13 Ruth and Naomi must have assumed that Boaz was their closest relative. Boaz, too, must have already considered marrying Ruth, because his answer to her shows he had been thinking about it He couldn't have considered marrying Naomi because she was probably too old to bear any more children (1:11-12). One man in the city was a nearer relative than Boaz, and this man had the first right to take Ruth as his wife. If he chose not to, then Boaz could marry Ruth.
3:18 Naomi implied that Boaz would follow through with his promise at once. He obviously had a reputation for keeping his word and would not rest until his task was completed. Such reliable people stand out in any age and culture. Do others regard you as one who will do what you say? Keeping your word and following through on assignments should be high on anyone's priority list. Building a reputation for integrity, however, must be done one brick, one act, at a time.
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)