by Jen | Aug 27, 2024 | 1-23, DISO studies, Ruth 2
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Welcome back to the last week of Ruth 2! Full disclosure: I had trouble focusing on the challenges this week. Our home sustained minor damage from strong storms coming through this area a few weeks ago, and furnishings remain scattered about as the last steps of restoration are scheduled for this week. It’s been hard to concentrate on God’s Word, but I definitely needed the solace of His presence.
Last Week’s Work
Through my study notes, the Spirit again impressed upon me the principle of humility. I mentioned this briefly when observing Ruth asked permission to glean in Boaz’s field (Ruth 2:7) even though Mosaic law entitled her to do so. I also saw this trait when she volunteered to provide for Naomi by gleaning in Bethlehem’s barley fields (2:2) soon after arriving there (1:22) and by sharing with Naomi the roasted grain left over from her meal (2:18).
Boaz clearly indicates her assistance to Naomi was a reason he was so kind to Ruth (2:11). Surely, with the whole town being stirred at their arrival (1:19), he knew Naomi had returned with a daughter-in-law after losing her husband and sons. When he found out the woman in his field who worked so hard was that daughter-in-law, it makes sense to me he would care about her.
CONVICTION
I am convicted by the way God blessed Ruth with Boaz’s favor. Pledging to stick with Naomi until she died (1:17) seems pretty risky: what if Bethlehem rejected this stray foreigner who’d followed Naomi home? It’s not like she could hop the next plane back to Moab if it didn’t work out.
And that wasn’t the only thing she’d done. She’d rejected the gods of Moab for Elohim, the God of Israel (1:16). I think Boaz’s beautiful mention of Ruth’s conversion (2:12) indicates his approval of her commitment to his God. She was surely all in on the move to Bethlehem.
CORRECTION
I can’t help but marvel about the unusual way the Spirit presented the correction verse for this study to me. At the beginning of July, I decided to re-establish my daily Bible-reading habit. Not studying it, but just reading a few chapters each morning. I chose a chronological plan in the YouVersion Bible App and listen while I walk in our neighborhood each morning. About a week ago, the narrator announced Leviticus 19, and I knew I’d hear the familiar rule of gleaning in verses 9-10, but I had no idea how verse 2 would resonate with me then and still does now:
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy(Leviticus 19:1-2 ESV emphasis added).
That morning when I returned home, I wrote about the context in which we find the gleaning law: “God wanted His people to be different from those around them, more like Him.” Among other things, He instructed them to care for those who experienced hardship.
I feel the same call to be different. I have already accepted the holiness conveyed by faith in Jesus Christ, and I know with that comes a changed life (i.e., 1 Peter 1:8-16, which quotes Leviticus 19:2!). Ruth knew when she left Moab with Naomi that her life would be different. And it appears my life is about to change as well. In some respects, I’m looking forward to it. In others, I’m already looking backward knowing I will miss aspects of my current situation. I’m sure Ruth did the same. But through it all, as she was, I’m committed to God’s call.
ACTION PLAN
So what does a changed life mean to me these days? We’re still praying about that, and the Lord is still unfolding it. This week my husband and I will be taking a baby step in faith toward what we believe He has ordained for us. I’m looking forward to sharing specifics with you, friends, but it doesn’t feel right to do that just yet.
Our Next Study
Thanks so much for joining me for these studies in Ruth! We’re already half done with the book, and I hope you’ll continue to check in as I start Ruth chapter 3 next week. In more ways than one, we’re on the verge of learning a lot about what God can do with a humble heart!
CONTINUE TO RUTH 3 STUDY
by Jen | Aug 20, 2024 | 1-23, DISO studies, Ruth 2
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Welcome back! As I reviewed my previous work, I realized I goofed last week when I wondered if Boaz had quoted King David… I’ve studied Ruth before and should have remembered the genealogy at the end of this book: “…Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David (Ruth 4:21-22).” It’s highly unlikely Boaz would quote David before he even married David’s great grandmother! So, perhaps David was the one borrowing the line instead. After all, he used that imagery I so admired in at least five different Psalms! But that’s just the start of the revelation I received this week!
