This link is to my video teaching, from 5/3/23, on the LAMB Messianic network. Below are my teaching notes.
Boker Tov! Welcome back to the study of Ruth, here at Mishkan Katan. Today, we begin chapter 2.
Go over sources I have been using in this study. Show and describe.
When we last saw Naomi and Ruth, the Scriptures had re-emphasized, in chapter 1, vs. 22, that they had arrived at the beginning of the barley harvest.
וּלְנָעֳמִי מידע לְאִישָׁהּ אִישׁ גִּבֹּור חַיִל מִמִּשְׁפַּחַת אֱלִימֶלֶךְ וּשְׁמֹו בֹּעַז׃
And, to Naomi, from Judah to her was a man, a mighty one of valor, from the family of Elimelech and his name (was) Boaz.
Chapter 2 opens with the revelation that Naomi had a relative on her husband, Elimelech’s side, named Boaz. The word used here for kinsman is not “go’el”, which means nearest kinsman. It is instead a word that is best translated “familiar friend”. So, this is stating that Boaz is a relative of Elimelech’s, but not the nearest one.
This fact seems to come out of nowhere....and stay there. You might expect that Naomi would have run immediately to Boaz for help, as soon as she got into the country. However, this is not what the scriptures say. The sages say that Boaz was the nephew of Elimelech, the son of his brother. Regardless of how exactly Boaz was related to Elimelech, Naomi did not immediately run to him for help. I think that I would surely have gone straight to my extended family for help, even if the relatives were “on my husband’s side”. It’s a curious thing that Naomi “held back”.
Nor do the scriptures say that Boaz or any other close relative of Elimelech came running to Naomi 's door to offer help either. In Boaz 's defense, according to Jewish commentators, he had just buried his wife. So, it is entirely possible that he had not had the opportunity to re-acquaint himself with Naomi or meet Ruth. Boaz is described as “a man of substance”, or in other translations, “a mighty man of valor”. The Scriptures tell us (Ruth 4:20-21) that Boaz’ grandfather was the mighty Nashon, the warrior leader of the tribe of Judah’s army. We can read about him in Numbers 1 and 2. Judah was the largest of the 12 tribes, in that day. Judah led the way when the Israelites would move out, from one location, one camp to the next.
Here’s a curious thing about the Hebrew scriptures, when they tell us someone’s name. In the original Hebrew, if the Scriptures are speaking about a righteous individual, the word “shame” (the Hebrew word for “name”) precedes the actual name of the person. In the case of verse one, we read “shame Boaz”, or “his name was Boaz”. But, in the case of wicked people, the actual names are given before the word “shame” appears. So, that’s an interesting fact to remember.
Regardless... We don't read about meal trains here, or about casseroles being dropped off, or about any other explicit offers of help to the two women. It's noteworthy that Ruth, in verse 2, takes the initiative to begin their new life in this, her new land, among her new people. This young woman, who may have been the daughter of a Moabite king, was not too proud to shoulder the burden of support for herself and for her mother-in-law.
וַתֹּאמֶר רוּת הַמֹּואֲבִיָּה אֶל־נָעֳמִי אֵלְכָה־נָּא הַשָּׂדֶה וַאֲלַקֳטָה בַשִּׁבֳּלִים אַחַר אֲשֶׁר אֶמְצָא־חֵן בְּעֵינָיו וַתֹּאמֶר לָהּ לְכִי בִתִּי׃
And she said, Ruth, the Moabitess, to Naomi: let me go, I pray thee, the field and I will glean in the ears (of grain), after who I may find grace/favor in his eyes. And, she said to her “Go, my daughter.”
In verse 2 we find Ruth asking if she had Naomi 's permission to go out into the fields of barley and pick the heads of grain. There were perhaps 3 reasons Ruth wanted to do this, we can surmise. One reason is that they were both hungry, and needed food. A second reason likely was that Naomi would have been close to 50 years of age at the time of this story. Gleaning in a field all day is hard work, and it is possible Ruth, having noble character, offered to go glean herself to spare her mother-in-law the wear and tear on her body, as well as the wear and tear on her spirit, to keep her from experiencing the humiliating gaze of those who had known her in her former affluence. In this way, her example of industry is a beacon of light, a shining example to all of us, but especially to our young, to put down our devices and consider how we are spending our time! The third reason, stated in the text, is that Ruth was hoping to find favor in the sight of 1 of the landowners. What does this mean, “find favor”?
