A Study Of Ruth 3:6-13

“So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded 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. Then she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down. At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet! He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.” And he said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.”

Ruth 3:6–13 ESV

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

Ruth went down to the threshing floor, just as Naomi had told her to. Also, in accordance with what Naomi had said, she waited until Boaz finished eating and drinking and laid down to sleep. Then she uncovered his feet and laid down. At midnight Boaz woke up startled because there was someone laying at his feet, and he discovered it was Ruth. As Ruth identified herself she also referred to herself as Boaz’s servant and asked him to spread his “wings” over her because he was a redeemer. Boaz responded by pronouncing a prayerful blessing over Ruth in the name of Yahweh because of her great kindness in seeking out Boaz, an older man of honorable character, instead of a younger man. Then Boaz told her not to worry because he would do as she asked, and also affirmed that he was indeed a redeemer, and that all the people of Bethlehem knew Ruth to be a worthy woman of good character. But Boaz also told her there was one man ahead of him who could serve as a redeemer, so he would go to the man the next day to see if this man wanted, or was able to fulfill the role of redeemer for Ruth ahead of him. In saying this though, Boaz also made it clear he would redeem Ruth if the other man would or could not by promising to do so in the name of Yahweh, the one true God.

Implication (what does this mean to us):

In the first 5 verses of this chapter, Naomi expressed her desire to help Ruth find a husband so that she could be provided and cared for, and she sent Ruth to meet Boaz at the threshing floor to accomplish this very thing. Ruth was an industrious, hard working woman, but a woman without a husband in this time and place was much more vulnerable to poverty and harm. At this time in Israel there was a compassionate law, instituted by the command of Yahweh, that obligated the closest male relative of a man who had died to marry the deceased man’s widow. This law provided a way for widows to be cared for, and for the family name of the deceased man to be carried on by a child conceived through the new marriage.

The name used for the one who was to fulfill this familial obligation was “goel,” which is translated as “kinsman redeemer.” So, because Naomi identified Boaz as a close relative of her deceased husband Elimelech, in addition to proving himself to be an honorable man through his compassion and kindness to Ruth and Naomi throughout the harvest season, Boaz was also eligible to marry Ruth and provide for her and Naomi as a kinsman redeemer.

In verses 6-7 we read that Ruth went and did what Naomi had told her to do. This means Ruth went to the threshing floor that evening, but she did not make her presence known to Boaz. She waited until Boaz laid down to sleep after eating and drinking, and then she quietly uncovered his feet and laid down at his feet. Additionally, the reason Boaz and the others slept at the threshing floor is because the threshing floor was a broad flat place outside of town where they used the wind to separate the grain from the chaff (inedible stalks). For this reason, they needed to stay overnight to guard the grain from bandits and wild animals.

The text also says she waited until Boaz’s “heart was merry.” This was the time of the harvest; a time of plenty. The harvest time has historically been a time of feasting and celebration throughout different cultures, and Israel was no different. As Boaz and his people threshed the grain they had harvested, they also sat down and enjoyed a nice meal together at the end of the day’s work. Also, this phrase, “his heart was merry” does not communicate drunkenness in this context. There were very likely alcoholic beverages enjoyed at this meal, but when the same Hebrew phrase for “his heart was merry” is used to indicate drunkenness in the OT, the fact is made much more obvious (1 Sam 25:36; 2 Sam 13:28). What seems to be going on here is that Boaz enjoyed a hearty meal with all of his workers and companions at the end of a hard day’s work, and he went to sleep tired, happy and satisfied.

In verse 8 we find out Ruth successfully laid down at Boaz’s feet without him or anyone else noticing because he woke up at midnight startled to see a woman laying at his feet. Because Boaz was sleeping near the grain to protect it from thieves, it is reasonable to assume he felt some measure of tension as he woke up, but his tense alertness soon eased into curiosity as he realized the person at his feet was not an enemy; it was Ruth.

In verse 9 Boaz found out who had laid at his feet when Ruth identified herself, by saying, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.” By identifying herself as Boaz’s “servant” Ruth again showed admirable and submissive humility. She did not come to Boaz making demands, just like she had not come to Boaz’s fields demanding to be allowed to glean months earlier (Ruth 2:7,13).

