Ruth 3
Ruth • Sermon • Submitted
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Three Scenes:
‘uncover’ - vss.1-7
‘recover’ ‘redeem’- vss. 8-13
Final scene leaves things hanging
‘Lie down’ and ‘yada’ occur in all three scenes.
NISB: Meanings could be understood to have either ‘innocent or sexually suggestive meanings’.
Ruth asks Boaz to take her ‘under his wing’ in v.0, she uses the same phrase that is used in as a metaphor for marriage. The word ‘feet’ comes from a root commonly used in euphemisms for the genitals (see ); ‘uncover’ is frequently found in texts prohibiting sexual relationships between close relatives (); and ‘threshing floors’ were traditionally associated with sex for hire ().
Interpretation? Narrator is deliberately setting up the tension in this scene.
and : references to other women who get what they want.
We need to make decisions once again! Is the author using suggestive language to create tension in the text, both romantically and sexually?
Scene 1:
Somehow Ruth needs to get Boaz to make her interested in marrying her.
vs. 1: Naomi wants ‘rest’ for Ruth in 1:9. 3:1 slightly different spelling for ‘resting place’.
‘seek’ rest for Ruth.
“I must see you settled in life.”
“OUR” kinsman
vs. 2: Refers to Boaz as a relative- related to ‘to know’.
Other forms of knowing: vvs. 3, 11, 18: clear ambiguity
For some reason, she understands Boaz as being there that night!
vs 3: Don’t let him ‘know’ you are there...
vss4-7:
Ruth is to ‘know’ the place where he lies…
ESV: ‘Observe’ the place
NIV: Note
‘uncover’ ‘feet’ ‘lie down’ both in Naomi’s instructions and in Ruth’s actions 4,7. “In Hebrew, each of these words carries suggestive associations that are not obvious in English translations. Before the reader tries to decide what Naomi wants to happen on the threshing floor, some attention much be given to the secondary freight these words must have carried int he minds of a Hebrew-speaking audience.” NISB, 926
‘uncover’ ‘feet’ ‘lie down’ both in Naomi’s instructions and in Ruth’s actions 4,7. “In Hebrew, each of these words carries suggestive associations that are not obvious in English translations. Before the reader tries to decide what Naomi wants to happen on the threshing floor, some attention much be given to the secondary freight these words must have carried int he minds of a Hebrew-speaking audience.” NISB, 926
Euphemisms...
Judges and Ruth: An Introduction and Commentary a. Naomi’s Plan (3:1–5)
The context makes it clear that this describes a way whereby Ruth signified to Boaz her desire to marry him.
ARTHUR E. CUNDALL AND LEON MORRIS
Sleep:
vs. 4: and lie down… ‘Sleep.’ Can be used innocently, but also for sex: (; ; ).
Uncover: Assumes sexual overtones as well as religious experience.
Gala= uncovering
Ga’al= recover, redeem
Feet: Lower part of the body: : reference to afterbirth that comes from between her thighs [lit. her feet].
vs. 7: Harvest-time, people would camp out. “They did not mind hard beds!” Morris
Ruth tiptoed over to where he was sleeping…
vs. 8: Harvest-time, people would camp out. “They did not mind hard beds!” Morris
Vs. 8-13:
Main theme: G’l
Main theme: G’l
Two request:
Marriage and redemption
Redemption in the Law say nothing about marriage let alone levirate marriage.
“Levitate marriage was meant ‘to provide the deceased with an heir to his estate,’ so that his family would not lose title to his land. Redmpetion was simliary concerned with keeping family property under family control.” 928.
Because of Boaz’s repsonse (I will do for you all that you ask), we can assume that Ruth just asked Boaz to marry her.
Spreading a wing over is closely connected with covenant as per Ezek 16.8.
Ruth is a go-getting
vs. 8: Boaz was afraid. Trembled because of the cold? Boaz awoke suddenly. He looked around (he turned), and yikes, saw a woman there!
vs. 9:
Ruth repeats Boaz’s words back to him in vs 9.
Kenap= wing/cloak. Retains the connotation of protection...
; .
English Standard Version Chapter 16
6 “And when I passed by you and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ 7 I made you flourish like a plant of the field. And you grew up and became tall and arrived at full adornment. Your breasts were formed, and your hair had grown; yet you were naked and bare.
8 “When I passed by you again and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love, and I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord GOD, and you became mine. 9 Then I bathed you with water and washed off your blood from you and anointed you with oil. 10 I clothed you also with embroidered cloth and shod you with fine leather. I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk. 11 And I adorned you with ornaments and put bracelets on your wrists and a chain on your neck. 12 And I put a ring on your nose and earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. 13 Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen and silk and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour and honey and oil. You grew exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty. 14 And your renown went forth among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through the splendor that I had bestowed on you, declares the Lord GOD.
Ruth responds in humility!
Spreading the skirt is the same imagery used in to refer to being taken in marriage. Ancient way of understanding
vs. 11: What does Boaz mean when referring to Ruth’s former ‘hesed’?
vs. 11: What does Boaz mean when referring to Ruth’s former ‘hesed’?
Noble character: Not rich: all the city knows thee for a bride worth the winning...
, : ‘a crown to her husband.’
Everyone knows that she’s quite the catch.
Naomi: 1:8: Naomi prayed that the Lord would show hesed to her daughter-in-law as they had showen it to her and to the dead.
Noami: 2:20: Boaz’s treatment of Ruth as a sign that the Lord has not stopped showing hesed to ‘the living and the dead’.
“It seems reasonable to assume that, in Boaz’s mind, Ruth’s former hesed was directed to her now-deceased husband, brother-in-law, and father-in-law and to her still-living mother in law.” 929.
But what did Ruth do now that was so filled with hesed?! Greater than the first!?
Ruth chose him over younger men?
Or Naomi and her family will now benefit from Ruth’s actions?
Boaz 2 fold answer: Ruth could have married a younger guy, fixing the marriage. Ruth wants both and through Boaz she gets both. That’s why Boaz commends her for not picking one of the young bucks around.
Goes back to Ruth’s vow to Naomi.
Vs. 11: Boaz called Ruth ‘noble’, same word used to describe Boaz earlier. Take one to recognize one! ‘NIV: a woman of noble character’. Hayil can also refer to ‘procreative power’… Woman of worth because she can provide children!
Naomi’s question of Ruth: “Who are you, my daughter?” SAME question asked by Boaz.
Boaz gives 6 Barley’s (six measures??). Ruth says he gave that. Baoz is already filling Naomi’s emptiness!
Suspense: How will Boaz solve all the problems?
“Ruth’s actions would have undoubtedly have been judged scandalous according to the standards of the society in which she lived. The question is whether the end result in this case justifies the means.” NIB
What Ruth did was scandalous, but also loving. There’s no doubt in my mind that there are sexual undertones to all of this, and the author leaves us to guess.
God draws straight lines with crooked sticks. Was Ruth doing the most pure thing in the world? Was Naomi’s intentions 100% pure? Something went on that threshing floor! At the very least, it was scandalous. In the very worst, they slept together. The undertones there are strange. To sort out!