A Study of Ruth 2:8–13

And Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen carefully, my daughter, go no longer to glean in another field. Moreover, do not leave from this one, but stay close with my young women. Keep your eyes on the field that they reap and go after them. Have I not ordered the servants not to bother you? And if you get thirsty, you shall go to the containers and drink from where the servants have drawn.” And she fell on her face and bowed down to the ground and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes by recognizing me — for I am a foreigner?” And Boaz answered and said to her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband was fully told to me. How you left your father and mother and the land of your birth, and you went to a people that you did not know before. May Yahweh reward your work and may a full reward be given to you from Yahweh, the God of Israel, under whose wings you came to take refuge.” And she said, “May I find favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and have spoken kindly to your servant, and I am not one of your servants.”

Ruth 2:8–13 (LEB)

Definitions of the original language in the context of this passage:

-Daughter: “בִּתִּ֗י”, “bit·tîʹ”; noun, common, feminine, singular, construct — daughter, female; used as a polite address to a young woman.

-Stay Close: “תִדְבָּקִ֖ין”, “ṯiḏ·bā·qînʹ”; verb, Qal, yiqtōl (imperfect), second person, feminine, singular, paragogic nûn — to stay with, cling, keep close.

-Young Women: “נַעֲרֹת”, “nǎ·ʿǎrōṯ”; noun, common, feminine, plural, construct — girl, damsel, maid, young woman.

-Servants: “נְּעָרִ֖ים”, “neʿā·rîmʹ”; noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — young man, servant.

-To Bother: “נָגְעֵ֑ךְ”, “nǒḡ·ʿēḵʹ”; verb, Qal, infinitive, construct — touch, touch violently, strike.

-Have Drawn: “יִשְׁאֲב֖וּן”, “yiš·ʾǎḇûnʹ”; verb, Qal, yiqtōl (imperfect), third person, masculine, plural, paragogic nûn — to draw water.

-She Fell: “תִּפֹּל֙”, “tip·pōlʹ”; verb, Qal, wayyiqtōl (waw-consecutive + imperfect), third person, feminine, singular — fall, collapse, fall prostrate before one.

-Bowed Down: “תִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ”, “tiš·tǎʹ·ḥû”; verb, Eštafʿēl, wayyiqtōl (waw-consecutive + imperfect), third person, feminine, singular — bow down, prostrate oneself before a monarch or a superior, in homage, etc.

-Favor: “חֵ֖ן”, “ḥēnʹ”; noun, common, singular, absolute — favor, grace, charm, acceptance, find favor in the eyes of one.

-Recognizing: “הַכִּירֵ֔”, “hǎk·kî·rē”; verb, Hifʿîl, infinitive, construct — know, acknowledge, observe, especially with a view to recognition.

-A Foreigner: “נָכְרִיָּֽה”, “nǒḵ·riy·yā(h)ʹ”; adjective, feminine, singular, absolute — foreign, foreigner, alien; In Ruth 2:10: a non-Israelite.

-Yahweh: “יְהוָ֣ה”, “yhwh”; noun, proper, masculine, singular, absolute — the proper name of the one true God.

-May [Yahweh] Reward: “יְשַׁלֵּ֥ם”, “yešǎl·lēmʹ”; verb, Piʿʿēl, yiqtōl (imperfect), third person, masculine, singular, jussive — to make good or whole, to make safe, to restore, to reward.

-Work: “פָּעֳלֵ֑”, “pǒ·ʿǒlēʹ”; noun, common, singular, construct — action, deed, accomplishment, labor, daily toil.

-Under Whose Wings: “תַּֽחַת־כְּנָפָֽיו “,“tǎ·ḥǎṯ-·kenā·p̄āywʹ”:

-Under: “תַּֽחַת”, “tǎʹ·ḥǎṯ”; noun, common, singular, construct — underneath, below, in place of, instead of.

-Wings: “כְּנָפָֽי”, “kenā·p̄āyʹ”; noun, common, dual, construct — wing; figurative of Yahweh as a protector of his people.

