Ruth 2:14-23

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ruth 2:4-16

Now Boaz himself appears, and a great deal of decency there appears in his carriage both towards his own servants and towards this poor stranger. I. Towards his own servants, and those that were employed for him in reaping and gathering in his corn. Harvest-time is busy time, many hands must then be at work. Boaz that had much, being a mighty man of wealth, had much to do, and consequently many to work under him and to live upon him. As goods are increased those are increased that eat them,... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ruth 2:17-23

Here, I. Ruth finishes her day's work, Ruth 2:17. 1. She took care not to lose time, for she gleaned until evening. We must not be weary of well-doing, because in due season we shall reap. She did not make an excuse to sit still, or go home, till the evening. Let us work the works of him that sent us, while it is day. She scarcely used, much less did she abuse, the kindness of Boaz; for, though he ordered his servants to leave handfuls for her, she continued to glean the scattered ears. 2. She... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ruth 2:14

And Boaz said, at mealtime come thou hither ,.... This looks as if she was now in the booth, or house in the field, where the reapers used to retire to eat their food, or rest themselves, or take shelter from the heat of the sun. This meal was very likely dinner, the time of which was not yet come, but would soon, and to which Boaz invited Ruth: and eat of the bread ; his servants did, that is, partake of the provisions they should have; bread being put for all. So Homer F1 Iliad.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ruth 2:15

And when she was risen up to glean ,.... After she had ate sufficiently, and refreshed herself, she rose up from her seat to go into the field and glean again; which shows her industry: Boaz commanded his young men ; the reapers, or who gathered the handfuls, and bound them up in sheaves: saying, let her glean even among the sheaves ; this she had requested of the reapers when she first came into the field, and it was granted her, 2:7 but this, as it was granted by Boaz himself, so... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ruth 2:16

And let fall some of the handfuls on purpose for her ,.... That is, when they had reaped an handful, instead of laying it in its proper order, to be taken up by those that gathered after them, or by themselves, in order to be bound up in sheaves, scatter it about, or let it fall where they reaped it: and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not for taking them, as if she did a wrong thing. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ruth 2:17

So she gleaned in the field until even ,.... An instance of her great diligence and industry, attending to this mean employment constantly from morning tonight: and beat out that she had gleaned : she did not bind up her gleanings in a bundle, and carry it home on her head, as gleaners with us do, but she beat it out with a staff in the field, where she gleaned it, and winnowed it, very probably in the threshingfloor of Boaz; by which means what she had gleaned was brought into a lesser... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ruth 2:18

And she took it up ,.... The ephah of barley, into her arms, or on her shoulders: and went into the city ; the city of Bethlehem: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned : she set it down before her, and she looked at it with admiration, that she should glean so much in one day: and she brought forth ; not Naomi, as Josephus F11 Antiqu l. 5. c. 9. sect. 2. represents it, who understood it as if she brought forth some food her neighbours had brought her, part of which... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ruth 2:19

And her mother in law said unto her, where hast thou gleaned today ?.... In what part of the field of Bethlehem? or on whose land, that she had gleaned so much? not that she suspected that she had got it in an illicit manner, but supposed she had been directed by the providence of God to a spot of ground where there was good gleaning; of that she had met with some hand, that had dropped ears of corn plentifully in her favour: and where wroughtest thou ? which is the same question... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ruth 2:20

And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, blessed be he of the Lord ,.... Or the Lord bless him with all kind of blessings, temporal and spiritual; and as he has blessed him already, may he be blessed more and more: who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead ; he had been kind to Elimelech and to his sons, who were now dead, and he continued his kindness to the reliefs of them, Naomi and Ruth, who were living, and was kind to them for the sake of the dead; and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ruth 2:21

And Ruth the Moabitess said, he said unto me also ,.... Besides the favours he has shown me already, he has given me reason to expect more, for he has given me this strict order: thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest ; both barley harvest and wheat harvest; his will was, that she kept following them, and gleaned after them, as long as both harvests lasted. The Septuagint version is, "with my maidens", and which agrees with 2:8 , where the order of... read more

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