Ruth 4

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Ruth 4:7

‘ Now this was the custom in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging. To confirm all things, a man drew off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour, and this was the manner of attestation in Israel.’ The writer then pauses in order to explain an ancient custom, which presumably in his day had ceased to apply, so as to explain what happened next (Ruth 4:8). Where a man refused to act as kinsman redeemer (to act ‘concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging’) he... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Ruth 4:8

‘ So the near kinsman said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” And he drew off his shoe.’ Ruth 4:7 explains why the near kinsman did what he did. He devolved on Boaz the right to act as kinsman redeemer and demonstrated the fact in front of witnesses by taking off his shoe, and no doubt handing it to Boaz. We are not told how much it was at that stage seen as an act of shame, as opposed to being just evidence of the transaction (Deuteronomy 25:9-10). But it does bring out that the law of Levirate... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Ruth 4:9-10

‘ And Boaz said to the elders, and to all the people, “You are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi. Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses this day.” By accepting the shoe Boaz would be... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Ruth 4:11

Ruth 4:11 ‘ And all the people who were in the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses.” Then all the people in the gateway gathered together with the elders, and declared ‘we are witnesses’. This parallels Boaz’s statement in Ruth 4:9, ‘you are witnesses this day’, and combined with the twofold ‘you are witnesses’ in the Ruth 4:9-10 it indicates a threefold, and therefore complete, testimony. From then on the legality of what Boaz was doing could not be questioned, for there would be... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Ruth 4:13

‘ So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in unto her, and YHWH gave her conception, and she bore a son.’ The consequence of what had happened was that Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife, and as a result of his having impregnated her ‘YHWH gave her conception’, and she bore a son. This is the second time that it has been made clear that YHWH was with Ruth, and that the son to be born was of His doing (compare Ruth 4:12). It made clear that YHWH had accepted her, a... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Ruth 4:14

‘ And the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be YHWH, who has not left you this day without a near kinsman, and let his name be famous in Israel.” As a consequence of the birth of a son the women were able to say to Naomi, ‘blessed be YHWH Who has not left you without a near kinsman’. They were referring to the new born baby who would grow up to be head of Naomi’s family, and would inherit the family property. Whilst Boaz would take her into his house (she becomes nurse to the baby) she was not... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Ruth 4:15

“ And he will be to you a restorer of life, and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.” And they assured Naomi that once he was old enough he would ‘restore her life’ by giving her encouragement and a reason for living. And secondly that he would be a ‘nourisher of her old age’, ensuring that she was provided for and that all her needs were met. So the woman who had left Moab in such despair was now assured of... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Ruth 4:16-17

‘ And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse to it. And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, “There is a son born to Naomi,” and they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.’ And Naomi already had cause for blessing, for she acted as his nurse, coddling him and watching over him. And her women neighbours supplied a name for him because he was ‘a son born to Naomi’, not literally, but because he was her grandson. The name means... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Ruth 4:18-22

‘ Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez begat Hezron, and Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab, and Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon, and Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.’ The writer now closes his book in triumph. We have noted already that he has often liked to repeat ideas, and here he does so by adding the genealogy of Perez (already mentioned in Ruth 4:12) which leads up to the birth of King David (already... read more

Arthur Peake

Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible - Ruth 4:1-22

Ruth 4. Ruth’ s Marriage. Ruth 4:1 . Instead of “ such an one!” Boaz called the person’ s actual name, which the narrator either does not know or does not see any need for bringing into the story. Ruth 4:2 . The elders of the city are called in as witnesses of an important transaction affecting the rights of a family. For “ selleth” we ought to read “ hath sold.” The point is that the property had passed out of the family’ s hands and required to be redeemed. Ruth 4:5 . Here the meaning is... read more

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