Ruth 3:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: saying, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said to me, ‘You must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’”

NIV: and added, 'He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, 'Don't go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.''

NASB: She also said, 'These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’?'

CSB: She said, "He gave me these six measures of barley, because he said, 'Don't go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.' "

NLT: and she added, 'He gave me these six scoops of barley and said, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’'

KJV: And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law.

NKJV: And she said, “These six ephahs of barley he gave me; for he said to me, ‘Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’ ”

Naomi had left Bethlehem years before with her husband and two sons to escape a famine. Ten years later, the men were dead, leaving Naomi with two loving daughters-in-law (Ruth 1:1–5). When she found that the famine had been lifted, she decided to return to Bethlehem (Ruth 1:6). One of her daughters-in-law, Ruth, followed her (Ruth 1:15–18). Naomi arrived in her hometown to the delight of her old friends (Ruth 1:19). Her own heart, however, had turned bitter. "I went away full," she said, "and the LORD has brought me back empty" (Ruth 1:21).

Naomi's emptiness was profound: emptiness of family, food, and hope. Two months later, her late husband's kinsman Boaz has made sure she has the food she needs (Ruth 2). Soon, her daughter-in-law will be married. She doesn't know to whom, but she is once again filled with hope. She doesn't know that her family is about to be restored; before long, she will hold her grandson in her lap (Ruth 4:13–17).

This is the last time Ruth speaks in the book. In fact, although Ruth does much of the action in the story, she speaks little. Scholars interpret the book of Ruth as the story of Naomi: an Israelite widow shown lovingkindness and covenant loyalty by God and others.

In 3:16–18, Ruth returns to Naomi with a load of grain and an unsure future. Ruth has followed Naomi's instructions and proposed to Boaz. Ruth doesn't want a simple marriage; she wants Boaz to help her fulfill family obligations. Because there is a nearer relative who better fits Ruth's requirements, he can't say yes immediately; he must confer with the other man. As one more act of good faith, he has sent Ruth with even more grain for Naomi (Ruth 3:1–5). Now, the women wait.

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.