Ruth 2

Ruth, a poor foreign widow, goes out to glean leftover grain to feed herself and Naomi. She “happens” to land in the field of Boaz, a kind and godly relative of Naomi’s family. He protects her, feeds her and blesses her, and Naomi sees God’s quiet hand at work and a hope of redemption.

Ruth 2:1

Before Ruth enters the field, we are introduced to the man she will meet. Boaz is a relative of Naomi’s late husband. He is a person of standing and real worth. The story quietly sets a good man in the path of two needy women.

BSA: noble (“strong, virtuous”): Boaz is shown to be strong and also morally good, and the chapter will prove it.

Hebrew: גִּבּוֹר חַיִל (gibbor chayil, H1368) — “mighty man of worth.” This Hebrew phrase can describe a strong warrior or a man of wealth. Here it also points to his character, as the rest of the chapter shows.

Ruth 2:2

Ruth takes the lead, asking permission to glean. God’s law let the poor gather grain that harvesters left behind. She does not demand it. She hopes to find a landowner who will be kind. Naomi gives her blessing with the tender words “my daughter.”

BSA: favor (“graciousness, kindness”): Ruth is hoping for unearned kindness, not for something she is owed.

See also: Leviticus 19:9-10; Deuteronomy 24:19.

Ruth 2:3

Ruth works behind the reapers, and out of all the fields she comes to the one owned by Boaz. To her it seems like chance. The writer wants us to see God quietly guiding an ordinary day, even when He is not mentioned.

BSA: happened (“came by chance”): It looked like luck to Ruth, but the story shows that God’s care was behind it.

Hebrew: מִקְרֶהָ (miqreha, H4745) — “her chance, her lot.” The Hebrew speaks of what “chanced” to her. The writer uses the word with irony, because this chance was no accident.

Ruth 2:4

Boaz greets his workers with a blessing of the LORD, and they answer in kind. This is a workplace where God’s name is spoken warmly. It shows the character of the master and of the whole household.

BSA: bless (“to praise, honor, or bestow good upon”): Their greeting asks God to do real good to one another, and it is more than a polite phrase.

Ruth 2:5-7

Boaz notices the stranger and asks about her. The foreman describes her as the Moabite who came back with Naomi. He says she asked politely, has worked hard since dawn, and has rested only briefly. Her reputation for diligence has already reached the field.

BSA: returned (“came back, turned back”): Her coming is described as a turning, which echoes her choice to leave Moab behind for Naomi’s God.

Ruth 2:8-9

Boaz offers more than the law required. She is to stay in his field, close to his women workers, safe from the men, and free to drink from the water his servants have drawn. A poor gleaner is treated like a guest under his protection.

BSA: Listen (“hear and obey, give ear to me”): He asks her to listen with trust, as one who is looking out for her. touch (“harm, molest”): He is guarding her from the real danger a lone foreign woman faced in the fields.

Ruth 2:10

Ruth bows to the ground in amazement. She cannot understand why a foreigner would be noticed. Grace always surprises the one who receives it, because she knows she has no claim on it.

BSA: foreigner (“stranger, non-native”): Ruth knows she is an outsider who has no right to expect kindness.

Hebrew: נָכְרִיָּה (nokhriyyah, H5237) — “a foreign woman.” The word is a play on sound and meaning with the verb for “take notice” in the same sentence. Ruth says that he noticed her even though she is a stranger.

Ruth 2:11

Boaz has heard the whole story of her loyalty: she cared for Naomi after her husband died, and she left her parents, her homeland and everything familiar. He honors what she did when no one was watching, and he sees it as real faithfulness.

BSA: done (“shown kindness, demonstrated loyalty”): He sees her actions as loyal love in practice and not merely as duty.

See also: Ruth 1:16-17.

Ruth 2:12

Boaz prays that God Himself will pay Ruth back for her costly choice. He pictures her as a small bird who has run for shelter under God’s wings. He does not know that God will use him to answer his own prayer.

BSA: refuge (“sought safety, trusted”): Ruth’s journey was an act of trust in the God of Israel, and Boaz calls it taking refuge.

