4:1 Then
went Boaz up to the a gate, and sat him
down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he
said, b Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit
down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.
(a) Which was the place of judgment.
(b) The Hebrews here use two words which have no
proper meaning, but serve to denote a certain person, as we would say,
"Ho, so-and-so".
4:4 And I
thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy [it] before the inhabitants, and before
the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem [it], redeem [it]: but if thou wilt
not redeem [it, then] tell me, that I may know: for [there is] none to redeem
[it] c beside thee; and I [am] after
thee. And he said, I will redeem [it].
(c) For you are the next of kin.
4:5 Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of
the hand of Naomi, thou must buy [it] also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of
the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his d
inheritance.
(d) That his inheritance might bear his name that
is dead.
4:7 Now this [was the manner] in
former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to
confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave [it] to his neighbour:
and this [was] a e testimony in Israel.
4:10
Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife,
to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead
be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his f
place: ye [are] witnesses this day.
(f) Or, of the city where he remained.
4:11 And all the people that [were] in the gate, and
the elders, said, [We are] witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into
thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel:
and do thou worthily in g Ephratah, and
be famous in Bethlehem:
(g) Ephratah and Bethlehem are both one.
4:14 And
the women said unto Naomi, Blessed [be] the LORD, which hath not left thee this
day without a kinsman, that h his name
may be famous in Israel.
(h) He shall leave continual posterity.
4:15 And he shall be unto thee a restorer of [thy]
life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth
thee, which is better to thee than i
seven sons, hath born him.
(i) Meaning, many sons.
4:18 Now
these [are] the generations of k Pharez:
Pharez begat Hezron,
(k) This genealogy is brought in to prove that
David by succession came from the house of Judah.
Ruth 4 Bible Commentary
The Geneva Study Bible
(a) Which was the place of judgment.
(b) The Hebrews here use two words which have no proper meaning, but serve to denote a certain person, as we would say, "Ho, so-and-so".
4:4 And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy [it] before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem [it], redeem [it]: but if thou wilt not redeem [it, then] tell me, that I may know: for [there is] none to redeem [it] c beside thee; and I [am] after thee. And he said, I will redeem [it].
(c) For you are the next of kin.
4:5 Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy [it] also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his d inheritance.
(d) That his inheritance might bear his name that is dead.
4:7 Now this [was the manner] in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave [it] to his neighbour: and this [was] a e testimony in Israel.
(e) That he had resigned his right, (Deuteronomy 25:9).
4:10 Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his f place: ye [are] witnesses this day.
(f) Or, of the city where he remained.
4:11 And all the people that [were] in the gate, and the elders, said, [We are] witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in g Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:
(g) Ephratah and Bethlehem are both one.
4:14 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed [be] the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that h his name may be famous in Israel.
(h) He shall leave continual posterity.
4:15 And he shall be unto thee a restorer of [thy] life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than i seven sons, hath born him.
(i) Meaning, many sons.
4:18 Now these [are] the generations of k Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,
(k) This genealogy is brought in to prove that David by succession came from the house of Judah.