Ruth 3:14

RUTH REPORTS HER SUCCESS TO NAOMI (Ruth 3:14-18)

"And she lay at his feet until the morning; and she rose up before one could discern another. For he said, Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing-floor. And he said, Bring the mantle that is upon thee, and hold it; and she held it; and he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and he went into the city. And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, Who art thou my daughter? and she told her all that the man had done to her. And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said, Go not empty unto thy mother-in-law. Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall; for the man will not rest, until he have finished the thing this day."

"And he said, Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing-floor." (Ruth 3:14). This sounds like a command given by Boaz to someone, but that is not the case. "`And he said' in this passage has the meaning of, `he thought,'"[14] or "he said to himself." The reason for this caution is clear enough. "Nothing sinful had been done, but Boaz was concerned that the presence of a woman on the threshing-floor might have been misunderstood.

"He measured six measures of barley" (Ruth 3:15). "This may have been sent to Naomi in recognition of her responsibility for Ruth's actions."[15]

"Six measures" (Ruth 3:15). Barnes believed the particular measure here was the seah, said to be about one-third of an ephah.[16] If that is correct, it would mean that Ruth carried two ephahs of barley to Naomi. A bushel of barley weighs 50 pounds; and one and one half bushels (the six seahs) would have weighed about 75 pounds, quite a heavy load. The statement that Boaz "laid it on her" probably means that he placed it on top of her head. "It is well known that women can carry great weights when properly balanced upon the head."[17]

"And he went into the city" (Ruth 3:15). It is clear enough from the context that RUTH is the one who went into the city; and, therefore, it appears likely that Morris is correct in his opinion that, "This must be an early scribal error."[18]

"Who art thou, my daughter?" (Ruth 3:16). This might mean that Naomi did not recognize Ruth because of the darkness, but the words, `my daughter' hardly fit that meaning. The reading in the Cross-Reference Bible has: "My daughter, how hast thou wrought"? Moffatt and RSV render it: "How have you fared, my daughter"?

The wisdom of Naomi appears in the last two verses of this chapter in which she advised Ruth to "Sit still" until the matter was resolved. Naomi well KNEW that Boaz would not rest until the matter was settled. It must have been a very happy day for both Naomi and Ruth.