Ruth 2:2
Context2:2 One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go 1 to the fields so I can gather 2 grain behind whoever permits me to do so.” 3 Naomi 4 replied, “You may go, my daughter.”
Ruth 2:19-20
Context2:19 Her mother-in-law asked her, 5 “Where did you gather grain today? Where did you work? May the one who took notice of you be rewarded!” 6 So Ruth 7 told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked. She said, “The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz.” 2:20 Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be rewarded by the Lord because he 8 has shown loyalty to the living on behalf of the dead!” 9 Then Naomi said to her, “This man is a close relative of ours; he is our guardian.” 10


[2:2] 1 tn The cohortative here (“Let me go”) expresses Ruth’s request. Note Naomi’s response, in which she gives Ruth permission to go to the field.
[2:2] 2 tn Following the preceding cohortative, the cohortative with vav conjunctive indicates purpose/result.
[2:2] 3 tn Heb “anyone in whose eyes I may find favor” (ASV, NIV similar). The expression אֶמְצָא־חֵן בְּעֵינָיו (’emtsa’-khen bÿ’enayv, “to find favor in the eyes of [someone]”) appears in Ruth 2:2, 10, 13. It is most often used when a subordinate or servant requests permission for something from a superior (BDB 336 s.v. חֵן). Ruth will play the role of the subordinate servant, seeking permission from a landowner, who then could show benevolence by granting her request to glean in his field behind the harvest workers.
[2:2] 4 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Naomi) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[2:19] 5 tn Heb “said to her.” Since what follows is a question, the translation uses “asked her” here.
[2:19] 6 tn Or “blessed” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV). The same expression occurs in the following verse.
[2:19] 7 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[2:20] 9 tn Many English versions translate this statement, “May he [Boaz] be blessed by the
[2:20] 10 tn Heb “to the living and the dead” (so KJV, NASB).
[2:20] 11 tn The Hebrew term גָּאַל (ga’al) is sometimes translated “redeemer” here (NIV “one of our kinsman-redeemers”; NLT “one of our family redeemers”). In this context Boaz, as a “redeemer,” functions as a guardian of the family interests who has responsibility for caring for the widows of his deceased kinsmen.