Ruth 4:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel!

NIV: The women said to Naomi: "Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel!

NASB: Then the women said to Naomi, 'Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel.

CSB: The women said to Naomi, "Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you without a family redeemer today. May his name become well known in Israel.

NLT: Then the women of the town said to Naomi, 'Praise the Lord, who has now provided a redeemer for your family! May this child be famous in Israel.

KJV: And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.

NKJV: Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel!

The women of Bethlehem rejoice that God has blessed Naomi. She now has a grandson who will be the heir of her husband, Elimelech. Their welcome to the baby completes the inclusio—a literary bracket which surrounds a particular storyline—which began with their warm welcome to Naomi in Ruth 1:19.

The use of the word "redeemer" is rich. L. L. Morris defines redemption as ""deliverance from some evil by payment of a price." Boaz redeemed Elimelech's land from Naomi so she didn't have to sell it outside the clan. Ruth redeemed Elimelech's line and Naomi's honor by providing an heir, Obed (Ruth 4:13, 17). Obed will redeem Naomi's future; should Boaz die before Naomi, Obed will care for her. Obed's grandson David (Ruth 4:22) will redeem the honor of Israel as its greatest king.

Generations later, David's descendent Jesus will redeem the world. As God and man, He will live a sinless life. He will agree to die on the cross to carry the world's sins. Those who choose to accept His offer of forgiveness will be saved—reconciled with God so they can live with Him in eternity.

The subject of "his name" is confusing. Is it talking about God, completing the phrase "Blessed is the LORD…"? Or does it refer to Obed, beginning, "May he also be to you one who restores life…" (Ruth 4:15)? Or is it referring to Boaz who was the more immediate redeemer? The ESV is inconclusive. The NASB and NIV say Obed. One version of the Septuagint translates it, "And may he call your name in Israel!" Since "Obed" means "servant" or "worshipper" that would make sense. The NET translation points out that the pronoun "he" of Ruth 4:15 refers to the "redeemer," so this pronoun should, as well. It is Obed who will remain famous in Israel. Obed isn't mentioned in Scripture again outside of genealogies, but the fact that we know his name means the blessing came true.

Ruth 4 provides one of the happiest endings of all the books of the Bible. It begins when Boaz holds a meeting with Naomi's next of kin. The unnamed man is willing to buy Naomi's land. Yet he doesn't want the risk of marrying a Moabite woman to give Naomi an heir. Boaz is actively seeking those obligations, so the townspeople praise him and Ruth. Before long, Ruth has a son and presents him to Naomi to continue the family of her late husband. The boy becomes the grandfather of Israel's greatest king, David, and the ancestor of the Messiah, Jesus.

Ruth 4 closes the story of how a Moabite woman came to be part of the genealogy of King David. Naomi, an Israelite from Bethlehem, fled a famine with her husband and two sons. The men died and Naomi returned to Israel with Ruth, her Moabite daughter-in-law. Ruth enlists the help of Boaz, an honored landowner, to buy Naomi's land and give her an heir. After Boaz negotiates with relatives, Ruth and Boaz marry. Naomi holds the boy born in the name of her husband's family. This child becomes the grandfather of David.

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.