Well, there is a passage in the Torah, in Leviticus 19, which governs how the landowner/farmers were to harvest their produce.
“And when you harvest the harvest of your land, you shall not finish harvesting the edges of your fields, and you shall not pile up your harvest to pile it up.
And you shall not glean your vineyards and you shall not gather the fallen of your olives, but leave them for the poor and those foreigners who are converted to me, because I am Lord Jehovah, your God.”
This principle is also repeated in Deuteronomy 29:19.
Naomi knew this and had taught Ruth this as well. Therefore, Naomi gave her permission to go and glean. The term “my daughter” should not be construed as a reference to youth, as the commentators say that Ruth was at this time “pushing 40”.
Ruth was hoping she would find favor, that she would find a genial, welcoming landowner, who would obey the Scriptures and not discriminate against her because she was not only poor; she was also a foreign convert. She was doubly qualified to be allowed to glean the leavings in the fields. But, just because the Torah commanded it did not mean she would everywhere be allowed to glean undisturbed. She was hoping, however, to avoid harassment from others, as she gleaned.
וַתֵּלֶךְ וַתָּבֹוא וַתְּלַקֵּט בַּשָּׂדֶה אַחֲרֵי הַקֹּצְרִים וַיִּקֶר מִקְרֶהָ חֶלְקַת הַשָּׂדֶה לְבֹעַז אֲשֶׁר מִמִּשְׁפַּחַת אֱלִימֶלֶךְ׃
And she walked and she came and she gleaned in the field after the reapers and her chance chanced (her hap happened) to hit upon the field for Boaz who from family of Elimelech.
Verse 3 makes it clear she had no idea where she was going. She just went to the nearest field and got to work. Presently, the hand of the Lord manifested, and she “happened to come” (according to the Berean Study Bible) into a field belonging to Boaz. How about that! There are, of course, no coincidences with God, but rather endless “divine arrangements”. As the Benson commentary says, “Many a great affair is brought about by a little turn, fortuitous as to men, but designed by God.”
This verse further tells us of Ruth’s great humility. She gleaned AFTER the other gleaners. She did not push to the front of the line. She humbly gleaned after the harvested area had been “picked over”. It is a wonder there was anything left for her to glean. Also, being in the “back of the pack” meant less chance that she would draw attention to herself while gleaning. Ruth wanted to make no trouble.
וְהִנֵּה־בֹעַז בָּא מִבֵּית לֶחֶם וַיֹּאמֶר לַקֹּוצְרִים יְהוָה עִמָּכֶם וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֹו יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה׃
And, behold! Boaz came from Bethlehem and he said to the reapers: “Yahweh with you guys!” And they said to him “He will bless you man, Yahweh”.
In verse 4, Boaz arrives on the scene. How often he “routinely” came to the field, we cannot know. Continuing with the plot line of his wife just having died, some commentators say that he returned to the field after the completion of the mourning period for his wife. The Scriptures are not explicit about this point. Other commentators contend that the word “hee-NAY” (behold) used here suggests that Boaz coming out into his field was an unusual occurrence, and that it was God’s divine hand that led him there, in order to meet Ruth. He came from the town of Bethlehem proper, out into the field, where he greeted his workers with the unusual greeting “Yahweh be with you!” It was a greeting as well as a blessing. The Jewish sages say that Boaz was the first in Scripture to originate this blessing. These words indicate the congenial working relationship between Boaz and his servants. What a blessing to see such pious language in everyday conversation, something we do not routinely see today. Instead, we hear things like “’SUP?!” (What’s up?)
And, the workers blessed him right back. It was customary in those days to not greet a mourner first, but to let the mourning person initiate the conversation if he or she “feels like talking”. The sages also considered a widow or a widower to be a person “dwelling without blessing”. Therefore, the workers responded to Boaz’ greeting with the words, “May Yahweh bless you!” The inference is - - may He bless you once again with a wife. There was probably also an element of “if God blesses Boaz, then as one of his workers I too will be blessed.”
Story of the grocery store in Israel, just a few days ago.
