Boaz took Ruth; which he might do, though she was a Moabite, because the prohibition against marrying such is to be restrained to those who continue in the heathenish estate, as is evident from the reason of it; whereas Ruth was a sincere proselyte and convert to the God and faith of Israel. He went in unto her, i.e. had conjugal converse with her. See Genesis 6:4. Conception, i.e. strength to conceive and retain seed. read more
Without a kinsman; which is understood, either, first, Of the son new born. Or rather, secondly, Of Boaz; for the name of goel, which is translated kinsman or redeemer, is never, that I know of, given to the child born, but always to the person begetting him of his brother’s or near kinsman’s wife. And whereas it is objected, that there was no cause for this congratulation at this time in reference to Boaz, because that was done divers months before this time; it may be replied, that the memory... read more
A restorer of thy life, i.e. of the comfort of thy life, which was in a great measure dead and gone. Hath born him, to wit, a son; the pronoun for the noun understood, which is frequent in the Hebrew tongue. Or, hath born to him, i.e. to thy kinsman, to wit, a son, which is easily understood; and so the pronoun affix is put for the separate; of which there are instances; as Joshua 15:19; 1 Kings 19:21; Job 31:37; Ezekiel 29:3. read more
Gave it a name, i.e. they gave her advice about the name; for otherwise they had no power or right to do so. Obed; a servant, to wit, to thee, to nourish, and comfort, and assist thee; which duty children owe to their progenitors. read more
How can this be a true genealogy, seeing by this means four persons take up three hundred and eighty years, which were between Salmon and David, and consequently every one of them must beget a son when he was very old? Answ. 1. It is not certain that each of these was the immediate parent of him whom he is said to beget; for sometimes grandfathers are said in Scripture to beget their grandchildren, to wit, by the intervention of their immediate sons; whereof instances have been given. And... read more
CHAPTER 4THE GOEL AT THE GATECONTENTS.—Boaz in the presence of the elders of Bethlehlem obtains the right of redeeming the inheritance of the dead Elimelech. Amid the acclamations and congratulations of the people at the gate, he publicly takes Ruth to be his wife. Obed is born, and the generations of Pharez are traced as far downward as David. read more
CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES.—Ruth 4:1. Then went Boaz up. Bethlehem situated on a hill, while the cornfields and threshing floor would be in the valley below [cf. on Ruth 2:4, p. 101, also p. 6.] The gate. The place of resort where business was transacted. I have seen in certain places, Joppa for example, the Kady and his Court sitting at the entrance of the gate hearing and adjudicating all sorts of causes in the audience of all that went in and out thereat (Thomson). And sat. Stone seats... read more
CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES.—Ruth 4:11. We are witnesses. The business settled without lawyers or legal casuistry (A. Clarke). The Lord make. The birth of children looked upon as a direct interference of Providence—a contribution to the fulfilment of the great promise whereon their hearts were set (E. Price). Like Rachel and like Leah. The two ancestresses of all true Israelites. Like Ruth they had left home for their husbands. The younger probably mentioned first not only as the favourite... read more
Ruth 1-4 The Book of Ruth is a love-story told in four chapters. It gives us a glimpse of everyday life in Bethlehem; in home and in harvest-field, in its general gossip and its law-suits, more than three thousand years ago. I. Glancing back over the lines of this sweet and pure pastoral idyll, we feel that rarely did human story more impressively demonstrate the unspeakable worth of lowly folk, the fine and favourable issues of seemingly suppressed lives, the hidden wealth of true and... read more
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Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible - Ruth 4:12
Like the house of Pharez; as honourable and numerous as his family was; whom, though he also was born of a stranger, God so far blessed, that his family was one of the five families to which all the tribe of Judah belonged, and the progenitor of the inhabitants of this city. read more