-Whose: “ו”, “w”; pronoun, suffixed, third person, masculine, singular — whose, he, who.

-Take Refuge: “חֲס֥וֹת”, “ḥǎsôṯʹ”; verb, Qal, infinitive, construct — to seek refuge, flee for protection, to put trust in (God), confide or hope in (God.)

-You Have Comforted Me: “נִֽחַמְתָּ֔נִי”, “ni·ḥǎm·tāʹ·nî”;

-You Have Comforted: “נִֽחַמְתּ”, “ni·ḥǎmt”; verb, Piʿʿēl, qātal (perfect), second person, masculine, singular — to comfort, console.

-Me: “ ָ֔נִי”, “āʹ·nî”; pronoun, suffixed, first person, singular — me, mine, myself.

Observation/Summary (short explanation of what the passage says in your own words):

Boaz speaks to Ruth and tells her not to go to other fields to glean, but instead to remain in his fields, with his young female servants where she would be safe. He tells her to stay and work with them and also assures her that he has ordered his young male servants not to touch or harm her in any way. He even tells Ruth to drink from the water jars his servants fill whenever she is thirsty. In response to his kindness, Ruth bows down gratefully but also asks Boaz why he is showing such kindness to a foreigner. Boaz tells Ruth it is because he has heard about how she left her family and homeland behind to come with her mother in law, Naomi, to a land and people she did not know, in order to care for her. Next, Boaz prays that Yahweh would bless Ruth for her strength of character, compassion for Naomi, and her trust in Yahweh. And in response Ruth again expresses her gratitude for Boaz’s kindness and compassion for her, even though she was a stranger to him.

Implication (what does this mean to us):

In the previous verses, Ruth set out to glean, in other words, to gather the scraps of produce left behind by the harvesters in Israel for the poor. This was hard, but honest work. In His law, Yahweh commanded the land owners in Israel to leave gleanings behind for people like Ruth to have a way to provide for themselves. This was a sort of social assistance program, but it also required people to work for their bread. In this case, Ruth set out to work hard to provide food for herself and her mother in law Naomi. By the unseen, guiding hand of Yahweh, Ruth ended up gleaning in Boaz’s field, and as Boaz came to his field for the day, his servant told him Ruth was the Moabitess who had forsaken her homeland and family to remain with Naomi and care for her. Boaz’s servant also told him how she respectfully asked permission to glean, even though it was her right by law, and also how she worked hard all day long. Boaz’s introduction to Ruth could hardly have been more glowing.

Having heard so much about her honorable character, loyalty to Naomi, and work ethic, Boaz went and spoke to Ruth in verses 8–9 where he tells her not to glean in someone else’s field, but instead to remain alongside his young female servants in his field where she would be safe. He also assured her that he commanded his young male servants specifically not to harm her in any way, and invited her to quench her thirst from the water jars his own servants filled for the day. The language Boaz uses gives us some more clues about him as well. He addresses Ruth as “daughter.” This could be an indication that Boaz was a bit older than Ruth. But at the very least, it was used as an affectionate and polite address for a young adult woman, and the fact that Boaz uses it with a foreigner communicates to us that he did not begrudge Ruth her Moabite roots. He judged her on the content of her character, not her race. Boaz also said he commanded his young male servants not to bother her. The Hebrew word used for “bother” can mean touch or touch violently (Genesis 26:11). And it is also used as a sexual euphemism in verses such as Genesis 20:6 and Proverbs 6:29. The main thing we see from Boaz’s use of this word, is that he is offering Ruth protection from bodily harm.

