Ruth 3:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman.

NIV: And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character.

NASB: So now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you say, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence.

CSB: Now don't be afraid, my daughter. I will do for you whatever you say, since all the people in my town know that you are a woman of noble character.

NLT: Now don’t worry about a thing, my daughter. I will do what is necessary, for everyone in town knows you are a virtuous woman.

KJV: And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.

NKJV: And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman.

Ruth is a Moabitess, descended from a man born of incestuous rape (Genesis 19:30–38) and women who seduced Israelite men into adultery and idolatry (Numbers 25:1–9). She shares none of those characteristics. When her father-in-law and husband died and her mother-in-law decided to return from Moab to Bethlehem, she disavowed her gods, her people, and her land and forced Naomi to take her with (Ruth 1:15–18). That alone gave her a good reputation among the townspeople (Ruth 2:11–12). Then she spent two months gleaning barley and wheat, ignoring the young men in the fields and in town, focused on her work of providing for Naomi (Ruth 2:23).

Now, she has proposed marriage to a much older man who can give Naomi what she needs (Ruth 3:1–9). He can buy Naomi's husband's field, providing the older widow with much-needed money. And he can have a son with Ruth, providing an heir who can re-inherit that land in their late husbands' names.

Boaz was impressed before; now he's floored. That Ruth would place Naomi's needs above her own, legitimate, happiness convicts him to agree to her request. He doesn't even meet the legal requirements of a man required to go into a levirate marriage—he's not that closely related (Deuteronomy 25:5–6). He could arrange a good marriage for her to someone more suitable. But he must respond to her honor.

Boaz is first introduced as a "worthy man" (Ruth 2:1). The Hebrew term, gibbor hayil, can mean rich, powerful, strong, and virtuous. This is the time of the judges, so likely Boaz has been a military commander. Now, he calls Ruth his equal, a "worthy woman." Eseth hayil is the heading of the Proverbs 31 passage describing a noble woman. In the Hebrew liturgical canon, the book of Ruth directly follows Proverbs 31, presenting Ruth as an example. Ruth is loyal, diligent, hard-working, smart, and generous, just like the Proverbs 31 woman. It's obvious she will reflect well on whoever is fortunate enough to be her husband.

There's just one complication: Boaz is not Naomi's husband's nearest relative. There is another. Boaz is obliged to present Ruth's offer to him. Boaz is more than willing to marry Ruth and do whatever she asks, but he must first deal with his rival (Ruth 3:12).

The term "all that you ask" is not completely clear. It could refer to all Ruth had asked for in verse 9 or all she asked that wasn't recorded. It might mean that Boaz is inviting her to request more. Or it could be an expression like when rulers offered "even to half my kingdom" (Esther 5:3; Mark 6:23).

In Ruth 3, Naomi schemes to find Ruth a good husband, as was always her hope (Ruth 1:9). She tells Ruth how to propose to Boaz. When Boaz has fallen asleep after a long and joyful day of winnowing grain, Ruth is to gently awaken him and make her proposal. Ruth goes beyond Naomi's instruction, however. Boaz understands that Ruth expects him to buy Naomi's land and give her an heir to re-inherit it. He praises Ruth for her devotion to her mother-in-law, but there is another relative who is closer. In the next chapter, Boaz dispenses with his rival and marries Ruth.

Ruth 3 is the wind-up to the climax of the story. Ruth and Naomi returned to Bethlehem from Moab two months prior. Boaz, a relative of Naomi's late husband, has allowed Ruth to harvest enough grain to last the women a year (Ruth 1—2). Now that their physical needs are addressed, Naomi wants Ruth married to Boaz. Ruth wants Boaz to provide an heir for Naomi. Boaz is again impressed with Ruth's self-sacrifice and agrees (Ruth 3). After negotiating with a closer relative, Boaz marries Ruth and gives Naomi a son. That son becomes King David's grandfather (Ruth 4).

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.