Internet Verse Search Commentaries Word Analysis ITL - draft

Ruth 2:20

NETBible	Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be rewarded by the Lord because he¹ has shown loyalty to the living on behalf of the dead!”² Then Naomi said to her, “This man is a close relative of ours; he is our guardian.”³
NIV © biblegateway Rut 2:20	"The LORD bless him!" Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. "He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead." She added, "That man is our close relative; he is one of our kinsman-redeemers."
NASB © biblegateway Rut 2:20	Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "May he be blessed of the LORD who has not withdrawn his kindness to the living and to the dead." Again Naomi said to her, "The man is our relative, he is one of our closest relatives."
NLT © biblegateway Rut 2:20	"May the LORD bless him!" Naomi told her daughter–in–law. "He is showing his kindness to us as well as to your dead husband. That man is one of our closest relatives, one of our family redeemers."
MSG © biblegateway Rut 2:20	Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "Why, GOD bless that man! GOD hasn't quite walked out on us after all! He still loves us, in bad times as well as good!" Naomi went on, "That man, Ruth, is one of our circle of covenant redeemers, a close relative of ours!"
BBE © SABDAweb Rut 2:20	And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, May the blessing of the Lord, who has at all times been kind to the living and to the dead, be on him. And Naomi said to her, The man is of our family, one of our near relations.
NRSV © bibleoremus Rut 2:20	Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "Blessed be he by the LORD, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!" Naomi also said to her, "The man is a relative of ours, one of our nearest kin."
NKJV © biblegateway Rut 2:20	Then Naomi said to her daughter–in–law, "Blessed be he of the LORD, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!" And Naomi said to her, "This man is a relation of ours, one of our close relatives."
[+] More English


KJV	And Naomi <05281> said <0559> (8799) unto her daughter in law <03618>_, Blessed <01288> (8803) [be] he of the LORD <03068>_, who hath not left off <05800> (8804) his kindness <02617> to the living <02416> and to the dead <04191> (8801)_. And Naomi <05281> said <0559> (8799) unto her, The man <0376> [is] near of kin <07138> unto us, one of our next kinsmen <01350> (8802)_. {one of...: or, one that hath right to redeem}
NASB © biblegateway Rut 2:20	Naomi <05281> said <0559> to her daughter-in-law <03618> , "May he be blessed <01288> of the LORD <03068> who <0834> has not withdrawn <05800> his kindness <02617> to the living <02416> and to the dead <04191> ." Again Naomi <05281> said <0559> to her, "The man <0376> is our relative <07138> , he is one of our closest <01350> relatives <01350> ."
LXXM	kai <2532> CONJ eipen {V-AAI-3S} nwemin {N-PRI} th <3588> T-DSF numfh <3565> N-DSF authv <846> D-GSF euloghtov <2128> A-NSM estin <1510> V-PAI-3S tw <3588> T-DSM kuriw <2962> N-DSM oti <3754> CONJ ouk <3364> ADV egkatelipen <1459> V-AAI-3S to <3588> T-ASN eleov <1656> N-ASN autou <846> D-GSM meta <3326> PREP twn <3588> T-GPM zwntwn <2198> V-PAPGP kai <2532> CONJ meta <3326> PREP twn <3588> T-GPM teynhkotwn <2348> V-RAPGP kai <2532> CONJ eipen {V-AAI-3S} auth <846> D-DSF nwemin {N-PRI} eggizei <1448> V-PAI-3S hmin <1473> P-DP o <3588> T-NSM anhr <435> N-NSM ek <1537> PREP twn <3588> T-GPM agcisteuontwn {V-PAPGP} hmav <1473> P-APF estin <1510> V-PAI-3S
NET [draft] ITL	Naomi <05281> said <0559> to her daughter-in-law <03618> , “May he <01931> be rewarded <01288> by the Lord <03068> because <0834> he has shown <05800> loyalty <02617> to <0854> the living <02416> on behalf of <0854> the dead <04191> !” Then Naomi <05281> said <0559> to her, “This man <0376> is a close <07138> relative of ours; he <01931> is our guardian <01350> .”
HEBREW	awh <01931> wnlagm <01350> syah <0376> wnl <0> bwrq <07138> ymen <05281> hl <0> rmatw <0559> Mytmh <04191> taw <0854> Myyxh <02416> ta <0854> wdox <02617> bze <05800> al <03808> rsa <0834> hwhyl <03068> awh <01931> Kwrb <01288> htlkl <03618> ymen <05281> rmatw (2:20) <0559>

NETBible

Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be rewarded by the Lord because he¹ has shown loyalty to the living on behalf of the dead!”² Then Naomi said to her, “This man is a close relative of ours; he is our guardian.”³

NET Notes

¹tn Many English versions translate this statement, “May he [Boaz] be blessed by the Lord, who has not abandoned his loyalty to the living and dead.” In this case the antecedent of אֲשֶׁר (’asher, “who”) would be the immediately preceding “the Lord.” However, this understanding of the construction is not accurate. The antecedent of אֲשֶׁר is Boaz, not the Lord. Elsewhere when אֲשֶׁר follows the blessing formula בָּרוּךְ (barukh, Qal passive participle) + proper name/pronoun, it always introduces the reason the recipient of the blessing deserves a reward. (For this reason one could analyze אֲשֶׁר as a causal conjunction in this construction.) If אֲשֶׁר refers to the Lord here, then this verse, unlike others using the construction, gives no such reason for the recipient being blessed. 2 Sam 2:5, which provides the closest structural parallel to Ruth 2:20, supports this interpretation: בְּרֻכִים אַתֶּם לַיהוָה אֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם הַחֶסֶד הַזֶּה עִם־אֲדֹנֵיכֶם עִם־שָׁאוּל, “May you [plural] be blessed by the Lord, you who [plural]/because you [plural] have extended such kindness to your master Saul.” Here אֲשֶׁר refers back to the second plural pronoun אַתֶּם (’atem, “you”) in the formula, as the second plural verb עֲשִׂיתֶם(’asitem) after אֲשֶׁר indicates. Though יְהוָה (yÿhvah) is in closer proximity to אֲשֶׁר, it is not the antecedent. The evidence suggests that Ruth 2:20 should be translated and interpreted as follows: “May he [Boaz] be blessed by the Lord, he who [i.e., Boaz]/because he [i.e., Boaz] has not abandoned his loyalty to the living and dead.” Cf. NIV, NCV, CEV, NLT. See B. A. Rebera, “Yahweh or Boaz? Ruth 2.20 Reconsidered,” BT 36 (1985): 317-27, and F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 134-36. By caring for the impoverished widows’ physical needs, Boaz had demonstrated loyalty to both the living (the impoverished widows) and the dead (their late husbands). See R. B. Chisholm, From Exegesis to Exposition, 72.

²tn Heb “to the living and the dead” (so KJV, NASB).

³tn 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.