Ruth 3:7

3:7 When Boaz had finished his meal and was feeling satisfied, he lay down to sleep at the far end of the grain heap. ¹  Then Ruth ²  crept up quietly, ³  uncovered his legs, ⁴  and lay down beside him. ⁵ 

Ruth 3:10

3:10 He said, “May you be rewarded ⁶  by the Lord, my dear! ⁷  This act of devotion ⁸  is greater than what you did before. ⁹  For you have not sought to marry ¹⁰  one of the young men, whether rich or poor. ¹¹ 

¹ tn Heb “and Boaz ate and drank and his heart was well and he went to lie down at the end of the heap”; NAB “at the edge of the sheaves.”

² tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³ sn Ruth must have waited until Boaz fell asleep, for he does not notice when she uncovers his legs and lies down beside him.

⁴ tn See the note on the word “legs” in v. 4.

⁵ tn The words “beside him” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. Cf. TEV “at his feet”; CEV “near his feet.”

⁶ tn Or “blessed” (so NASB, NRSV).

⁷ tn Heb “my daughter.” This form of address is a mild form of endearment, perhaps merely rhetorical. A few English versions omit it entirely (e.g., TEV, CEV). The same expression occurs in v. 11.

⁸ tn Heb “latter [act of] devotion”; NRSV “this last instance of your loyalty.”

⁹ tn Heb “you have made the latter act of devotion better than the former”; NIV “than that which you showed earlier.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “by not going after the young men” (NASB similar); TEV “You might have gone looking for a young man.”

¹¹ tn Heb “whether poor or rich” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); the more common English idiom reverses the order (“rich or poor”; cf. NIV, NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).