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
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