Ruth 2:11

2:11 Boaz replied to her, ¹  “I have been given a full report of ²  all that you have done for your mother-in-law following the death of your husband – how you left ³  your father and your mother, as well as your homeland, and came to live among people you did not know previously. ⁴ 

Ruth 3:4

3:4 When he gets ready to go to sleep, ⁵  take careful notice of the place where he lies down. Then go, uncover his legs, ⁶  and lie down ⁷  beside him. ⁸  He will tell ⁹  you what you should do.”

Ruth 3:16

3:16 and she returned to her mother-in-law.

Ruth Returns to Naomi

When Ruth returned to her mother-in-law, Naomi ¹⁰  asked, ¹¹  “How did things turn out for you, ¹²  my daughter?” Ruth ¹³  told her about all the man had done for her. ¹⁴ 

Ruth 2:19

2:19 Her mother-in-law asked her, ¹⁵  “Where did you gather grain today? Where did you work? May the one who took notice of you be rewarded!” ¹⁶  So Ruth ¹⁷  told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked. She said, “The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz.”

Ruth 4:4

4:4 So I am legally informing you: ¹⁸  Acquire it before those sitting here and before the leaders of my people! ¹⁹  If you want to exercise your right to redeem it, then do so. ²⁰  But if not, then tell me ²¹  so I will know. ²²  For you possess the first option to redeem it; I am next in line after you.” ²³  He replied, “I will redeem it.”

¹ tn Heb “answered and said to her” (so NASB). For stylistic reasons this has been translated as “replied to her.”

² tn Heb “it has been fully reported to me.” The infinitive absolute here emphasizes the following finite verb from the same root. Here it emphasizes either the clarity of the report or its completeness. See R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 153, n. 6. Most English versions tend toward the nuance of completeness (e.g., KJV “fully been shewed”; NAB “a complete account”; NASB, NRSV “All that you have done”).

³ tn The vav (ו) consecutive construction here has a specifying function. This and the following clause elaborate on the preceding general statement and explain more specifically what she did for her mother-in-law.

⁴ tn Heb “yesterday and the third day.” This Hebrew idiom means “previously, in the past” (Exod 5:7,8,14; Exod 21:29,36; Deut 4:42; 19:4,6; Josh 3:4; 1 Sam 21:5; 2 Sam 3:17; 1 Chr 11:2).

⁵ tn Heb “and let it be when he lies down”; NAB “But when he lies down.”

⁶ tn Some define the noun מַרְגְּלוֹת (margÿlot) as “the place for the feet” (see HALOT 631 s.v.; cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT), but in Dan 10:6 the word refers to the legs, or “region of the legs.” For this reason “legs” or “lower body” is the preferred translation (see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 152). Because “foot” is sometimes used euphemistically for the genitals, some feel that Ruth uncovered Boaz’s genitals. For a critique of this view see Bush, 153. While Ruth and Boaz did not actually have a sexual encounter at the threshing floor, there is no doubt that Ruth’s actions are symbolic and constitute a marriage proposal.

⁷ tc The consonantal text (Kethib) has וְשָׁכָבְתִּי (vÿshakhavtiy, “then I will lie down”; Qal perfect 1st person common singular), while the marginal reading (Qere) is וְשָׁכָבְתְּ (vÿshakhavt, “then you lie down”; Qal perfect 2nd person feminine singular) which makes more sense. It is possible that the Kethib preserves an archaic spelling of the 2nd person feminine singular form (see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 144-45).

⁸ tn The words “beside him” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons; cf. NLT “lie down there.”

⁹ tn The disjunctive clause structure (vav [ו] + subject + verb) highlights this final word of instruction or signals the conclusion of the instructions.

⁹ tn Heb “she”; the referent (Naomi) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁰ tn Heb “said.” Since what follows is a question, the present translation uses “asked” here.

¹¹ tn Heb “Who are you?” In this context Naomi is clearly not asking for Ruth’s identity. Here the question has the semantic force “Are you his wife?” See R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 223-24, and F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 184-85.

¹² tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹³ sn All that the man had done. This would have included his promise to marry her and his gift of barley.

¹³ tn Heb “said to her.” Since what follows is a question, the translation uses “asked her” here.

¹⁴ tn Or “blessed” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV). The same expression occurs in the following verse.

¹⁵ tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁷ tn Heb “and I said [or perhaps, “thought to myself”], ‘I will [or “must”] uncover your ear, saying’”; NAB “So I thought I would inform you”; NIV “I thought I should bring the matter to your attention.”

¹⁸ tn The phrase “before those sitting here and before the leaders of my people” appears to refer to the leaders who were specially chosen as witnesses (v. 2) and the larger group of community leaders standing by. It is possible, however, that the phrases “before those sitting here” and “before the leaders of my people” are appositional and that both refer to the ten leaders mentioned in v. 2 (cf. NLT “in the presence of these witnesses”).

¹⁹ tn Heb “if you will redeem, redeem” (KJV, NASB, NRSV all similar); NCV “If you want to buy back the land, then buy it.”

²⁰ tn Heb “but if he will not redeem, tell me.” Most English versions emend the third person verb form (“he”) to the second person form because Boaz is addressing the closer relative. But it is possible that he briefly addresses the witnesses and refers to the closer relative in the third person. See J. M. Sasson, Ruth, 118.

²¹ tn Following the imperative, the prefixed verb form with vav indicates purpose or result.

²² tn Heb “for there is no one besides you to redeem, and I am after you” (NASB similar).