Last Week’s Work
CROSS-REFERENCES
One of the things I love most about digging around in cross-references is the way Scripture comes full circle. I saw it again this week with the references I studied relative to redeemer (v20).
After examining almost fifty separate instances of redeem/redeemer (almost half in the book of Isaiah alone), I realized I’d discovered one of those “threads” woven through the entire Bible. I found it first in Leviticus (25:47-49), where a poor Israelite who sells himself into slavery can be redeemed by a kinsman. This is important, because the history of Israel is enslavement followed by redemption through God’s intervention. First with Egypt (see Exodus 1:8-14, 6:6, 15:3), then with Babylon (2 Kings 24:8-25:12, Isaiah 48:20). And finally, enslavement to sin and death and redemption through Jesus, which is also available to all of us who believe in Him (Romans 3:21-25).
It was amazing to see, again, God’s consistent love for people who are so easily led astray!
OTHER TRANSLATIONS
I compared the ESV, Amplified Bible, New International Version, and Good News Translation for verses 12 and 20. I didn’t see much difference among these for verse 12, other than the GNT excised that beautiful phrase under whose wings you have come to take refuge, in favor of just the facts. It reads, to whom you have come for protection.
The GNT also rendered Naomi’s statement about Boaz being a redeemer more plainly: one of those responsible for taking care of us. If you’re not familiar with the remaining chapters of Ruth, doesn’t that make you wonder what will happen next?
I know the original writing of Ruth wasn’t divided into chapters, but I applaud whoever put the chapter break there. It’s definitely a cliff-hanger! Will Naomi and Ruth confront Boaz and force his hand? Stay tuned, my friend!
Dig-In Challenges
But first, let’s wrap up our study of Chapter 2 and align with what we’ve discovered here. This week, I hope you’ll join me as I
- Read the prayer we created in Step 1.
- ALIGN: Review my study notes and other work, focusing specifically on what I’ve learned.
- ALIGN: Then, considering those “lessons learned,” I’ll give some thought to how the Spirit has convicted me through this study. In other words, where has He shown me misalignment between what I’ve discovered and how I practice my faith?
- ALIGN: Next, I’ll look to God’s Word for guidance to correct that misalignment. This is often—but not always—a verse either from the study text or from one of the cross-references.
- ALIGN: And finally, I’ll reflect on how I can change thinking or behavior to align more closely with the redeeming God I’ve discovered here. To really make this work, I commit to changing something and do my best to act on that commitment every day for at least three weeks.
That may seem like a lot to consider in one week, but I’ve found the Spirit often leads me through steps 2-5 very quickly (though sometimes I have to pray about it more than a couple of times during the week). If you’re working with me, just do what you can when you can. It’s far better to take your time and really soak in what you’ve discovered than to run through it so quickly you don’t even have a chance to remember it a week from now!
I’m looking forward to sharing my findings with you next week, and turning our attention to Ruth Chapter 3, which we’ll begin September 3. I hope you’ll keep digging into this amazing book with me!
GO TO WEEK 8 >
by Jen | Aug 13, 2024 | 1-23, DISO studies, Ruth 2
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Hello again! Has the Spirit shown you awesome treasure from Ruth 2? If you’re willing to share what you’ve discovered, email me at [email protected], or use my contact form. I’d love to hear about it!
Last Week’s Work
WRITING TYPES
In addition to narrative—the overall type we determined for the Book of Ruth in Ruth 1—I noted indirect references to laws in Chapter 2: gleaning by the poor, foreigners, and widows (Leviticus 19:9-10, 23:22; Deuteronomy 24:19-21); plus several regarding redemption (see specific laws under Interlinear Research below).
