A Study of Ruth 3:14-18

“So she lay at his feet until the morning, but arose before one could recognize another. And he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” And he said, “Bring the garment you are wearing and hold it out.” So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley and put it on her. Then she went into the city. And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did you fare, my daughter?” Then she told her all that the man had done for her, saying, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said to me, ‘You must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’ ” She replied, “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today.””

Ruth 3:14-18 (ESV)

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

After Boaz assured her he would see to the matter of their marriage in the morning, Ruth laid down at Boaz’s feet and rested until the morning. Boaz also did not want it to be known yet that Ruth had come to the threshing floor that night. In the morning he told Ruth to bring her cloak to him, and then he measured out six portions of barley which she carried home to Naomi. As Ruth went back into the city, she came to Naomi and told all that Boaz had done, and all he said he would do. Ruth also made a point of saying Boaz gave her the barley so that she would not go back to Naomi empty-handed. After hearing this, Naomi told Ruth to wait and see how the matter would turn out, because Boaz would certainly see to it that very day.

Implication (what does this mean to us):

This passage is the conclusion of a bold, though also entirely appropriate, request from Ruth to Boaz to marry her and fulfill his role of Kinsman Redeemer, or “Goel” as it is called in Hebrew. Among other obligations, the  kinsman redeemer in ancient Israel was obligated to marry the childless widow of a deceased male family member, and also to buy back any family land that had been sold or given up because of debt. As the new husband of the widow, they would raise their own family, but would also produce a male heir to carry on the deceased man’s family name. Boaz was a close relative of Naomi’s deceased husband, Elimelech, and as such, he could marry either Naomi or Ruth to fulfill this role. However, it seems Naomi was too old to remarry and have children, but because Ruth was the younger widow of one of Naomi’s sons, she was eligible to remarry and have children.

In the previous verses, Ruth laid at Boaz’s feet and humbly made her request, and he all too gladly assured her he would do all he could to marry her, and redeem her and Naomi. The only potential obstacle was the fact that there was one man closer in relation to Elimelech, and therefore ahead of Boaz, in line to serve as goel. For this reason Boaz would need to first ask the man if he wanted to act as goel or not, before Boaz could marry Ruth. And with that, Boaz told Ruth to lay down and rest until morning, and also promised in the name of Yahweh, to see to the matter the next day.

In verse 14 we read that Ruth did indeed lay and rest at Boaz’s feet until the morning, but then they, and perhaps some of Boaz’s workers arose before it was light enough for people to recognize one another. We are not explicitly told some of Boaz’s workers were aware of Ruth’s presence, but Boaz’s statement “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” seems to indicate a command given to his workers who were there. From the broader context of this story, which I examined in the study of the preceding verses, Boaz was not trying to cover up something scandalous, but rather, wanted to both prevent untrue rumors about Ruth spending the night at the threshing floor, and to prevent the goel ahead of him in line from hearing about Ruth’s desire to be redeemed before Boaz could talk to the man himself.

Boaz wanted to marry Ruth, but had made it clear he would not circumvent the law. There was a man ahead of him in relation to Elimelech, and Boaz wanted to both protect Ruth’s reputation, and speak to the man first in order to explain the situation clearly, and to have the best chance of being the one to marry and redeem Ruth along with Naomi.

Throughout the short book of Ruth, we have already seen instances where Boaz generously ensured Ruth was provided with much grain for her labors. And in verse 15 he directly gives Ruth a gift of grain to take home with her by telling her to remove her cloak, and then filling it with six measures of grain. Ruth was most likely wearing two garments, so this would have been her outer cloak, which Naomi had told her to take with her in verse 3 of this chapter. At this point, it was still uncertain whether or not Boaz would be successful in convincing the other man to relinquish his right as goel for Ruth, but he still showed even more kindness and generosity to Ruth and Naomi.

In verses 16-17, as Ruth returned to her mother in law Naomi, Naomi asked her how it went. Ruth then told Naomi all that had happened and all that Boaz had said and done for her, including how he gave her and Naomi yet another generous gift of grain.

As Ruth went home that morning, she may have been very anxious to see how things would turn out. She had just boldly gone to Boaz to humbly request her right under the law, which was to be married to him, her kinsman redeemer. Boaz had said he would do this, and seemed to be very pleased to do so, but still, there was one man ahead of Boaz. So, Ruth likely felt a lot of tension and uncertainty, but all she could do was return home and wait to see how events would unfold. She had done what she could, and now the matter was out of her hands entirely.

In the final verse of this chapter Naomi tells Ruth to wait patiently and see how the matter would turn out. Naomi also assured her Boaz would not rest, but would certainly “settle the matter today.”

Waiting with uncertainty can be very difficult. In the previous section of verses, we read about how Ruth laid at Boaz’s feet, expressing humility, and also her great need. She was a poor, childless widow in a foreign land, and as such was on the lowest rung of the socio-economic ladder. Now, having had her request for marriage gladly accepted, all she could do was wait on her redeemer and see how things worked out.

In Ruth’s humble admission of her helplessness and great need, we can see a small picture of how we should approach the Redeemer of the entire human family, Jesus Christ. We are all born hopelessly enslaved to sin and death, and our only hope is for someone else to save us. We cannot save ourselves. We cannot pay the debt we owe an infinitely holy and righteous God for our sin. But we have a Redeemer. The same infinitely holy and righteous God who we have all sinned against is also our Redeemer. He came to earth as fully God and fully Human. His name is Jesus and he lived the perfect life we never could, and then paid the debt for our sin that we never could pay. And similar to how Boaz responded to Ruth, when we go to Jesus, confessing our sin, asking Him to save us, in total dependence on Him and Him only, He will gladly and lovingly welcome us.