Hebrew: כְּנָפָיו (kenafav, H3671) — “His wings.” The picture is of a mother bird sheltering her young. The psalms use the same image for God’s safe keeping.

See also: Psalm 91:4; Psalm 36:7.

Ruth 2:13

Ruth is grateful and humble. His words have comforted her, more than his food would have. She counts herself lower than even his servant girls. Kind words often matter as much as a gift.

BSA: comforted (“consoled, reassured”): His words reached her heart and eased her fear and her sorrow.

Ruth 2:14

At mealtime Boaz invites her to sit with the workers and eat. He serves her himself with roasted grain, and she eats until full with food left over. A beggar at the edge of the field becomes a guest at the table.

BSA: satisfied (“to fill, to have enough”): She has more than enough, which shows how generous Boaz is.

See also: Psalm 23:5.

Ruth 2:15-16

Boaz goes further in secret. His workers must not shame her, even if she gathers among the cut sheaves. They are to drop extra stalks on purpose for her. He gives generously while sparing her pride.

BSA: insult (“reproach, humiliate, or shame her”): He guards her dignity as well as her safety.

Ruth 2:17

Ruth works until evening and then beats out the grain. She has about an ephah of barley, perhaps nearly a bushel. That is far more than a gleaner usually gathers, enough to feed two women for many days.

BSA: ephah (“a unit of measurement, about 9 gallons”): The amount shows how generously Boaz provided for her.

Ruth 2:18

Ruth carries the heavy load into town. Naomi sees it, and Ruth also hands over the food she saved from her own meal. Her first thought is for Naomi, which shows the same love she showed from the start.

BSA: saved (“reserved, left over”): Ruth put some food aside for Naomi instead of eating all she was given.

Ruth 2:19

Naomi sees so much grain that she knows someone has been kind. She blesses the unnamed man and asks where Ruth worked. When Ruth says Boaz, we begin to see a turn in Naomi’s bitter spirit.

BSA: noticed (“recognized or acknowledged”): Naomi sees that Ruth was truly seen and cared for by someone.

Ruth 2:20

Naomi’s grief gives way to praise. She sees that God’s kindness has not stopped, either to the living or to the dead. She also explains that Boaz is a close relative, one of the family’s redeemers. That word opens a new hope.

BSA: kinsman-redeemers (“those who buy back, restore, or redeem”): A redeemer was a relative responsible for rescuing family members from loss, which gives the story its hope. kindness (“loving actions, mercy”): God’s covenant love had been at work all along, even through the dark times.

Hebrew: גֹּאֵל (go’el, H1350) — “redeemer, a protecting relative.” This was the family member who could buy back lost land or rescue a relative in trouble. The idea runs through the book and points ahead to God as Redeemer.

See also: Leviticus 25:25.

Ruth 2:21

Ruth repeats Boaz’s invitation to stay with his workers until his whole harvest is in. It means steady work and protection for the entire harvest season. Ruth is called the Moabitess again, a reminder of how remarkable this welcome is.

BSA: Stay (“keep close, cleave”): It is the same word of close attachment that marks Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi.

Ruth 2:22

Naomi agrees that Ruth should stay with Boaz’s young women. In another field a foreign woman could be harassed or hurt. Naomi’s advice is wise and motherly, and it keeps Ruth near Boaz’s care.

BSA: good (“beneficial, pleasant”): Naomi means it is good for Ruth’s safety and her peace as well.

Ruth 2:23

Ruth keeps gleaning through the barley and wheat harvests, which together lasted several weeks. She holds to Boaz’s women and goes home each day to Naomi. The chapter ends quietly, with Ruth provided for and the bigger story still ahead.

BSA: stayed close (“to cling to, to pursue closely”): Her steady attachment to Boaz’s workers echoes her clinging to Naomi.

Hebrew: וַתִּדְבַּק (vattidbaq, H1692) — “and she clung.” This is the same Hebrew verb used of Ruth clinging to Naomi in chapter 1. It describes faithful, loyal closeness.

See also: Ruth 1:14.