I also noticed the line in verse 20 under whose wings you have come to take refuge. What beautiful poetic language! I don’t think Boaz intended to say Ruth was literally hiding under God’s wing. It’s a comparison (I didn’t catch last week, argh!): a metaphor. And I feel like I’ve heard it before in Scripture… more on that below. Remember, writing type is what helps determine whether we understand a passage literally or symbolically. Because it’s narrative, I’m confident most of Ruth should be interpreted literally. Though there’s no way of knowing for sure, the romantic in me thinks Boaz used that metaphor intentionally to impress Ruth.
LITERAL CONTEXT
From our previous study, we know she returned to Bethlehem with Naomi after both their husbands died in Moab. Not having a man in the household meant there was no one to provide for them, so they were forced to rely on gleaning to survive. That’s how Ruth happened to be gleaning in Boaz’s field when he (a “worthy” relative of Naomi’s husband) happened to arrive from Bethlehem. Once Boaz learned who Ruth was, he took special care of her, even though she was a foreigner.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
In the Ruth 1 study, I noted Ruth’s author is unknown, but it’s believed to have been written about 1010 BC. To date the events described in Ruth 2, I checked this Blue Letter Bible timeline of biblical characters’ lives and events. I discovered Boaz’s lifespan is estimated to be from about 1350 to 1250 BC, making him a contemporary of two judges, Othniel and Ehud. You may remember I mentioned Ehud in the Ruth 1 study: in Judges 3:15-3:30, he led a successful revolt against Eglon, the king of Moab.
That means it’s possible Naomi and Ruth returned from Moab to Bethlehem during the conflict, when the Israelites and Moabites were fighting each other, which might have made their journey more difficult and dangerous than it already was.
INTERLINEAR RESEARCH
I reviewed the interlinear text of verses 12 and 20, and these items caught my attention:
- “seek refuge” (v12) – H2620 ḥāsâ. Strong’s indicates the word has been translated trust, seek refuge, and have hope. Here, it appears in the poetic reference Boaz makes when he blesses Ruth. Have hope reminded me of Ruth 1:12, where Naomi tells Ruth and Orpah she doesn’t have hope for more sons who could perform the duty of the levirate with them, though that phrase is rendered from a different Hebrew word, tiqvâ, H8615. I think it still presents an interesting contrast between Naomi in chapter 1 and Ruth in chapter 2.
- “wings” (also in Boaz’s statement to Ruth in v12)– H3671 kānāp̄. Strong’s indicates this use is figurative, referring to God as “protector of his people.” Spoiler alert: it reappears in Ruth 3:9 (only Ruth is saying it to Boaz!).
I also found it used similarly by King David in Psalms 17:8, 36:7, 57:1, 61:4, 63:7 and by another psalmist in 91:4. Makes me wonder if Boaz was actually quoting from those masterpieces of Hebrew poetry.
- “the Lord, the God of Israel” (v12) – H3068 Yᵊhōvâ. This is (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God: Jehovah, the Lord, plus H430 ‘ĕlōhîm Israel’s God. The names people call God in Scripture always fascinate me! Here, Boaz is speaking to Ruth, calling God both the Jewish national name of God and Israel’s God. I checked, and Ruth also referred to Him as ‘ĕlōhîm in Ruth 1:16 when she stated her belief in Israel’s God.
- “one of our redeemers” (v20) – H1350 gā’al. This is the only term that stood out to me in verse 20. It’s how Naomi described Boaz after she learned how he’d cared for Ruth that day in the field. The connotation is someone who fulfills obligations of next of kin under Hebrew law, which duties included:
- Marrying a widow and having at least one son by her who would bear the deceased relative’s name and perpetuate his lineage (Deuteronomy 25:5-6)
- Buying back a poor relative who sold himself into slavery (Leviticus 25:47-49)
- Buying back the field of a poor relative sold to raise money (Leviticus 25:25)
- Avenging the murder of a dead relative (Numbers 35:16-19).
I love learning about Scripture this way. I hope you’re learning a lot in your study, too!
