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Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Ruth 3:9

Ruth 3:9. Spread, therefore, thy skirt over thine handmaid— See chap. Ruth 2:12. In the Hebrew it is, spread thy wing. It is a proverbial manner of speaking, signifying in general, take me under thy protection; and in particular, take me under thy protection as a husband: the Chaldee, therefore, plainly renders it, let thy name be called upon thine handmaid, by taking me for thy wife. Even to this day, it is a ceremony among the Jews for the man to throw the skirt of his talith, or veil, over... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Ruth 3:9

9. I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman—She had already drawn part of the mantle over her; and she asked him now to do it, that the act might become his own. To spread a skirt over one is, in the East, a symbolical action denoting protection. To this day in many parts of the East, to say of anyone that he put his skirt over a woman, is synonymous with saying that he married her; and at all the marriages of the modern Jews and... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Ruth 3:6-13

2. Ruth’s encouragement and Boaz’s response 3:6-13Ruth carried out Naomi’s instructions exactly, further demonstrating her loyal love to her mother-in-law, and encouraged Boaz to pursue the possibility of marriage (Ruth 3:6-9). Boaz’s response to Ruth’s actions is as remarkable as what she did."Note that the threshingfloor was a public place and that these incidents all took place in the open. Both men and women were lying about the threshingfloor. Entire families were gathered there. There was... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Ruth 3:1-18

The Appeal to Boaz1. Marriages are always arranged by the parents in Eastern lands; here, of course, the mother-in-law must intervene.2-7. Grain is winnowed in the evening, to avoid the heat of the day and take advantage of the cool sea-wind, which blows in Palestine from 4 p.m. to half-an-hour before sunset. As a rule the threshing floor, which is an open space of clean, hard, dry ground, is on an elevated spot. But at Beth-lehem it was necessary to go ’down’ to it, because the town is on the... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Ruth 3:9

(9) Skirt.—Literally wing; Heb. canaph, as in Ruth 2:12. The Targum treats this as in itself the claim to espousal on her part. The metaphor may be illustrated from Ezekiel 16:8, and more generally from Matthew 23:37. read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Dictionary of Texts - Ruth 3:1-18

The Message of the Book of Ruth Ruth 3:9 In speaking of the message which this little book has for us, we shall treat it as conveying to us a message of redemption. Looked at in this light the book has, I think, these things to tell us: I. It tells us that the range of God's grace is ever wider than our conception of it. The book of Ruth shows us how one who was a member of an idolatrous people, one who was a Gentile, an alien from the commonwealth of Israel, a stranger from the covenant of... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Bible Commentary - Ruth 3:1-18

THE HAZARDOUS PLANRuth 3:1-18HOPE came to Naomi when Ruth returned with the ephah of barley and her story of the rich man’s hearty greeting. God was remembering His handmaiden; He had not shut up His tender mercies. Through His favour Boaz had been moved to kindness, and the house of Elimelech would yet be raised from the dust. The woman’s heart, clinging to its last hope, was encouraged. Naomi was loud in her praises of Jehovah and of the man who had with such pious readiness befriended Ruth.... read more

Arno Clemens Gaebelein

Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible - Ruth 3:1-18

CHAPTER 3 At the Feet of Boaz 1. Naomi instructs Ruth (Ruth 3:1-5 ) 2. At his feet (Ruth 3:6-7 ) 3. The discovery (Ruth 3:8-13 ) 4. The six measures of barley (Ruth 3:14-17 ) 5. He will not rest until he have finished the thing (Ruth 3:18 ) What follows in the realization of redemption must be connected with Leviticus 25:0 , the law concerning the redemption of an inheritance and the other law about the marriage of a brother-in-law as given in Deuteronomy 25:5-12 . See the... read more

L.M. Grant

L. M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible - Ruth 3:1-18

RUTH CLAIMING THE PROTECTION OFBOAZ (vv. 1-18) The time had now come for Naomi to give pertinent advice to Ruth.She seeks security (or "rest") for her daughter-in-law, reminding her that Boaz is their relative (vv. 1-2).She knew that Boaz was winnowing barley in his threshing floor, and would be sleeping that night at the floor.Therefore she told Ruth to wash and anoint herself, be clothed in her best garment and go down to the threshing floor, but wait until Boaz had laid down to sleep... read more

James Gray

James Gray's Concise Bible Commentary - Ruth 3:1-18

A BLESSED BRIDE Ruth 3:1 The rest Naomi would secure for Ruth is that of a husband and a home. Threshing-floors were commonly on the field where the grain was reaped, the process consisting in throwing it against the evening wind, the farmer remaining all night on the field for that purpose as well as to protect his property. Ruth 3:3-6 The indelicacy of these verses is removed by the fact that it was the custom thus to remind a kinsman of his duty in such a case. The openness of the... read more

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