Ruth 2:3

2:3 So Ruth ¹  went and gathered grain in the fields ²  behind the harvesters. Now she just happened to end up ³  in the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.

Ruth 2:1

Ruth Works in the Field of Boaz

2:1 Now Naomi ⁴  had a relative ⁵  on her husband’s side of the family named Boaz. He was a wealthy, prominent man from the clan of Elimelech. ⁶ 

Ruth 1:9

1:9 May the Lord enable each of you to find ⁷  security ⁸  in the home of a new husband!” ⁹  Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept loudly. ¹⁰ 

Luke 10:31

10:31 Now by chance ¹¹  a priest was going down that road, but ¹²  when he saw the injured man ¹³  he passed by ¹⁴  on the other side. ¹⁵ 

Luke 12:6-7

12:6 Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? ¹⁶  Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. 12:7 In fact, even the hairs on your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; ¹⁷  you are more valuable than many sparrows.

¹ tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² tn Heb “and she went and entered [a field] and gleaned in the field behind the harvesters.” Cf. KJV, NASB, NRSV “the reapers”; TEV “the workers.”

³ sn The text is written from Ruth’s limited perspective. As far as she was concerned, she randomly picked a spot in the field. But God was providentially at work and led her to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who, as a near relative of Elimelech, was a potential benefactor.

⁴ tn The disjunctive clause (note the vav [ו] + prepositional phrase structure) provides background information essential to the following narrative.

⁵ tc The marginal reading (Qere) is מוֹדַע (moda’, “relative”), while the consonantal text (Kethib) has מְיֻדָּע (miyudda’, “friend”). The textual variant was probably caused by orthographic confusion between consonantal מְיֻדָּע and מוֹדַע. Virtually all English versions follow the marginal reading (Qere), e.g., KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV “kinsman”; NIV, NCV, NLT “relative.”

⁶ tn Heb “and [there was] to Naomi a relative, to her husband, a man mighty in substance, from the clan of Elimelech, and his name [was] Boaz.”

⁷ tn Heb “may the Lord give to you, and find rest, each [in] the house of her husband.” The syntax is unusual, but following the jussive (“may he give”), the imperative with vav (ו) conjunctive (“and find”) probably indicates the purpose or consequence of the preceding action: “May he enable you to find rest.”

⁸ tn Heb “rest.” While the basic meaning of מְנוּחָה (mÿnukhah) is “rest,” it often refers to “security,” such as provided in marriage (BDB 629-30 s.v.; HALOT 600 s.v.). Thus English versions render it in three different but related ways: (1) the basic sense: “rest” (KJV, ASV, NASV, NIV); (2) the metonymical cause/effect sense: “security” (NRSV, NJPS, REB, NLT, GW); and (3) the referential sense: “home” (RSV, TEV, CEV, NCV).

⁹ tn Heb “in the house of her husband” (so KJV, NASB); NRSV “your husband.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “they lifted their voice[s] and wept” (KJV, ASV, NASB all similar). This refers to loud weeping characteristic of those mourning a tragedy (Judg 21:2; 2 Sam 13:36; Job 2:12).

¹¹ sn The phrase by chance adds an initial note of hope and fortune to the expectation in the story.

¹² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context between the priest’s expected action (helping the victim) and what he really did.

¹³ tn Grk “him”; the referent (the injured man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁴ sn It is not said why the priest passed by and refused to help. It is not relevant to the point of the parable that no help was given in the emergency situation.

¹⁵ sn The text suggests that the priest went out of his way (on the other side) not to get too close to the scene.

¹⁶ sn The pennies refer to the assarion, a small Roman copper coin. One of them was worth one sixteenth of a denarius or less than a half hour’s average wage. Sparrows were the cheapest thing sold in the market. God knows about even the most financially insignificant things; see Isa 49:15.

¹⁷ sn Do not be afraid. One should respect and show reverence to God (v. 5), but need not fear his tender care.