Dig-In Challenges
This week, we’re going to wrap up the second half of our Refine step by examining cross-references and other translations.
- Don’t forget to begin with your prayer from Step 1.
- REFINE: Then consult a concordance or online cross-reference study tool (for v12, I’ll start at this blb.org page) to find and read through the available cross-references for the verses you’re most interested in and log what the Spirit shows you.
NOTE: if you’re interested in verses other than 12, follow the above link, then point to the TOOLS button to the left of a verse, and choose Cross-Refs from the menu.
- REFINE: Finally, compare at least a few other translations’ version of the same verses and write about what you find in your study journal. I’ll be comparing ESV, AMP, NIV, and GNT using this biblehub.com page. You can compare your own verses from that link by entering them in the Enter Reference or Keyword box at the top of the page and clicking the spyglass icon there.
It’s hard to believe we’re almost through Chapter 2, my friend: just two more weeks! I hope the Lord has used it for His glory and your good! See you next week!
GO TO WEEK 7 >
by Jen | Aug 6, 2024 | 1-23, DISO studies, Ruth 2
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Hello again: here’s another week of awesome revelation from God’s Word!
Last Week’s Work
COMPARISONS
I noticed just one comparison in verse 13, where Ruth distinguishes herself from Boaz’s servants. The wording is awkward, I think, first calling herself your servant, but then saying … I am not one of your servants. My NASB95 Bible is a little clearer about the contrast, though. It reads: … I am not like one of your maidservants (emphasis mine). Perhaps because Ruth was Moabite?
CAUSES/MOTIVATIONS
I found these action – connector – explanation patterns relevant to the treatment Ruth received that first day in the field:
- explanation: She [Ruth] said, “Please let me glean…”
So
action: she came, and she has continued from early morning until now… (v7).
Here, the servant didn’t expressly say he’d given Ruth permission. I’m guessing the original audience for Ruth would already know she was entitled to do so under Mosaic law (as discussed last week).
- action: [Ruth] found favor in [Boaz’s] eyes… [even though she was] a foreigner (v10).
[because]
explanation: all she’d done for her mother-in-law… [leaving her] father and mother… [leaving her] native land and [coming] to a people [she] did not know before. (v11)
This is Boaz’s explanation when Ruth asked him why he was so kind to her. I wonder if the question indicates she didn’t know the gleaning law included foreigners. Boaz’s response shows he knew all about her, including her treatment of Naomi, that she was widowed, and she’d left family and country to live among Jews.
- action: [Ruth] found favor in [Boaz’s] eyes…
for
explanation: [Boaz] comforted [her] and spoke kindly to [her]. (v13)
- explanation: Boaz invited her to eat with him and his workers
So
action: she sat beside the reapers, … he passed her roasted grain, … she ate till she was satisfied (v14)
I’ve mentioned before this seems like over-the-top favor: the law says nothing about feeding gleaners as they worked, let alone inviting them to sit with the master and share his wine.
- explanation: After the meal, Boaz told his young men to let her glean even among the sheaves, don’t verbally harass her, and even help her (vv15-16).
So
action: she gleaned until evening (v17).
CONDITIONS/METHODS
As I read through this chapter. I noticed how Boaz didn’t initially seem to know who Ruth was (v5), but by v14, he’s inviting her to eat and share wine with them. As I considered this, the Spirit reminded me of a phrase in Ruth 1:19 I don’t think I even mentioned in our study of Ruth 1: when [Naomi and Ruth] came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. Boaz came from Bethlehem to the field (v4). If the whole town was stirred, he must have known about their arrival. I see him having least two responsibilities here: as an Israelite, to allow Ruth to glean; and as a member of Elimelech’s clan (v1), to be their redeemer per Naomi (v20). I really feel the Spirit moving me to learn more about redemption right now. Not only does it appear here in Ruth, but it also came up in my daily Bible reading this past week! Talk about a Wow! moment!
