Ruth 2:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Ruth the Moabite said, “Besides, he said to me, ‘You shall keep close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’”

NIV: Then Ruth the Moabite said, 'He even said to me, 'Stay with my workers until they finish harvesting all my grain.''

NASB: Then Ruth the Moabitess said, 'Furthermore, he said to me, ‘You are to stay close to my servants until they have finished all my harvest.’?'

CSB: Ruth the Moabitess said, "He also told me, 'Stay with my young men until they have finished all of my harvest.' "

NLT: Then Ruth said, 'What’s more, Boaz even told me to come back and stay with his harvesters until the entire harvest is completed.'

KJV: And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.

NKJV: Ruth the Moabitess said, “He also said to me, ‘You shall stay close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’ ”

Ruth is explaining to Naomi what Boaz told her. She asked permission to glean from his fields, but he did much more (Ruth 2:4–16). This is private conversation with her mother-in-law, but the narrator reminds the audience of Ruth's status as a foreigner. Even though she is Naomi's daughter-in-law, and Naomi calls Boaz "our" redeemer (Ruth 2:20), Ruth is still a foreigner.

The inclusion of Ruth's nationality emphasizes Boaz's kindness toward her. That's magnified further because she was originally a native of Moab (Deuteronomy 23:3–6). Boaz had his harvesters pull stalks of barley out of their own bundles for Ruth to pick up, told her to drink the water his servants provided, and invited her to eat with him and his servants (Ruth 2:9, 14–16). Boaz has determined that God's curse on the Moabites obviously doesn't apply to such a loving, noble, self-sacrificial woman (Ruth 2:11–12).

To top it all off, this isn't just a one-day provision. Ruth will continue throughout the month-long barley harvest and the following month-long wheat harvest (Ruth 2:23). In less than one day, Ruth manages to bring back grain the equivalent of two weeks' worth of pay; at this rate, by the end of the wheat harvest, she and Naomi will have what they need for a year and a half.

Except for the duration of the legal proceedings in chapter 4, this is the last time Ruth is referred to as a Moabitess. She transitions to a Bethlehemite in the two months of the harvest.

The wording here is problematic. Boaz told Ruth to stay close to his "young women" (Ruth 2:8) and said he ordered his "young men" to leave her alone (Ruth 2:9). The ESV translates Ruth's quote of Boaz as "You shall keep close by my young men." The Hebrew, however, merely means "servants" and includes women, as the NASB says. Either way, Naomi quickly corrects Ruth; Ruth is to stay near the young women, not the men (Ruth 2:22).

Ruth 2:17–23 describes the end of Ruth's first day of gleaning the remainders of Boaz's harvesters. Thanks to her arduous work and Boaz's kindness, she returns to Naomi with the equivalent of half a month's wages. Even more than the food, Naomi is grateful that Ruth is free to work in safety. They continue in this way through the barley and wheat harvests. By the end, they both realize Boaz's kindness might possibly extend beyond providing food.

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.