Ruth 2:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her.

NIV: As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men, 'Let her gather among the sheaves and don't reprimand her.

NASB: When she got up to glean, Boaz commanded his servants, saying, 'Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not insult her.

CSB: When she got up to gather grain, Boaz ordered his young men, "Let her even gather grain among the bundles, and don't humiliate her.

NLT: When Ruth went back to work again, Boaz ordered his young men, 'Let her gather grain right among the sheaves without stopping her.

KJV: And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:

NKJV: And when she rose up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her.

Boaz has been exceedingly kind to Ruth. He has told her she may glean from his field without fear of harassment and drink from the water provided by his servants, and he even fed her lunch (Ruth 2:8–14). Now that she has eaten, she wants to get to work.

Boaz holds back his male reapers from following her. Reaping is done in three stages. First a group of men walk through the field in rows, gathering stalks in their hands or the crooks of their elbows and cutting them free with a sickle in the opposite hand. Then women gather the bundles and tie them into sheaves. Later, workers will return and carry the bundles to the threshing floor.

After the women tie the bundles, gleaners are allowed to scour the field for stray stalks. God specifically ordered the Israelites that they were not to go over their fields a second time; the missed grain is reserved for the poor and the sojourners (Leviticus 23:22). Not much would be left, however. Scholars like Robert L. Hubbard compare this to collecting aluminum cans and living off the scrap return.

"Reproach" can have several different meanings. The parallel usage is when David points out to Nabal that his men guarded Nabal's shepherds and did not harm them (1 Samuel 25:7). Scholars interpret the word to mean shame, injure, or rob. Considering the protection God gives engaged women in Deuteronomy 22:25, the meaning is much more serious. As an unengaged foreign widow without a father, Ruth has almost no legal rights; one of the gleaners could rape her and then assume her as his wife or discard her in disgrace. With hired workers keeping track, she's under some level of protection. As with his gleaning accommodations, Boaz will follow the spirit of the law, not just the letter.

Ruth 2:14–16 continues to detail Boaz's excessively kind treatment of Ruth. He has already treated her like an employee by promising to keep her safe. Now, he invites her to lunch. Sharing a meal is a sign of comradeship; for an Israelite nobleman to invite a Moabite widow is extraordinary. After lunch, Boaz tells his workers to leave stalks of grain out so that Ruth can gather more. By the end of the day, she will take home more than Boaz's hired workers. Naomi is shocked, but Boaz's favor continues throughout the barley and wheat harvests.

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.