I also took note of how Boaz treated Ruth. He:
- Told her to glean in his fields exclusively (v8)
- Told his young men to leave her alone, and
- Told her to get water from their vessels when she was thirsty (v9)
- Blessed her.
Don’t you love how he describes her relocation as taking refuge under the wings of the Lord, the God of Israel (v12)?!
- Invited her to eat with them (v14)
- Instructed the young men not to harass her; but to help her (v16).
All this makes me expect good things to come between these two in future chapters!
Dig-In Challenges
Now that we’ve collected all these facts, we need to make sure we’re viewing them the same way Ruth’s author and his audience would have interpreted this story.
Here’s how I’ll be working toward that this week:
- PRAY. Of course!
- REFINE: First, let’s reread Chapter 2. We know the overall writing type from Ruth 1 is narrative, so now we’re just looking for instances of instruction, law, letter, poetry, and/or prophecy.
- REFINE: Next, I remember this book is set in the days when the judges ruled, and everyone basically did what they wanted to do. We also know no author is named for this book, but the mention of King David in Chapter 4 indicates it was written after 1010BC. Assuming a Jewish audience (Ruth is part in the Hebrew Tanakh), and considering what the Spirit seems to be pointing me toward, I want to understand what they would have known about gleaning, levirate, and redemption law, so I’ll be digging in Leviticus and Deuteronomy for that information.
REMEMBER: if you decide to research historical context about different topics or verse, stick with factual, historical resources and avoid commentary.
- REFINE: Finally, let’s examine key words and/or phrases (I’ll look at verses 12 and 20, plus anything the Spirit flags from the law) using an interlinear Bible, and note what the Spirit reveals. These Bibles are available on several study websites (I’ll be using the Blue Letter Bible Interlinear tool), and show a verse in the original Hebrew or Greek providing details about each word, including its meaning in context. As usual, I encourage you to log anything the Spirit illuminates from this exercise.
This “refining” step is more involved than the “mining” we did earlier, but I encourage you to use these tools and dig as much as you can this week. I pray the Spirit will bless your efforts, my friend!
GO TO WEEK 6 >
by Jen | Jul 30, 2024 | 1-23, DISO studies, Ruth 2
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Welcome back, my friend! As I write, I’m awed at how the Holy Spirit is using this study to bring together for me themes of famine (Genesis 41-47) from my current Bible reading plan, and humility (1 Peter 5:1-6) in a recent episode of the At This Table podcast with Athena Dean Holtz and Carol Tetzlaff. His timing is so perfect!
Last Week’s Work
REPETITION
I found two repeated terms. The first didn’t surprise me: gleaning is pretty much the whole story of this chapter. I felt called by the Spirit to do a little research with the Bible Dictionaries on BlueLetterBible.org, and discovered the origin of this custom in Mosaic law (Lev 19:9, 23:22, and Deu 24:21): field owners were directed to leave the edges unharvested so the poor and foreigners could come and collect something to eat. So Ruth being allowed to glean wasn’t special treatment: under God’s law, it was her right. Even so, verse 7 indicates she asked permission to glean. That takes humility.
The second concept was find favor. Verse 2:2 sounds like Ruth was hoping someone would let her glean his field, which Boaz’s servant apparently did (v7). But Boaz went beyond that: he told her not to go to anyone else’s field (v8), he instructed his young men to leave her alone and offered her water from the reaper’s vessels (v9). At mealtime, he was even more solicitous (vv14-16). In v13, Ruth said she found favor in his eyes, and she asked him why. Then she described being comforted and spoken kindly to, though she wasn’t even his servant.