Ruth also asked Boaz to take her under his “wings.” This Hebrew phrase can also be translated as “spread your garment over.” To spread one’s “wing” or “garment” over someone was a phrase used, often in the context of marriage, to communicate protection and care for someone else. For this reason Ruth used this turn of phrase as a request for Boaz to marry her and redeem her and Naomi. Earlier, in Ruth 2:12, Boaz used this same phrase when he proclaimed a prayerful blessing by praising Ruth for her loyalty to Naomi and for coming to believing faith in Yahweh when he said, “Yahweh repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by Yahweh, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!”.” Now, Boaz is being given the opportunity to be Yahweh’s means of fulfilling his prayer for Ruth.

This is a beautiful example of the fact that Yahweh, the one true God, often uses us as a means of loving and caring for others. And besides that, this phrase is also used by Yahweh in passages such as Ezekiel 16:8 to express His desire to care for us, as well as His grief when we reject Him. Consider the words of Jesus (Yahweh incarnate) from Matthew 23:37, when He grieved over the people of Jerusalem’s rejection of Him and His freely offered gift of salvation saying, “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!”. We have been created by a God who knows us fully and loves us fully. It is us who choose to reject Him, not the other way around. But He is also exceedingly gracious and kind; and He wants us to come back to Him so He can wrap us in a loving embrace for eternity.

Moving on though, Ruth identified Boaz as a “redeemer” as well. This shows us Ruth made a bold advance here, but not an inappropriate one. As a close relative of Naomi’s deceased husband, Boaz was a “goel,” or a “kinsman redeemer” for Ruth and Naomi. Under the law given to Israel by Yahweh, Naomi’s dead husband had a right for his name to be carried on by a close relative. As a close relative, Boaz had the legal responsibility, so long as he was able, to marry Ruth and produce a male child to carry on Elimelech’s family name (it seems Naomi was likely too old at this point). So, here we see Ruth, under the direction of Naomi, humbly and boldly requesting what is her’s by right under the law of Israel.

In verse 10 Boaz responded by praying Ruth would be blessed by Yahweh because she had “made this last kindness greater than the first in that [she had] not gone after young men, whether poor or rich.” Evidently Boaz was older than Ruth to a point where he had not considered himself an eligible or attractive husband for her; but Ruth disagreed. In Boaz she saw an honorable man of admirable character who had shown great kindness to her and Naomi. In this we see the humility and integrity of Boaz. He had every right as a “goel” to force himself on the younger Ruth in marriage, but he had not chosen to do so. For this reason Ruth needed to first approach him. This also tells us Ruth considered finding a man of good character, who she respected, to be the priority in looking for a husband. Appearance and looks fade, but the beautiful character of a faithful follower of Yahweh will grow and blossom onwards into eternity.

Continuing on, in verse 11, Boaz also told Ruth, “…do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman.” This gives us further evidence that Ruth did not do anything inappropriate or immoral, and all the people of Bethlehem knew her to be a woman of good, godly character. This also shows Naomi’s advice to Ruth worked out brilliantly. Boaz graciously, and perhaps a bit excitedly, received Ruth’s request, but he also told her one potential obstacle to their being married remained. In verse 12 we find out that while Boaz was a kinsman redeemer to Ruth, there was one man ahead of him in line. This means there was one man who was more closely related to Elimelech than Boaz.

So, as it was still midnight, Boaz told Ruth to lay down until the morning, and if the other man wanted and was able to fulfill the role of redeemer, good; but if the man was not willing or able to fulfill the role of redeemer, then “as Yahweh lives,” he would redeem her. It is clear from Boaz’s response that he wanted to marry Ruth and was delighted she wanted to marry him, but as an honorable man he would not cut corners or circumvent the law to do so. He promised Ruth he would see to the matter as soon as possible and to conduct things in the honorable and legal way. 

In Boaz and Ruth we see a picture of us and our God. In this story Boaz has the means to care for Ruth, the desire to care for Ruth, and the honorable character to be trusted by Ruth. But he does not force his loving care upon her. Ruth came to him in humble admission of her helplessness and great need, and Boaz graciously received her. Now, of course it is not a perfect picture. After all, Yahweh has come to us in the person of Jesus in a way that Boaz did not go to Ruth, but the fact remains we can see many small pictures in this story that reflect our relationship with our Creator and Redeemer, and that reflect His beautiful, honorable character.