Boaz invited Ruth to stay and glean in his fields so that he could show her kindness by offering her a safe place to earn a living, protection from violent men, water to quench her thirst, and a community of other young women to fellowship with. The kindness Boaz showed to Ruth, a foreigner, was remarkable. We are not given any signs of romantic attraction or intention from Boaz at this point either. So we have no reason to think Boaz was doing this to angle for a marriage in the future. This doesn’t mean he was blind. He may very well have noticed Ruth as a woman, but as far as we can tell, by and large Boaz simply noticed a hard working young woman who showed exemplary character under difficult circumstances, and he used his wealth and influence to help her. And he helped Ruth when there did not appear to be anything she could give him in return. This is a small picture of how Yahweh helps us. We can’t give Him anything in return that He has not already given to us. But Yahweh, the Lord Jesus Christ, gives to us knowing we can’t return the favor. We should endeavor to follow Boaz’s, and ultimately Jesus’ example of selfless generosity; giving to others in need with no expectation of getting something in return (Jesus is Yahweh). Loving kindness should be motivation enough, because it was the loving kindness of Yahweh that motivated Him to lay down His life to save ours.

In verse 10 Ruth responds to Boaz’s kindness and generosity by falling on her face, bowing down to the ground, and asking, “Why have I found favor in your eyes by recognizing me — for I am a foreigner?”. Ruth’s bowing down before Boaz is a sincere expression of her gratitude and surprise at such generosity. In verse 2 of this chapter Ruth voiced her desire to find a field to glean in where she would find favor with the owner, meaning, she desired to find a field where the owner would allow her to glean peacefully. But the kindness from Boaz exceeded her expectations. He not only allowed her to glean, but he offered her so much more as we just read in verses 8–9. Ruth’s grateful response is a great example for us. After leaving everything behind in Moab to care for Naomi and enter into a covenantal relationship with Yahweh, the one true God, Ruth might have said something like, “Well it’s about time!”, in response to the kindness of Boaz. She might have spent her time wallowing in her difficulty asking why her life was so hard when she was trying to do the right thing. But instead Ruth exhibited a worldview we all need to adopt as well. Ruth was not surprised by the difficulties in her life; she was surprised by the good things and she was grateful for them. She had no sense of entitlement. Instead, she responded with genuine gratitude when good things came her way, and she persevered faithfully when bad things came her way. Her attitude and response to both trial and success is exemplary.

Next, Boaz answers Ruth’s question about why he was so kind to her, a foreigner, by telling her he heard all about how she selflessly left her family and homeland behind to stay with Naomi and care for her. There was a lot of historical tension between Moab and Israel as they were in conflict often through the centuries, but Boaz did not despise Ruth because of her race or sex. He saw an honorable, hard working person, and he used what Yahweh had given him to help. Bethlehem was not a large city, so everyone knew everybody’s business. It would not be unreasonable to assume that many of the people in Bethlehem took notice of Ruth and also observed her exemplary character. Boaz had been told about Ruth, and he was impressed. This is why he blesses her in verse 12 by saying, “May Yahweh reward your work and may a full reward be given to you from Yahweh, the God of Israel, under whose wings you came to take refuge.”

Interestingly, Boaz’s prayer for Yahweh to bless Ruth was currently being fulfilled through him, and will be fulfilled through him in an even greater way when he marries her and buys back Elimelech’s family land later in this story. As we pray for the Lord Jesus to bless others, we should also take stock of what He has already given us and prayerfully determine if we might perhaps be the means through which Yahweh will bless them. Prayer must always be primary in our efforts to show the love of Jesus to others, but as 1 John 3:18 (ESV) says, “Little children, let us not love in word or talk, but in deed and in truth.” True love takes action, and provides material help too, whenever possible.

And we should also notice that Boaz explicitly points out that in coming to Israel Ruth had come to “take refuge” under Yahweh’s “wings.” This is another verse that communicates to us that Ruth not only left her family and homeland behind; she left her old gods behind too. She made a decision to come to Israel and convert to the worship of Yaweh, the one true God. People at this time viewed land and territory as belonging to different deities. The Hebrew word that is translated as “gods” in English is “elohim”. Elohim means “spiritual being.” Yahweh created many spiritual beings or “elohim”, but only Yahweh is the almighty, eternally existent, all creating elohim. Just as Jesus is human (fully God and fully human) but not all humans are Jesus; Yahweh is elohim, but not all elohim are Yahweh. Other elohim, which we might call angels or demons, were created by Yahweh and they must not be worshiped. Only Yahweh, the Most High God (Elohim) is to be worshiped. But sadly, many have and continue to worship lesser, created and fallen elohim today, just as people have since the dawn of time. But Ruth made the difficult decision to leave her false gods behind, the lesser, created and fallen elohim, and convert to the worship of the one true God, Yahweh, and to enter into the community of His people. For this, Boaz commends and encourages her, just as an older Christian might encourage someone who is younger in their faith.

