110. Ruth Gleaning

Ruth Gleaning

(Ruth 2:5) "Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?" This scene could easily be enacted at the present day by the people of Bethlehem. The salutations are the same between the owner and his servants, "The Lord be with you" is merely the "Allah m’akum," heard every day, and the reply, "The Lord bless thee." The reapers are apt to be rude to defenceless women, hence Boaz commanded them to be respectful to Ruth. The reapers come from all parts of the country, and largely from the lower class. Being far from home they throw off all restraint and do somewhat as they please. The meals too, are the same today; the dipping the morsel in vinegar, and the parched corn - not like our corn or maize, but more like wheat or barley. A quantity is plucked with the stalks attached, they are tied into small parcels, a blazing fire is kindled with thorn bushes, and the corn heads are held in it until the chaff is burned off. The grain is then eaten and people all over the country are exceedingly fond of it. Nor is the gathering of this corn for parching ever considered stealing. After roasting, the kernels are rubbed out in the hand and eaten. Parched corn is often referred to in the Bible. You often see people as they pass along the wheat fields, pluck off some corn, rub the heads in their hands, and eat the grains unroasted, just as the apostles did. This also is allowable. The Pharisees had no objection to the disciples taking a few grains of corn; it was customary and allowed, but their objection was because it was done on the sabbath.
The potter at the wheel. Clay in the potter’s hands.

Vessel with the potter’s plan drawn - but not yet finished -- the flames have not yet done their work.

Vessel that has never been in the furnace.
A Holy Vessel. This has been through the furnace several times. The owners often sleep on the summer threshing floors, just as the wealthy Boaz did when Ruth came to him. Though it is not allowable that a woman in general should sleep on these floors, and to do so would produce the same bad impression which Boaz feared, yet it is not unusual for husband, wife and children to encamp on the threshingfloor until the harvest is over. Doubtful characters come to the floors today, and did three thousand years ago in Bethlehem.

Because it was improper for single women to stay on the floors at night, why did Boaz say to Ruth, "All the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman?"

Boaz knew her character and that she was guided in her actions by her mother-in-law, who taught her that she had a right to Boaz for her husband, and that the law of God forbade her to marry any one else.

We again hear Boaz saying to Ruth, "When thou art athirst, go unto the vessels and drink, . . . At meal time .. . eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar ... and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat." This is a picture we saw in Palestine many times. Water is always present in large jars. The natives are fond of acids, and while usually they are satisfied with bread alone or a few olives or an onion, at harvest time they have a better meal. Tomatoes cut up with oil to dip and moisten their morsel in, or leban, a sour, clabbered milk, are favorites. Then they sit on the ground around a common bowl and dip in.

During barley harvest the wheat is still in the milk, and "freaky" (meaning rubbed wheat), is made extensively. This freaky is the parched corn of the Bible, in Hebrew "gali." The green wheat is cut and mixed with a pile of dry barley straw, which when set ablaze, is of sufficient quantity to roast the green wheat. They then rub these ears of wheat together in their hands and winnow out the dross. The reapers still, as in the days of Boaz, make parched corn a part of their meal, for it is very delicious when eaten fresh.

It is still a very common sight to see wayfarers stopping along the road, cutting a handful of wheat from someone’s patch, making a little parched corn for a meal, or just rubbing out the green ears in the hand to eat the soft kernels. (Deuteronomy 23:25) : "When thou comest to the standing corn of thy neighbor, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand, but thou mayest not move a sickle in thy neighbor’s standing corn."

"Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat." This was a legitimate practice; the Pharisees were complaining only of the disciples breaking the sabbath (Matthew 12:12).