Ruth 4:9 - Printer Friendly

What does Ruth 4:9 mean?

ESV: Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon.

NIV: Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, 'Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon.

NASB: Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, 'You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon.

CSB: Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses today that I am buying from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech, Chilion, and Mahlon.

NLT: Then Boaz said to the elders and to the crowd standing around, 'You are witnesses that today I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech, Kilion, and Mahlon.

KJV: And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi.

NKJV: And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi.

Verse Commentary:

Two months prior, Naomi had casually mentioned that the man who owned the barley Ruth had gleaned was a "redeemer" (Ruth 2:20). One of the blessings God intended for the Israelites is that every family not from the tribe of Levi would own land. Because people are fallen, inevitably some people would fall into poverty. If someone had so much debt they had to sell their land, that was a violation of God's intent for the Israelites. It was especially so if the man sold the land to someone outside his clan and tribe.

To mitigate damage to the social order, a near relative was to purchase the land until either the original owner could earn the money to buy it back or until the year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:25–28, 47–49). Jubilee was an extra special Sabbath that occurred after every seven-sevens of years, or every fifty years. At that time, prisoners, captives, and slaves were to be released and all land was returned to the family of its original owner. The people and the land were to have a year of rest (Leviticus 25:8–34).

Naomi's husband, Elimelech, owned farmland but sold it when the family left for Moab. Now, Elimelech and his two sons are dead (Ruth 1:1–5). Naomi can't hold the land because she's a woman and not in Elimelech's birth family. Ruth can't hold it because she's a woman and a foreigner. Elimelech's next-of-kin has withdrawn his right to buy Elimelech's land from the previous buyer and keep it in the clan (Ruth 4:6). Boaz, Elimelech's second-closest male relative, legally takes possession. He will buy the land and all possessions Elimelech and his sons owned from Naomi. Inferred is that he will also take responsibility for Naomi's well-being.

At this time, some financial records were recorded on clay and sealed in pots. We have no idea how extensive the practice was or if Boaz included a written record. We do know that when the Israelites entered the Promised Land, they still owned the land Jacob had purchased over four hundred years prior (Joshua 24:32). Boaz's verbal pronouncement in front of ten city elders and a larger crowd of people is likely enough, especially since Naomi agrees to the transaction. The phrase "this day," hayyom in Hebrew, establishes that Boaz's action is finished and will continue. It also shows that Naomi was right when, early that morning, she had told Ruth, "Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today" (Ruth 3:18).

Fulfilling his role as the redeemer is Boaz's legal responsibility. He goes further, however. He also takes Ruth as his wife to provide Elimelech with a male heir who will re-inherit the land he has redeemed (Ruth 4:10). He has no legal responsibility to do this. But he is a "worthy man" (Ruth 2:1) who has profound respect for Ruth (Ruth 2:11–12).

Ruth 4:7–12 records Boaz's legal declaration. This follows parts of the law associated with Levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5–6). He will buy Elimelech's land from Naomi as well as everything that belonged to their sons. He will take Ruth to be his wife. With Ruth, he will do his part to give Elimelech an heir to re-inherit his land so the family will persist. In response, the elders and the people praise him and call blessings upon Ruth.

Chapter Summary:

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.

Chapter Context:

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.

Accessed 5/5/2024 4:13:49 PM