Ruth 2:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reapers, "Whose young woman is this?"

NIV: Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, "Who does that young woman belong to?"

NASB: Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, 'Whose young woman is this?'

CSB: Boaz asked his servant who was in charge of the harvesters, "Whose young woman is this?"

NLT: Then Boaz asked his foreman, 'Who is that young woman over there? Who does she belong to?'

KJV: Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?

NKJV: Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?”

Boaz has come out of Bethlehem to check on the harvest of his barley fields. He has hired young men to cut the stalks and lay them in piles, and young women to gather the stalks and tie them into bundles. As he approaches his supervisor, he notices a young woman nearby whom he does not know.

In this extremely patriarchal country, a woman's identity is based on her father, husband, or son. The Proverbs 31 woman who can buy and tend her own land is rare. When Boaz asks, "Whose young woman is this?" he means who is her father or husband. The answer will place her on the appropriate rung of the social ladder.

As a landed and "worthy man" (Ruth 2:1) in a small town, it's likely that Boaz knows all the local families and their daughters. He may have even hired the female bundlers himself. He has heard of the young Moabite woman who accompanied Naomi into town, forsaking her family, culture, religion—everything familiar to her (Ruth 1:19). But he has apparently never seen Ruth. All he knows is that a young woman is waiting to the side next to his harvest supervisor.

The supervisor explains. She is the Moabite woman who came back with Naomi. It is uncertain whether it would have technically been required to permit Ruth to glean as she may not have fit the requirements of a "sojourner" (Leviticus 23:22; Deuteronomy 23:3–6), but she was certainly poor and Boaz understands the spirit of the law. Ruth's reputation has preceded her, and Boaz honors her sacrifice by making extraordinary concessions (Ruth 2:6–16).

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.