NETBible KJV GRK-HEB XRef Names Arts Hymns

  Discovery Box

Ruth 1:2

Context
1:2 (Now the man’s name was Elimelech, 1  his wife was Naomi, 2  and his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. 3  They were of the clan of Ephrath 4  from Bethlehem in Judah.) They entered the region of Moab and settled there. 5 

Ruth 2:19

Context
2:19 Her mother-in-law asked her, 6  “Where did you gather grain today? Where did you work? May the one who took notice of you be rewarded!” 7  So Ruth 8  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 4:1

Context
Boaz Settles the Matter

4:1 Now Boaz went up 9  to the village gate and sat there. Then along came the guardian 10  whom Boaz had mentioned to Ruth! 11  Boaz said, “Come 12  here and sit down, ‘John Doe’!” 13  So he came 14  and sat down.

Ruth 4:11

Context
4:11 All the people who were at the gate and the elders replied, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is entering your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built up the house of Israel! May 15  you prosper 16  in Ephrathah and become famous 17  in Bethlehem. 18 
Drag to resizeDrag to resize

[1:2]  1 sn The name “Elimelech” literally means “My God [is] king.” The narrator’s explicit identification of his name seems to cast him in a positive light.

[1:2]  2 tn Heb “and the name of his wife [was] Naomi.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[1:2]  3 tn Heb “and the name[s] of his two sons [were] Mahlon and Kilion.”

[1:2]  4 tn Heb “[They were] Ephrathites.” Ephrathah is a small village (Ps 132:6) in the vicinity of Bethlehem (Gen 35:16), so close in proximity that it is often identified with the larger town of Bethlehem (Gen 35:19; 48:7; Ruth 4:11; Mic 5:2 [MT 5:1]; HALOT 81 s.v. אֶפְרָתָה); see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 64. The designation “Ephrathites” might indicate that they were residents of Ephrathah. However, the adjectival form אֶפְרָתִים (ephratim, “Ephrathites”) used here elsewhere refers to someone from the clan of Ephrath (cf. 1 Chr 4:4) which lived in the region of Bethlehem: “Now David was the son of an Ephrathite from Bethlehem in Judah whose name was Jesse” (1 Sam 17:12; cf. Mic 5:2 [MT 5:1]). So it is more likely that the virtually identical expression here – “Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah” – refers to the clan of Ephrath in Bethlehem (see R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth [NICOT], 91).

[1:2]  5 tn Heb “and were there”; KJV “continued there”; NRSV “remained there”; TEV “were living there.”

[2:19]  6 tn Heb “said to her.” Since what follows is a question, the translation uses “asked her” here.

[2:19]  7 tn Or “blessed” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV). The same expression occurs in the following verse.

[2:19]  8 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:1]  11 tn The disjunctive clause structure (note the pattern vav [ו] + subject + verb) here signals the beginning of a new scene.

[4:1]  12 tn Sometimes translated “redeemer.” See the note on the phrase “guardian of the family interests” in 3:9.

[4:1]  13 tn Heb “look, the guardian was passing by of whom Boaz had spoken.”

[4:1]  14 tn Heb “turn aside” (so KJV, NASB); NIV, TEV, NLT “Come over here.”

[4:1]  15 tn Heb “a certain one”; KJV, ASV “such a one.” The expression פְלֹנִי אַלְמֹנִי (pÿlonialmoni) is not the name of the nearest relative, but an idiom which literally means “such and such” or “a certain one” (BDB 811-12 s.v. פְלֹנִי), which is used when one wishes to be ambiguous (1 Sam 21:3; 2 Kgs 6:8). Certainly Boaz would have known his relative’s name, especially in such a small village, and would have uttered his actual name. However the narrator refuses to record his name in a form of poetic justice because he refused to preserve Mahlon’s “name” (lineage) by marrying his widow (see 4:5, 9-10). This close relative, who is a literary foil for Boaz, refuses to fulfill the role of family guardian. Because he does nothing memorable, he remains anonymous in a chapter otherwise filled with names. His anonymity contrasts sharply with Boaz’s prominence in the story and the fame he attains through the child born to Ruth. Because the actual name of this relative is not recorded, the translation of this expression is difficult since contemporary English style expects either a name or title. This is usually supplied in modern translations: “friend” (NASB, NIV, RSV, NRSV, NLT), “so-and-so” (JPS, NJPS). Perhaps “Mr. So-And-So!” or “Mr. No-Name!” makes the point. For discussion see Adele Berlin, Poetics and Interpretation of Biblical Narrative, 99-101; R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 233-35; F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 196-97. In the present translation “John Doe” is used since it is a standard designation for someone who is a party to legal proceedings whose true name is unknown.

[4:1]  16 tn Heb “and he turned aside” (so KJV, NASB); NRSV “And he went over.”

[4:11]  16 tn Following the jussive, the imperative with prefixed vav indicates purpose or result.

[4:11]  17 tn The phrase וַעֲשֵׂה־חַיִל (vaaseh-khayil, literally, “do strength”) has been variously translated: (1) financial prosperity: “may you become rich” (TEV), “may you be a rich man” (CEV), “may you achieve wealth” (NASB), “may you prosper” (NKJV, NJPS); (2) social prominence: “may you become powerful” (NCV), “may you have standing” (NIV), “may you be great” (NLT), “may you do well” (NAB); (3) reproductive fertility: “may you produce children” (NRSV); and (4) social activity: “may you do a worthy deed” (REB).

[4:11]  18 tc Heb “and call a name.” This statement appears to be elliptical. Usually the person named and the name itself follow this expression. Perhaps וּקְרָא־שֵׁם (uqÿra-shem) should be emended to וְיִקָּרֵא־שֵׁם (vÿyiqqare-shem), “and your name will be called out,” that is, “perpetuated” (see Gen 48:16, cf. also Ruth 4:14b). The omission of the suffix with “name” could be explained as virtual haplography (note the letter bet [ב], which is similar to kaf [כ], at the beginning of the next word). The same explanation could account for the omission of the prefixed yod (י) on the verb “call” (yod [י] and vav [ו] are similar in appearance). Whether one reads the imperative (the form in the MT) or the jussive (the emended form), the construction indicates purpose or result following the earlier jussive “may he make.”

[4:11]  19 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.



TIP #21: 'To learn the History/Background of Bible books/chapters use the Discovery Box.' [ALL]
created in 0.03 seconds
powered by
bible.org - YLSA