By entering into community with Yahweh’s people in Israel, and converting to the exclusive worship of Yahweh, Ruth had come to take refuge under His “wings.” Ruth stated this to be her intention in Ruth 1:16. And this “wings” language also provides a picture of a marriage covenant. In Ruth 3:9, when she essentially asks Boaz to be a kinsman redeemer to her and marry her, Ruth will ask Boaz to spread his “wings” over her (some translations say “garment” but the Hebrew word used is “wings). In this story Boaz serves as a ‘type’. This is a literary term and it means we see certain characteristics in him that make us think of Jesus. Boaz is not Jesus, but in his character we see things that should make us think of Jesus, and so Boaz is therefore a “type” of Christ in literary terms. And Yahweh is often described in this way in the Bible. One such verse among many (Psalms 17:8, 36:7, 57:1, 61:4, 63:7) is Psalm 91:4 (LEB) which says “With his feathers he will cover you, and under his wings you can take refuge. His faithfulness will be a shield and a buckler.”

And Jesus used this same language of Himself as he lamented the people of Israel’s unwillingness to receive Him as their long awaited Messiah in Matthew 26:37 (ESV) when He said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”. The desire of Jesus is to be like a protective mother bird for us. The “wings” analogy speaks of both His strong and sure protection of His brood, as well as His tender loving care and compassion for them. This is beautiful imagery to describe how Yahweh loves us and desires to protect and care for us. But He does not force us. We, like Ruth, must make the decision to accept His freely offered gift and choose to enter into a covenantal relationship with Him. Or in other words, we must choose to repent of our sin, confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and place our faith in Him and only Him (Romans 10:9–10). We, like Ruth, must willingly make the choice to take refuge under His wings.

Lastly for this passage, in verse 13 Ruth says to Boaz, “May I find favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and have spoken ⌊kindly to your servant⌋, and I am not one of your servants.”. This was Ruth’s way of saying thank you. But also, interestingly, the Hebrew phrase that is translated as “[spoken] kindly to your servant” is literally translated as “on the heart of your servant.” And it can describe either encouraging and comforting words or it can describe attraction between a man and woman. At this point in the story Ruth is using it to describe the encouragement of Boaz, but for the readers of this story, it is a literary device used to foreshadow the coming romantic relationship between Ruth and Boaz. This is just one small example among many of the literary genius of the people Yahweh used to write the Bible.

Response (How does this change how I think, act and pray?):

The kindness Boaz showed Ruth in the name of Yahweh should cause us to think of the loving kindness Jesus, Yahweh in the flesh, has shown us. It is the desire of Jesus that we, like Ruth, come to Him to take refuge under His wings. Just as Jesus spread His arms wide on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin, He spreads His wings over us to protect us and provide for us like a loving mother hen does for her chicks. Jesus is strong, almighty and able to protect and save us, and He is also compassionate and loving, and eager to care for us. He does not force us though. Love that is coerced is not love. Like Ruth, we must make the choice to accept His free gift of salvation, and His freely offered protection and eternal life. He may and does pursue us in love, but He will not force us to love Him in return.

Self Reflection:

1. What are some of the ways Jesus has provided for me both physically and spiritually? How and when can I make a regular practice of thanking Him for these things?
2. Having received such remarkable loving kindness from Jesus, who can I show this same kind of selfless, loving generosity?
3. Ruth left behind her family, homeland and gods to follow Yahweh. It would have been great if they could have joined her, but that wasn’t possible so she had to make a difficult choice. Is there anything standing between me and Jesus that I need to leave behind?