Ruth 3:6

RUTH'S OBEDIENCE AND BOAZ' FAVORABLE RESPONSE (Ruth 3:6-13)

"And she went down unto the threshing-floor, and did according to all her mother-in-law bade her. And when Boaz had eaten and drunk; and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain: and she came softly and uncovered his feet, and laid her down. And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself; and, behold, a woman lay at his feet. And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth, thy handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thy handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman. And he said, Blessed be thou of Jehovah, my daughter, thou hast showed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning; inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou sayest; for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a worthy woman. And now it is true that I am a near kinsman; howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I. Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning; that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman's part; but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as Jehovah liveth; lie down until the morning."

"She came softly" (Ruth 3:7). "The word rendered `softly' here does not mean `secretly,' but `quietly,' so as not to be heard. It is used of David when he cut the skirt from Saul's robe (1 Samuel 24:4)."[7]

"Spread therefore thy skirt over thy handmaiden" (Ruth 3:9). This was a proposal of marriage, as indicated in Ezekiel 16:8; and Morris tells us that such a method of proposing marriage, "still exists among some modern Arabs."[8]

"Skirt" (Ruth 3:9). "The same word in the plural is translated "wings" in Boaz' prayer (Ruth 2:12),"[9] where he speaks of "Jehovah, under whose wings thou (Ruth) art come to take refuge." The metaphor comes from the protection that a mother hen provides for her chickens. Perhaps the connection intended by this resemblance is that, Boaz' spreading his skirt over Ruth is the implementation of Boaz' own prayer that Jehovah would spread his protective wings over her.

"Blessed be thou of Jehovah ... thou hast showed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning" (Ruth 3:10). In this verse, Boaz suggested that other options were open to Ruth who might have chosen to marry for love (poor) or for money (rich), but instead, "She chose a marriage of benefit for her family."[10] This was the greater kindness to Naomi than the other wonderful things she had done for her mother-in-law.

"Inasmuch as thou followedst not young men whether rich or poor" (Ruth 3:10). By this statement Boaz recognized the attractiveness of Ruth and the possibility that she might have sought marriage among the personable young men of Bethlehem. However, Ruth had chosen to do the thing that would preserve the family into which she came when she married the son of Elimelech. The UNSELFISHNESS of that choice is emphasized by the fact that Boaz, at that time, might have been a very old man. As a matter of fact, "There is a tradition that he was eighty years old when he married Ruth."[11]

"I am a near kinsman" (Ruth 3:12). There are many things about this narrative that simply do not fit the Biblical teaching with regard to levirate marriages. Deuteronomy 25:5-10 says nothing about "a near kinsman," but emphasizes that it is the deceased husband's brother who is to marry the bereaved widow. "We have very little knowledge of the customs prevailing in Israel in antiquity,"[12] and many of the details connected with this marriage are mentioned nowhere else in the Bible. (See my introduction.)

The great point in this remarkable narrative is that Ruth acted UNSELFISHLY by placing the purpose of providing an heir to her husband Mahlon and her mother-in-law Naomi on the very highest level of priority. "She recognized her own happiness as secondary to that intention, and such a model of selfless concern for the needs of others"[13] reminds us of what Paul said of Jesus Christ himself (Philippians 2:1-11).

This paragraph reveals the absolute determination and promise of Boaz to accept Ruth's proposal of marriage, provided only that the nearer kinsman does not preempt the privilege.