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Ruth 2

KJV · Chapter 2/4

1And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.

2And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.

3And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

4And, behold, Boaz came from Beth–lehem, and said unto the reapers, The Lord be with you. And they answered him, The Lord bless thee.

5Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?

6And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:

7And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house.

8Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:

9Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.

10Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?

11And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.

12The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

13Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.

14And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.

15And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:

16And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.

17So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.

18And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed.

19And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man’s name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz.

20And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.

21And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.

22And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field.

23So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Ruth goes to glean grain in the fields and, by providence, happens upon the field of Boaz, a relative of Naomi. Boaz notices her dedication and loyalty and orders his workers to treat her with special generosity.

Explanation

The Mosaic law (Leviticus 19:9-10) required landowners to leave the edges of their fields unharvested so that the poor, widows, and foreigners could glean and sustain themselves — an ancient social welfare system built into the agricultural law itself. Ruth's meeting with Boaz, described as happening 'by chance' (v.3), is understood in the text as discreet divine providence working through seemingly ordinary circumstances. Boaz already knew of Ruth's reputation for loyalty to her mother-in-law even before meeting her personally, showing how acts of kindness and faithfulness become known and respected in a community, even when they come from a foreigner.

Fun facts

  • The law of gleaning (leaving the leftovers for the poor to gather) is detailed in Leviticus 19:9-10 and Deuteronomy 24:19, making it one of the earliest documented social welfare systems in history.
  • An ephah of barley, the amount Ruth gathered in a single day (v.17), equals approximately 22 liters of grain — a generous amount that reflects Boaz's special favor toward her.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Ruth 2:1Before the story moves on, the text introduces Boaz, a wealthy and prominent relative of Elimelech, Naomi’s late husband — a key figure who will only matter later on.
  2. Ruth 2:2The law of Israel required landowners to leave the edges of their harvest and the fallen grain for the poor, widows, and foreigners to gather. It is this right of gleaning that Ruth is exercising when she asks Naomi for permission to go to the field.
  3. Ruth 2:3Ruth goes out to glean in the fields, without knowing it, and happens to end up working in the very portion that belongs to Boaz.
  4. Ruth 2:4Boaz arrives from the field and greets the workers with a religious blessing, showing the respectful tone of the relationship between him and his laborers.
  5. Ruth 2:5Boaz notices Ruth and asks his foreman whose young woman this is.
  6. Ruth 2:6The foreman explains that she is the Moabite woman who came back with Naomi, information that already marks Ruth as a foreigner.
  7. Ruth 2:7The foreman reports that Ruth asked permission to glean behind the reapers and that she has worked without stopping since early morning.
  8. Ruth 2:8Boaz speaks directly to Ruth, telling her she does not need to go to another field: she can stay right there, close by his own young women workers.
  9. Ruth 2:9He guarantees her protection, warning the young men not to touch her, and allows her to drink from the water the workers draw for themselves.
  10. Ruth 2:10Ruth is amazed at Boaz’s kindness because, as a Moabite, she had no guaranteed right to an Israelite’s protection. Her question exposes the vulnerable position of a foreign widow trying to survive on her own.
  11. Ruth 2:11Boaz explains why he is being so generous: he has already heard how Ruth cared for Naomi and left her own land and family behind.
  12. Ruth 2:12The image of the wings under which Ruth has come to take refuge is Boaz’s way of describing her decision to leave Moab and join Naomi’s people and God. It is a blessing that acknowledges the risk she took, not just a polite compliment.
  13. Ruth 2:13Ruth thanks Boaz, saying his words comforted her, even though she does not have the same status as his own servant women.
  14. Ruth 2:14At mealtime, Boaz invites Ruth to eat with the workers and offers her parched grain, and she eats until she is satisfied, with food still left over.
  15. Ruth 2:15After the meal, Boaz instructs his workers to let Ruth glean even among the bundled sheaves, something out of the ordinary.
  16. Ruth 2:16He goes further still, telling them to deliberately drop handfuls of grain for her to gather, without rebuking her for it.
  17. Ruth 2:17Ruth works until the end of the day, and when she beats out what she gathered, she has nearly a whole bushel of barley — a generous amount.
  18. Ruth 2:18She carries it all home, shows Naomi what she has gleaned, and even sets aside the leftovers from her own meal to give to her mother-in-law.
  19. Ruth 2:19Naomi, impressed by the amount, asks where she worked, and Ruth tells her it was in the field of a man named Boaz.
  20. Ruth 2:20Naomi explains that Boaz is a kinsman-redeemer, in Hebrew goel: a close relative with the duty to redeem sold land or enslaved family members, and also to marry a childless widow to keep the dead man’s name alive. It is this double role that will drive the whole plot to the end of the book.
  21. Ruth 2:21Ruth also reports that Boaz allowed her to stay close by his workers until the whole harvest was finished.
  22. Ruth 2:22Naomi approves of the idea, advising Ruth to indeed stay only in Boaz’s field, to avoid trouble anywhere else.
  23. Ruth 2:23Ruth follows this advice and works alongside Boaz’s young women until the end of the barley and wheat harvests, living with her mother-in-law the whole time.

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