Ruth 2:1

RUTH'S SUCCESS AS A GLEANER

GLEANING IN THE FIELD OF BOAZ (RUTH 2:1-7)

"And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his names was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter. And she went, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on the portion of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, Jehovah be with you. And they answered him, Jehovah bless thee. Then said Boaz unto his servant who was over the reapers, Whose damsel is this? And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab: and she said, Let me glean, I pray you, and gather after the reapers among the sheaves. So she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, save that she tarried a little in the house."

"A mighty man of wealth ... Boaz" (Ruth 2:1). "The Hebrew words from which this is translated are rendered a `mighty man of valour' Judges 11:1"[1] and may be considered as true both ways. The meaning assigned to the name Boaz is, `in him is strength,'[2] or `strength or fleetness.'[3] His name was assigned to the left pillar in the Temple of Solomon (1 Kings 7:21). The old tradition that he is the same character as Ibzan the Judge is not considered trustworthy, but it may very well have been true. Certainly, he was a man of strong and noble character, the many virtues of whom are exhibited in this chapter.

"Of the family of Elimelech" (Ruth 2:1). Keil tells us that Jewish tradition gave Boaz' relation to Elimelech as that of a nephew.[4]

"Let me go ... and glean" (Ruth 2:2). As the younger and stronger of the two women, Ruth decided to take advantage of the harvest season in order to glean some ears of barley to supply food for her and Naomi. The Law of Moses had laid down strict rules protecting the right of the poor to glean following the reapers. These are spelled out in Leviticus 19:9; 23:22; and in Deuteronomy 24:19). Landowners were forbidden to reap their fields out to the very borders, nor could they send the reapers a second time into the same field. If they overlooked a bundle of grain, they were forbidden to go back and get it. Similar rules also applied to the harvest of vineyards and orchards. The purpose of this was to allow the poor an opportunity to provide for themselves. This was the legal background of Ruth's gleaning.

"Let me go ..." (Ruth 2:2). Ruth not only requested permission of her mother-in-law, but also asked and received permission from the overseer of the harvest workers. She was keenly aware of her status as a foreigner, and, as such, she could have been forbidden to glean in Israel. However, her reputation was such that she was welcomed among the gleaners.

"Her hap was to light on the portion of the field belonging unto Boaz." (Ruth 2:3). "As far as Ruth was concerned, this was by chance, but God overruled it, a fact not stated but everywhere implied."[5] This points to the fact that the hand of God continually moves in human history. It was the fact of Ruth's coming to that particular place to glean that led to her meeting Boaz, an event that led to many marvelous consequences of the utmost importance to the nation of Israel, to the birth of Messiah, and the salvation of all mankind. "Thus what appeared to be an accident is seen in the light of the whole story to have been the providence of God."[6]

"Behold, Boaz came" (Ruth 2:4). The picture that emerges here is that of a very wealthy and powerful citizen, for whom many of the inhabitants of Bethlehem are working in the barley harvest, and his appearance here is that of the owner appearing to appraise the progress of the harvest. Of course, he notices a strange person among the workers, and he promptly asked his overseer, not, `Who is this'? but `Whose is she'?

"Jehovah be with thee ... Jehovah bless thee" (Ruth 2:4). It seems that these were customary salutations, acknowledging the blessing of the Lord in the abundance of the harvest.

"Whose damsel is this?" (Ruth 2:5). The overseer was able to answer this question, and the answer that he gave indicated that Ruth had indeed made a very good impression on the overseer.

"It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi" (Ruth 2:6). Note the frequency of this designation `Moabitess' or its equivalent in this narrative. It occurs no less than five times in these four chapters. The inherent hostility of Israel to all people of other races is indicated by this. It was indeed a miracle of God that happened to this particular `Moabitish' woman.

"She said, Let me glean, I pray you." (Ruth 2:7). The overseer was careful to point out that Ruth had received his permission, and his mention of her diligence in working all day surely indicated that he was pleased.