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

We all need to follow Ruth’s example and respond to our Redeemer, who desires to take us under his wings, with humility and trust. Jesus is our Redeemer who has paid our debt and redeemed us from slavery to sin and death. He desires to love and protect us, and to enjoy an intimate, personal relationship with us for eternity. Like Boaz, Jesus does not force His protection and salvation on us, but unlike Boaz, He has come to us to extend this offer. Jesus is the God and Redeemer who is worthy of our trust, love and adoration. He is loving, strong, just and gentle. He meets us where we are, and spreads His wings over us. In fact He is eager to do so, and to see this we need look no further than the cross where He spread His arms out wide to be nailed to the beam. He died for our sin, He rose again on the third day, and He ascended back to heaven where He is seated at the right hand of God the Father forever in glory.

We must come to Jesus. We must come to the foot of the cross, lay prostrate in worship at the uncovered, bloody feet of Jesus, confess our sin and believe in Him as Lord and Savior, and take refuge under His wings; under His arms.

“because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

Romans 10:9-10 ESV

Self Reflection:

1. What do I see in Ruth’s approach to Boaz that I should emulate in my relationship with Jesus?

2. What reflections of Jesus’ character do I see in Boaz, the kinsman redeemer in this story?

3. How can I better reflect the character of Yahweh (Jesus is Yahweh) seen in the examples of Boaz and Ruth?

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

-Boaz: “בֹּ֤עַז”, “bōʹ·ʿǎz”; noun, proper, masculine, singular, absolute – Boaz = “fleetness”; ancestor of David, kinsman-redeemer to Ruth, daughter-in-law of Naomi.

-Was Merry: “יִּיטַ֣ב”, “yî·ṭǎḇʹ”; verb, Qal, wayyiqtōl (waw-consecutive + imperfect), third person, masculine, singular – be glad, joyful.

-Uncovered: “תְּגַ֥ל”, “teḡǎlʹ”; verb, Piʿʿēl, wayyiqtōl (waw-consecutive + imperfect), third person, feminine, singular – to uncover, expose or reveal.

-Feet: “מַרְגְּלֹתָ֖י”, “mǎr·gelō·ṯāyʹ”; noun, common, feminine, plural, construct – place of the feet; feet.

-Was Startled: “יֶּחֱרַ֥ד”, “yě·ḥěrǎḏʹ”; verb, Qal, wayyiqtōl (waw-consecutive + imperfect), third person, masculine, singular – to tremble, quake, move about, be startled.

-Ruth: “ר֣וּת”, “rûṯʹ”; noun, proper, feminine, singular, absolute – Ruth = “friendship”; daughter-in-law of Naomi, wife of Boaz, and great-grandmother of David.

-Servant: “אֲמָתʾ”, “ǎmāṯ”; noun, common, feminine, singular, construct – maid, servant; also used figuratively to express humility.

-Spread: “פָרַשְׂתָּ֤”, “p̄ā·rǎś·tāʹ”; verb, Qal, wᵊqātal (waw + perfect), second person, masculine, singular – spread out, stretch out, spread over.

-[Your] Wings: “כְנָפֶ֙”, “ḵenā·p̄ěʹ”; noun, common, singular, construct – wing, extremity, skirt, garment, covering.

-A Redeemer: “גֹאֵ֖ל”, “ḡō·ʾēlʹ”; verb, Qal, participle, masculine, singular, absolute – to act as kinsman, do the part of next of kin, act as kinsman-redeemer by marrying brother’s widow to beget a child for him, to redeem from slavery, to redeem land, to exact vengeance.

-The LORD (vs. 10): “יהוָה֙”, “Yahweh”; noun, proper, masculine, singular, absolute – Yahweh  “the existing one”; the proper name of the one true God.
-Worthy: “חַ֖יִל”, “ḥǎʹ·yil”; noun, common, singular, absolute – ability, efficiency, often involving moral worth or character.