Ruth 1:16

1:16 But Ruth replied,

“Stop urging me to abandon you! ¹ 

For wherever you go, I will go.

Wherever you live, I will live.

Your people will become my people,

and your God will become my God.

Ruth 2:21

2:21 Ruth the Moabite replied, “He even ²  told me, ‘You may go along beside my servants ³  until they have finished gathering all my harvest!’” ⁴ 

Ruth 4:4

4:4 So I am legally informing you: ⁵  Acquire it before those sitting here and before the leaders of my people! ⁶  If you want to exercise your right to redeem it, then do so. ⁷  But if not, then tell me ⁸  so I will know. ⁹  For you possess the first option to redeem it; I am next in line after you.” ¹⁰  He replied, “I will redeem it.”

Ruth 4:6

4:6 The guardian said, “Then I am unable to redeem it, for I would ruin my own inheritance ¹¹  in that case. You may exercise my redemption option, for I am unable to redeem it.” ¹² 

Ruth 4:9

4:9 Then Boaz said to the leaders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have acquired from Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech, Kilion, and Mahlon.

[1:16]  ¹ tn Heb “do not urge me to abandon you to turn back from after you.” Most English versions, following the lead of the KJV, use “leave” here. The use of עזב (“abandon”) reflects Ruth’s perspective. To return to Moab would be to abandon Naomi and to leave her even more vulnerable than she already is.

[2:21]  ² tn On the force of the phrase גָּם כִּי (gam ki) here, see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 138-39.

[2:21]  ³ tn Heb “with the servants who are mine you may stay close.” The imperfect has a permissive nuance here. The word “servants” is masculine plural.

[2:21]  ⁴ tn Heb “until they have finished all the harvest which is mine”; NIV “until they finish harvesting all my grain.”

[4:4]  ³ 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.”

[4:4]  ⁴ 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”).

[4:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “if you will redeem, redeem” (KJV, NASB, NRSV all similar); NCV “If you want to buy back the land, then buy it.”

[4:4]  ⁶ 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.

[4:4]  ⁷ tn Following the imperative, the prefixed verb form with vav indicates purpose or result.

[4:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “for there is no one besides you to redeem, and I am after you” (NASB similar).

[4:6]  ⁴ sn I would ruin my own inheritance. It is not entirely clear how acquiring Ruth and raising up an heir for the deceased Elimelech would ruin this individual’s inheritance. Perhaps this means that the inheritance of his other children would be diminished. See R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 245-46.

[4:6]  ⁵ tn Heb “redeem for yourself, you, my right of redemption for I am unable to redeem.”