וַיֹּאמֶר בֹּעַז לְנַעֲרֹו הַנִּצָּב עַל־הַקֹּוצְרִים לְמִי הַנַּעֲרָה הַזֹּאת׃
And he said Boaz to his young man the manager over the reapers: to whom is that young woman?
Verse 5: There was something about Ruth that captured Boaz’ attention. Before he asked anyting about the ongoing harvest, he asked about her. Commentators have speculated about what that might have been that caught his eye.
The fact that she hung back behind the other gleaners?
That she only picked up abandoned heads of grain?
That she avoided interactions with other gleaners?
That she conducted herself modestly?
That she was beautiful and he found her attractive?
It’s hard to say or to know what it was, exactly. But, we can assume Boaz was a good manager, a wise boss, and that he noticed everything out of the ordinary in his “domain”. So, he asked the young man who was in charge of his reapers, “To whom is this young woman?”
וַיַּעַן הַנַּעַר הַנִּצָּב עַל־הַקֹּוצְרִים וַיֹּאמַר נַעֲרָה מֹואֲבִיָּה הִיא הַשָּׁבָה עִם־נָעֳמִי מִשְּׂדֵה מֹואָב׃
And he replied, the manager over the reapers and he said young woman the Moabitess she the returning one with No-oh-MEE from the fields of Moav
Verse 6 reemphasizes the identity of the worker, to imply that this worker was someone Boaz knew well and trusted. Obviously, this overseer knew what was going on; he knew the identities of those working in the fields he was given authority over. He gave a complete and detailed answer: Young woman, Moabitess, daughter-in-law of Naomi, one who returned and converted. Again, Ruth would not have been where she was had she not converted to the faith of the Israelites. She would not have been allowed. Now, Ruth was not exactly a “young ingenue”, and it is postulated by some scholars that this overseer was trying subtly to tell Boaz that she was too young for him. But, again, who knows? It is believed by the sages that Boaz was close to 80 when this story took place. Quite the May-December situation, if true, no?
וַתֹּאמֶר אֲלַקֳטָה־נָּא וְאָסַפְתִּי בָעֳמָרִים אַחֲרֵי הַקֹּוצְרִים וַתָּבֹוא וַתַּעֲמֹוד מֵאָז הַבֹּקֶר וְעַד־עַתָּה זֶה שִׁבְתָּהּ הַבַּיִת מְעָט׃
And she said, “I will glean, I pray thee, and I will gather in the sheaves after the reapers. And she came and she has stood from morning and until now, though she slept/rested in the house a little.
Verse 7 continues the overseer’s response. He had been watching this newcomer also. The word “please” in Hebrew means “I pray thee”. The overseer reveals that Ruth had not just shown up and presumed she would be welcome. The Torah does not require that permission for such activity be sought or given. Still, she had followed proper protocol and asked permission of the proper person. Again, conducting herself with decorum. Then, the manager gives an assessment that reveals Ruth’s character even further. He explains that she was a diligent worker. She did not waste time or monkey around or conduct herself in a lazy manner. She had rested a little while, once, in the “house” - - probably a small hut located near the field.
The Hebrew here is very obscure and it has led to a lot of speculation as to the fullness of its meaning. If you look at the different translations, they are somewhat diverse. But, the over-arching meaning of all of them is that she had worked diligently since morning and had only rested once, for a short time, in the structure variously known as “the shelter”, “the field house”, “the house”, “the hut”. Some have suggested that the overseer might have been a little alarmed that his master had shown up and found that he had let this foreigner into the gleaning pack, and that he was trying to justify his actions for doing so. This could be especially true since it appears this conversation took place in the resting tent/hut, where all the other workers were gathered for refreshment.
וַיֹּאמֶר בֹּעַז אֶל־רוּת הֲלֹוא שָׁמַעַתְּ בִּתִּי אַל־תֵּלְכִי לִלְקֹט בְּשָׂדֶה אַחֵר וְגַם לֹא תַעֲבוּרִי מִזֶּה וְכֹה תִדְבָּקִין עִם־נַעֲרֹתָי׃
And he said, Boaz, to Ruth, did you not hear, my daughter? Don’t go to glean in field another and also thou shalt not will walk from this (place) and thus you will abide/stay with my young women.
So, now, Boaz realizes this young woman is a relative of Naomi’s, which means she is of the house of Elimelech and therefore his kinswoman. However, he does not at this time reveal that he is a kinsman.