SPECIAL STATEMENTS
I found:
- 12 Commands:
Naomi to Ruth: Go, my daughter (v2)
Boaz to Ruth:
(1) listen, my daughter;
(2) do not go to glean in another field;
(3) don’t leave this one;
(4) keep close to my young women. (v8)
(5) let your eyes be on the field they are reaping;
(6) go after them
(7) go to the vessels
(8) drink (v9)
(9) come here
(10) eat some bread
(11) dip your morsel in the wine (v14)
- 11 Blessings:
Boaz to reapers: The Lord be with you
Reapers to Boaz: The Lord bless you (v4)
Boaz to young men:
(1) let her glean even among the sheaves
(2) do not reproach her (v15)
(3) pull out some from the bundles for her
(4) leave it for her
(5) do not rebuke her (v16)
Boaz to Ruth:
The Lord repay you for what you have done,
A full reward be given to you by the Lord (v12)
Naomi to Boaz:
Blessed be the man who took notice of you (v19)
May he be blessed by the Lord (v20)
- 1 Promise by Boaz to Ruth: I charged the young men not to touch you (v9).
LISTS
Last, I identified three lists: (1) Boaz’s eleven commands to Ruth listed under the Commands section above, (2) four reasons Boaz gave Ruth for his kindness (v11):
- All she’d done for Naomi after her husband died
- She’d left her family and native land
- Came to people she didn’t know
- Took refuge under the wings of God.
And (3) Boaz’s five commands to his young men (vv15-16), also listed above.
Clearly, Boaz was a kind man of authority, who took special note of the young widow from Moab who accompanied Naomi home and was working hard to support them both.
Dig-In Challenges
Next week, we’ll be wrapping up Step 3 by looking for three more elements:
- PRAY: As always, start with the prayer we wrote for Step 1.
- MINE: Read through the passage again to see if the author uses any comparisons. The quickest way to locate these is to look for phrases containing the words like or as, as well as more than/ less than and better than/ worse than. Do you find any comparisons that connect directly with your personal focus area?
- MINE: Next, look for causes or motives in the text. The best way I’ve found to do this is to look for these key words or phrases:
because, for*, in order to, lest, since*, so*, so that, that*, to*, therefore.
Finding them almost always means you’ll find an action phrase (noun + verb) with the reason for that action, too. The *exceptions are for, since, so, that, and to—when these are used as other parts of speech (like prepositions or articles), you won’t find an action or a reason.
Next, look for the action (what’s being caused). With most of these words/phrases, you’ll find the action before the key word/phrase, and the reason will be after it.
For example, I went to the store because I was out of milk.
The action = I went to the store
because
The reason = I was out of milk.
Occasionally you may see the order of the statements reversed, but the reason will still follow the key word or phrase: Because I was out of milk, I went to the store.
However, with therefore and its synonyms so, so that, and hence, the action appears after these key words:
Here’s an example using the same reason and action as above, just changing the key word: I was out of milk; therefore, I went to the store.
Same reason = I was out of milk [but different location!]
therefore
Same action = I went to the store.
Try it, I think you’ll see it’s easier than all these words make it seem (and, of course, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] if you have questions)!
- MINE: Finally, see if you can find any conditions/methods by asking: does the author condition the action you’re studying on something else happening—for example, if or when x condition is met, [then] y outcome will happen? Or does he describe a particular method by which something happens—for example, specific steps taken to achieve something, or more generally by or through attributes or actions (i.e., grace, faith)? Does he use any adverbs (-ly words) that describe how the action was accomplished?
These exercises are a little harder, but I know you can do this—give it a try and check back with me next week. I hope you’ll join me then!
GO TO WEEK 5 >
by Jen | Jul 23, 2024 | 1-23, DISO studies, Ruth 2
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Hello again! Things just keep getting more tangled in our US presidential contest, don’t they? Even as the contention is touching our family, creating wounds and ruining relationships, I know the Lord has all this in His hands and His will prevails. I ask you, wherever you are in the world, to pray for the people of this country, that they will resist the evil one’s temptation to turn on each other, especially members of God’s family through Christ. Let relationship-healing miracles begin!