While Ruth waited with some uncertainty and tension to see if Boaz would be successful in convincing the other man to relinquish his rights as kinsman redeemer, we do not have this kind of uncertainty. We can rest with total confidence that Christ our Redeemer has redeemed us the very moment we confess our sin, and believe in Him as our Lord and Savior who died for us and rose again. But still, as we live in this world we must also wait.

We must wait patiently for the day we are united with our Lord face to face either after we die or when He comes back. We must wait patiently through all kinds of difficulties and hardships that accompany life in a fallen world trapped under the curse of sin. While those who trust in Jesus immediately are resurrected in spirit, we still live in bodies under the curse of sin. We suffer and we see others suffer. We still battle against sinful desires that make war with our new redeemed nature in Christ. Peace on earth can be ever so elusive.

But as the apostle Paul said in Romans 8:16-18 (ESV), as we wait for the Lord our Redeemer we have hope knowing that:

“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

Ruth suffered a lot with Naomi. Their husbands had died. They had returned to Naomi’s hometown of Bethlehem to live a hard life as widows, scrounging for bits of grain in the field during the harvest. Now, they had received good news, but still, there was waiting to do, and uncertainty to deal with. We who follow Jesus have been set free, though still in this world we have trouble. We still face uncertainty and suffering, but we must cling to our Redeemer. He has promised to give us peace in this struggle, and to take us home one day. As believers in Jesus, we have been adopted as sons and daughters into the divine royal family of Yahweh, the one true God, the Most High and King of kings. We have been redeemed by a Goel infinitely more powerful, compassionate, loving and kind than Boaz. But still, for a little while on this earth, we must wait.

Wait upon the Lord. He will never leave us nor forsake us. He is preparing a place for us, and He will certainly accomplish every good promise He has made to us.

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

Romans 8:31-32 (ESV)

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

This passage should help us to think about the promises our Redeemer has made to us, and also to reflect on His character as we wait for Him. Upon believing in Jesus we are immediately delivered from slavery to sin and death, resurrected to life in Him, and made children and heirs of God. But still, we must live in this world where we face hardship and pain. But Christ our Redeemer is with us. He comforts us in our grief and pain, and He gives us peace in the middle of turmoil and uncertainty. He has also resurrected us to eternal life in Him, and we will live with Him in His kingdom forever where crying, suffering and death will be no more. We will only know overflowing joy and unending pleasure for evermore. Hold fast to Jesus Christ our Redeemer. The best is yet to come.

Self Reflection:

1. Have I come to Jesus, similar to the way Ruth went to Boaz, humbly admitting my inability to save myself? Have I confessed my sin and trusted in Jesus as my Lord and Redeemer? (Romans 10:9-10)

2. How am I doing with the “waiting”? What kind of difficulties am I facing now, and have I made a practice of bringing them before Jesus to ask for help and grace to endure?

3. As I wait patiently for the Lord, how can I show His love and grace to the people around me? I may be waiting, but that does not mean there is nothing to do. Who does Jesus want me to show His love to today?

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

-She Lay: “תִּשְׁכַּ֤ב”, “tiš·kǎḇʹ”; verb, Qal, wayyiqtōl (waw-consecutive + imperfect), third person, feminine, singular – lie down, lie asleep, to sleep.

-At His Feet: “מַרְגְּלֹתַו”, “mǎr·gelō·ṯǎw”; noun, common, feminine, plural, construct – place for the feet, feet.

-Arose: “תָּ֕קָם”, “tāʹ·qǒm”; verb, Qal, wayyiqtōl (waw-consecutive + imperfect), third person, feminine, singular – rise, get up, stand up, to arise after sleeping.

-Could Recognize: “יַכִּ֥יר”, “yǎk·kîrʹ”; verb, Hifʿîl, yiqtōl (imperfect), third person, masculine, singular – investigate, recognize, know, discern.

-Be Known: “יִוָּדַ֔ע”, “yiw·wā·ḏǎʿʹ”; verb, Nifʿal, yiqtōl (imperfect), third person, masculine, singular, jussive – know, notice, learn, hear of; to become known.

-To [The] Threshing Floor: “גֹּֽרֶן”, “gōʹ·rěn”; noun, common, singular, absolute – smooth even area.

-Garment: “מִּטְפַּ֧חַת”, “miṭ·pǎʹ·ḥǎṯ”; noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute – cloak, shawl.

-He Measured Out: “יָּ֤מָד”, “yāʹ·mǒḏ”; verb, Qal, wayyiqtōl (waw-consecutive + imperfect), third person, masculine, singular – to measure.

-Six Measures of Barley: “שֵׁשׁ־שְׂעֹרִים֙”, “šēš-·śeʿō·rîmʹ”;

– Six: “שֵׁשׁ”, “šēš”; numeral, cardinal, singular, construct – six, sixty.

– Measures of Barley: “שְׂעֹרִים֙”, “śeʿō·rîmʹ”; noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute – barley grain.

-Empty-Handed: “רֵיקָ֖ם”, “rê·qāmʹ”; adverb – with empty hands, without possessions, emptily.

-Wait: “שְׁבִ֣י”, “šeḇîʹ”; verb, Qal, imperative, second person, feminine, singular – wait, remain, sit down, abide.

-Will Rest: “יִשְׁקֹט֙”, “yiš·qōṭʹ”; verb, Qal, yiqtōl (imperfect), third person, masculine, singular – be at rest, be peaceful, quiet, inactive.
-Will Settle: “כִּלָּ֥ה”, “kil·lā(h)’”; verb, Piʿʿēl, qātal (perfect), third person, masculine, singular – stop, come to an end, be finished, completed.