Ruth 4:6-13

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ruth 4:1-8

Here, 1. Boaz calls a court immediately. It is probable he was himself one of the elders (or aldermen) of the city; for he was a mighty man of wealth. Perhaps he was father of the city, and sat chief; for he seems here to have gone up to the gate as one having authority, and not as a common person; like Job, Job 29:7-25 We cannot suppose him less than a magistrate in his city who was grandson to Nahshon, prince of Judah; and his lying at the end of a heap of corn in the threshing-floor the... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ruth 4:9-12

Boaz now sees his way clear, and therefore delays not to perform his promise made to Ruth that he would do the kinsman's part, but in the gate of the city, before the elders and all the people, publishes a marriage-contract between himself and Ruth the Moabitess, and therewith the purchase of all the estate that belonged to the family of Elimelech. If he had not been (Ruth 2:1) a mighty man of wealth, he could not have compassed this redemption, nor done this service to his kinsman's family.... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ruth 4:13-22

Here is, I. Ruth a wife. Boaz took her, with the usual solemnities, to his house, and she became his wife (Ruth 4:13), all the city, no doubt, congratulating the preferment of a virtuous woman, purely for her virtues. We have reason to think that Orpah, who returned from Naomi to her people and her gods, was never half so well preferred as Ruth was. He that forsakes all for Christ shall find more than all with him; it shall be recompensed a hundred-fold in this present time. Now Orpah wished... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ruth 4:6

And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself ,.... On such a condition, because he had a wife, as the Targum suggests; and to take another would, as that intimates, tend to introduce contention into his family, and make him uncomfortable; so Josephus says F8 Antiqu. l. 5. c. 9. sect. 4. , he had a wife and children, for that reason it was not convenient for him to take the purchase on such a condition: lest I mar my own inheritance ; he considered, that as he had a wife and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ruth 4:7

Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming ,.... It is a custom, and not a law, that seems here referred to, when an estate was bought and sold; not the law in Leviticus 25:25 , though that respects the redemption of an estate by a near kinsman, yet no such manner was enjoined as here practised afterwards, made mention of; nor the law in Deuteronomy 25:5 which does not concern the redemption of estates, nor a kinsman's marrying the widow of a deceased kinsman,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ruth 4:8

And therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, buy it for me ,.... Which is repeated to show he gave his full consent to it, that he should make the purchase of it if he pleased, and which he confirmed by the following rite: so he drew off his shoe ; thereby signifying that he relinquished his right to the purchase of the estate, and ceded it to him; the Targum has it,"and Boaz drew off the glove off his right hand, and bought it of him;'and so Aben Ezra,"and Boaz drew off his shoe, and gave... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ruth 4:9

And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people ,.... Who were present at the gate of the city, or in court: ye are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech's ; all the land which belonged to him, who was the husband of Naomi, and the father of Ruth's husband, whose estate Boaz now bought, paying the value for it to Naomi: and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's ; the two sons of Elimelech, who, had they been living, would have enjoyed their father's... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ruth 4:10

Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife ,.... Which was the condition on which the purchase of the land was, that whoever bought that should take her for his wife; nor did Boaz do evil in marrying her, though a Moabitess. Moab was not one of the nations with whom marriage was forbidden; and though it was a Heathenish and idolatrous nation, and so on that account it was not fit and proper to marry with such, yet Ruth was become a proselytess; nor was... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ruth 4:11

And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, we are witnesses ,.... Both of the purchase of the estate by Boaz being legally made, and of the marriage of Ruth to him, the condition of the bargain: the Lord make the woman that is come into thine house ; not into his house, strictly and literally taken, the place of his habitation; for both he and she were now at the gate of the city, and as yet she was not introduced into his house; but by his marriage of her she was... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ruth 4:12

And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah ,.... Of whose tribe the Bethlehemites were, and were also of the house or family of Pharez, as appears from 4:18 , &c.; who was born to Judah of Tamar, one of another nation, as Ruth was, and from whom sprung a very numerous family, one of the five families of Judah; and they wish that the family of Boaz, by Ruth, might be as numerous; and if Boaz was the same with Ibzan, as the Jews say, though that wants... read more

Group of Brands