Last Week’s Work
MY PERSONAL TREASURE
This chapter, I believe the Spirit is leading me to dig further into vv8-16. That’s a big chunk of text, but the topic drawing my attention is whether Boaz’s treatment of Ruth is unusual (as it feels like it might be based on her statements in vv10, 13). I remember what Naomi prayed over both her daughters-in-law in chapter 1: “… May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The LORD grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” (Ruth 1:8b-9a ESV). Could God be using Boaz to fulfill Naomi’s prayer for kindness? Let’s find out!
I’ll start by sharing what the Spirit showed me about characters, locations, and timeframes.
WHO (CHARACTERS)
Though the passage mentions several more characters, my focus, naturally, was on Ruth and Boaz:
- Boaz is mentioned first, identified as a blood relative of Elimelech in v1, and described as a worthy man. In the text, he comes from Bethlehem to the field (v4), I’m guessing to oversee the reaping, and he notices Ruth (v5). He learns who and how diligent a worker she is from the supervisor (vv6-7), then addresses her as my daughter (v8). That seems to imply an age difference and a closer relationship than just landowner/gleaner. His charge to the reapers not to touch her, and his actions to provide for her thirst (v9), and hunger (v14) also seem too intimate for virtual strangers. He admits he knows all about her and blesses her (v11). And I love the imagery in his characterization of the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!(v12).
After Boaz invites Ruth to eat with his workers, he instructs them to let her glean among the sheaves, to even pull some of the heads out for her, and to speak kindly to her (vv14-16).
When Ruth tells of his kindness, Naomi is moved to bless Boaz, without even knowing his identity (v19). When she learns that, she mentions he is one of our redeemers (v20).
- Ruth asks Naomi for permission to glean (v1) or pick up the grain dropped in the process of reaping. God required Hebrew farmers to leave that grain behind for the poor and foreigners (Leviticus 19:9-10). Ruth is both.
While giving her permission, Naomi also calls Ruth, my daughter (v2). That seems appropriate.
When Ruth comes to the part of the field belonging to Boaz (v3), she asks permission to glean there, working from early morning (v7) to evening (v17) with just two breaks—a short rest (v7) and a meal (v14). After Boaz approaches and speaks to her, she prostrates herself before him and asks why he even noticed her (v10), then acknowledges his favor, comfort, and kindness (v13).
Her work, including beating out what she gleaned, nets about one ephah of barley (per Wikipedia, about 35-39 pounds of grain!). She took it to Naomi, along with leftovers from her meal (vv17-18).
Ruth continued to glean in Boaz’s field through the barley and wheat harvests (v23).
WHERE (LOCATIONS)
- The main location for this chapter was the field outside Bethlehem where Ruth went to glean, specifically the portion of it owned by Boaz.
- The supervisor mentioned Ruth’s homeland (Moab) by name (v6), which Boaz calls your native land (v11). I’m aware of some animosity between Israel and Moab, though not sure this is the right timeframe for that.
- Boaz invited Ruth to sit with them at mealtime. I wonder if that was another instance of special treatment: would women eat with men? Would gleaners be fed at all?
WHEN (TIMEFRAMES)
All the timeframes I noticed seemed to point to what a diligent worker Ruth was:
- She worked from early morning (v7) till evening (v17). An ephah seems like a lot of grain: it feels like she had to have worked hard to gather that much even with the help of the reapers.
- At mealtime (v14). This was one of only two breaks Ruth took that day. Pretty amazing!
Dig-In Challenges
I hope you’ve also discovered some interesting facts from the setting of Ruth 2, and it spurs you to work through more of this process. Here’s what I’ll be doing this week:
- PRAY each time I start to study using my prayer from last week.
- MINE: Look for repeated concepts in this passage and, if I find any, consider their relevance to how Boaz treated Ruth.
- MINE: Locate any special statements (blessings, commands, curses, prayers, promises, requests, and/or warnings) connected to his treatment of her.
- MINE: See if I can find any lists (3 or more similar items mentioned in the text) that are related to how Boaz treated Ruth.
See you next week!
GO TO WEEK 4 >