The literal translation from the Hebrew is “have you not heard, my daughter....” which indicates that Ruth did overhear Boaz discussing her with his overseer. Perhaps, at this time, it was when the workers were taking a rest break in the hut that this conversation took place, and that Ruth was there among the workers. He referred to Ruth as “my daughter”, which, again, points to their age difference and was a natural way for an older man to refer to a younger woman. Apparently, Ruth was enough younger than Boaz to appear to be “daughterly”. And, that is something I have learned about this story. I had no idea there was such an age difference between the two of them. Did you realize that?
Having just learned that Ruth was Naomi’s DIL and that they were kin, why do you think Boaz did not just immediately offer them a better home and more support, providing dignity and comfort? I'm wondering if perhaps he was putting Ruth to the test, wanting to assure himself first of her sincerity of conversion, her integrity, etc. Perhaps he wanted to gauge her reaction when he asked her to glean nowhere else but in his fields, following after his maiden workers. It is said that the male gleaners would work in one area and that the female in another area. He was reinforcing the message that she was to glean along with the maidens, not along with the dudes.
I can’t help but apply this to my own halacha, my own faith walk after my Messiah. He, too, asks that I not go glean in fields other than His. This basically echoes Exodus 20, vs. 3, the first commandment... “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” A poor gleaner will leave a field if all the crop supplies are exhausted and/or if the owner of the field causes him or her to feel unwelcomed. Neither was true in Boaz’ case, nor are either of those true in the case of our Mashiach. His fields are always filled with plenty, and He wants us to stay focused on His provision for us. As women, He always provides other “maiden workers” for us to fellowship with and to learn from, if we will only take advantage of his gracious, bountiful provision. And, today, there are so many opportunities to access those fellow believers, and that uplifting, faith-building content. What will be your response to the many opportunities your Kinsman, the Lord, has given you, to “follow after them”, to grow in grace and truth?
עֵינַיִךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר־יִקְצֹרוּן וְהָלַכְתְּ אַחֲרֵיהֶן הֲלֹוא צִוִּיתִי אֶת־הַנְּעָרִים לְבִלְתִּי נָגְעֵךְ וְצָמִת וְהָלַכְתְּ אֶל־הַכֵּלִים וְשָׁתִית מֵאֲשֶׁר יִשְׁאֲבוּן הַנְּעָרִים׃
Your eyes be on the field which they will reap and you will walk after them. Have not I commanded the young men to not touch you and when you thirst and walk to the vessels and will drink from which they have drawn, the young men.
He continues his “fatherly” requests in verse 9. “Keep your eyes on the field.” This reminds me of the story from the apostolic writings, specifically John 4:35, where Yeshua is speaking with his disciples about the harvest of souls, ready and waiting to be harvested. This story took place around the time of Hanukkah. “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months, and THEN cometh harvest?’ ‘Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!’ “
As followers of Yeshua, we should certainly have our eyes on our own halacha, constantly asking ourselves, how well are we walking as HE walked? However, we also must not be so inwardly-focused that we fail to realize and to meet the physical and spiritual needs of others who need either to begin a relationship with the one, true God, through His only-begotten Son, the only Savior of souls, OR to have that relationship bolstered by our human hands. When we have our spiritual eyes opened to a need “in the field”, may we be quick to step up and step in, to meet it.
Then, Boaz really goes above and beyond, to not only invite her to glean, thereby fulfilling the Levitical admonition mentioned in three places in the Torah, but also telling her of his promised protection. Some translations use the word “molest” here, which of course has quite negative implications, but can in context also mean, in a more simple sense, “not to interfere with you” or “not to discourage you”.
Likewise, our Master admonishes us in how to nurture newer believers in the faith community. We see this in the passages from Paul, concerning the “weaker brother” and the Lord’s instructions about the “little ones”. See Matthew 18:6, Luke 17:2, 1 John 2:10; 1 Corinthians 8:13. Of course, all of us will “stumble” and we may take others into a spiritual tumble along with us. But, intent is the main factor in such situations, and even when there is no evil intent, we should be quick to repent, and to make acts of restoration, by picking ourselves back up and helping others to rise again with us. This is our responsibility, in the community of faith in Messiah.
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