Ruth 4:13-17

A Grandson is Born to Naomi

4:13 So Boaz married Ruth and had sexual relations with her. ¹  The Lord enabled her to conceive ²  and she gave birth to a son. 4:14 The village women said to Naomi, “May the Lord be praised because he has not left you without a guardian ³  today! May he ⁴  become famous in Israel! ⁵  4:15 He will encourage you and provide for you when you are old, ⁶  for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, has given him birth. She ⁷  is better to you than seven sons!” 4:16 Naomi took the child and placed him on her lap; ⁸  she became his caregiver. ⁹  4:17 The neighbor women named him, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. ¹⁰  Now he became the father of Jesse – David’s father!

[4:13]  ¹ tn Heb “and Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife and he went in to her.” Here the phrase “went in to her” (so NASB) is a euphemism for having sexual relations (cf. NCV); NLT “When he slept with her.”

[4:13]  ² tn Heb “gave her conception” (so KJV); NRSV “made her conceive”; NLT “enabled her to become pregnant.”

[4:14]  ³ tn Or “redeemer.” See the note on the phrase “guardian of the family interests” in 3:9. As the following context indicates, the child is referred to here.

[4:14]  ⁴ tn The “guardian” is the subject of the verb, as the next verse makes clear.

[4:14]  ⁵ tn Heb “may his name be called [i.e., “perpetuated”; see Gen 48:16] in Israel.”

[4:15]  ⁶ tn Heb “and he will become for you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age” (NASB similar).

[4:15]  ⁷ tn Heb “who, she”; KJV “which is better to thee.”

[4:16]  ⁸ tn Or “breast”; KJV, NRSV “in her bosom.”

[4:16]  ⁹ tn Heb “his nurse,” but this refers to a dry nurse, not a medical attendant. Cf. NIV “and cared for him”; TEV “and took (+ good CEV) care of him.”

[4:17]  ¹⁰ tn The name “Obed” means “one who serves,” perhaps anticipating how he would help Naomi (see v. 15).