Ruth 2:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, "The Lord be with you!" And they answered, "The Lord bless you."

NIV: Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, "The Lord be with you!" "The Lord bless you!" they answered.

NASB: Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, 'May the Lord be with you.' And they said to him, 'May the Lord bless you.'

CSB: Later, when Boaz arrived from Bethlehem, he said to the harvesters, "The Lord be with you." "The Lord bless you," they replied.

NLT: While she was there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. 'The Lord be with you!' he said. 'The Lord bless you!' the harvesters replied.

KJV: And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The Lord be with you. And they answered him, The Lord bless thee.

NKJV: Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!” And they answered him, “The Lord bless you!”

If this book were a scripted film or television show, this would be the dramatic moment in which the hero enters the scene. Boaz is a well-respected and powerful man in Bethlehem. It's likely that he is a hero of the wars between the Israelites and their enemies. He is descended from the chief of the tribe of Judah during the time of the exodus (Numbers 2:3; Ruth 4:20–21). He is at least middle-aged, if not older (Ruth 3:10), but his nickname means "lively."

The land around Bethlehem had been in famine for ten years, but now it is the barley harvest (Ruth 1:1, 4, 6, 22). It was this famine that led Boaz's kinsman Elimelech to take his wife and two sons into Moab to find food. Boaz has heard that Elimelech and his sons have died but his wife, Naomi, has returned. He's also heard that Naomi's Moabite daughter-in-law has come with her, abandoning her family, people, and gods to make sure Naomi is cared for (Ruth 2:11).

What Boaz doesn't know is that Ruth is gleaning in his field.

Before they entered the Promised Land, God told the Israelites that if they obeyed Him, He would bless their crops so much they would have to move the previous year's harvest to make room for the new (Leviticus 26:9–10). If they rebelled and worshiped foreign idols, He would harden the land and banish the rain, sending famine on the people (Leviticus 26:18–20). Apparently, after a time of rebellion, the people have repented and cried out for mercy. God has responded.

"The LORD be with you!" is a kind of prayer that God will fulfill His covenant promise of good harvest. In the book of Ruth, the narrator doesn't mention God much; God is recorded as acting directly only twice: when He brings Bethlehem food and Ruth a son (Ruth 1:6; 4:13). The characters, however, often ask God to bless each other (Ruth 1:8–9; 2:12, 19–20; 3:10).

Ruth 2:4–7 records Boaz's introduction to Ruth. The land has had a famine for about ten years (Ruth 1:1, 4), but God has again provided food (Ruth 1:6). It is the beginning of the barley harvest (Ruth 1:22) and Boaz comes to check on the reapers in his field. When he does, he notices a young woman and asks who she is. The manager says she is the Moabite who returned with Naomi. Boaz has apparently heard of her; he knows about Ruth's care for Naomi and that has already endeared her to him. Boaz makes sure Ruth can safely glean enough to provide for herself and her mother-in-law.

Ruth 2 kindles the hope that Naomi's life might not be over. Her husband and sons died in Moab. Now, Naomi has arrived back in Bethlehem with her foreign daughter-in-law, Ruth. Ruth sets out to provide for them by gleaning behind the harvesters. She happens upon Boaz, a relative of her father-in-law, who respects her love and sacrifice for Naomi and makes incredible concessions for her throughout the barley and wheat harvests. As the harvest progresses, Naomi realizes Boaz could marry Ruth.

In Ruth 2, Ruth settles into life in Israel. Naomi, an Israelite, has returned home to Bethlehem after losing her husband and sons in Moab. Her Moabitess daughter-in-law has accompanied her. Naomi has fallen into bitterness and despair, but Ruth is ready to work. While seeking a place to gather loose grain, she wins the attention and respect of Boaz, a man who can provide the two widows with more than barley. Ruth's sacrifice and lovingkindness toward Naomi lead Boaz to act on their behalf.

Though set in a time of violence and tragedy, the book of Ruth tells one of Scripture’s most uplifting stories. Naomi, an Israelite, leaves her home during a famine. While away, in Moab, her husband and sons die. Naomi convinces one of her Moabite daughters-in-law to leave her and seek a new life. The other, Ruth, refuses, declaring her love and loyalty to Naomi. When the pair return to Israel, they encounter Boaz. This man is both kind and moral; his treatment of Ruth secures Naomi’s future and becomes part of king David’s ancestry.