Chapter Text
Ruth Meets Boaz
And 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 Bethlehem, 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.
Summary
Ruth goes to glean in the fields during barley harvest and providentially comes to the field of Boaz, a wealthy kinsman of Elimelech. Boaz notices Ruth, treats her with great kindness, and provides her with extra grain and protection. He commends her for leaving her homeland to care for Naomi and prays that the Lord will reward her faithfulness.
Meaning
The gleaning laws reveal God's concern for the poor and the stranger, built into Israel's economic system. Providence guides Ruth to the one field where redemption is possible.
Boaz embodies the character of a godly man: generous, protective, and aware of the dignity of those in need. His treatment of Ruth reflects God's own heart toward the vulnerable and the foreigner who seeks refuge under His wings.
Background
The law of gleaning, found in Leviticus 19 and Deuteronomy 24, required landowners to leave the corners and dropped grain for the poor, the widow, and the stranger. It preserved dignity by requiring work rather than giving a handout.
Barley harvest in Israel occurred in April and May, around the time of Passover.
Chapter Outline
- vv. 1-3Ruth goes to glean in Boaz's field
- vv. 4-7Boaz arrives and inquires about Ruth
- vv. 8-13Boaz offers Ruth protection and blessing
- vv. 14-16Boaz provides generously at mealtime and beyond
- vv. 17-18Ruth's abundant harvest shared with Naomi
- vv. 19-23Naomi recognizes Boaz as kinsman-redeemer
Key Verses
“The 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.”— 2:12
Boaz's blessing invokes the image of God's protective wings (cf. Psalm 91:4), foreshadowing his own role as Ruth's redeemer and protector. This verse links Ruth's faith to divine reward.
“Then 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?”— 2:10
Ruth's astonishment at receiving unmerited favor as a foreign woman echoes the broader biblical theme of grace extended beyond ethnic and social boundaries.
“And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.”— 2:16
Boaz's quiet, deliberate generosity — dropping grain intentionally while preserving Ruth's dignity — illustrates providence working through human kindness, a central theological motif in Ruth.
People & Places
People
- Ruth — A Moabite widow who gleans in the fields to provide for herself and Naomi, demonstrating humble initiative and faithfulness.
- Boaz — A wealthy kinsman of Elimelech's family who shows extraordinary kindness and protection to Ruth in his fields.
- Naomi — Ruth's mother-in-law who recognizes Boaz as a near kinsman and begins to see God's providential hand at work.
- Elimelech — Naomi's deceased husband, mentioned as the family connection through which Boaz is identified as a kinsman.
Places
- Bethlehem — The town from which Boaz arrives to oversee his harvest fields, the setting for the entire narrative.
- Moab — Ruth's homeland, referenced to identify her foreign origins and the country from which she returned with Naomi.
Prophecy & Fulfillment
Boaz's role as kinsman-redeemer (v. 20) prefigures Christ as the ultimate Redeemer who extends grace to those outside the covenant community. Ruth the Moabitess finding refuge 'under the wings' of the God of Israel (v. 12) foreshadows the inclusion of Gentiles in God's redemptive plan. Boaz appears in the direct genealogy of Christ (Matthew 1:5), making this encounter part of the messianic lineage.
Devotional
God's providence often works through ordinary moments. Ruth simply went to glean — and 'her hap was to light on' the field of Boaz. What looked like chance was divine orchestration.
Boaz models a generosity that preserves dignity. He did not make Ruth a spectacle of charity but quietly arranged abundance in her path. We can serve others the same way — meeting needs without drawing attention to the need itself.
Ruth's willingness to do humble work and Boaz's willingness to notice the overlooked remind us that faithfulness in small things opens doors to greater purposes.
Literary Style
Narrative prose with carefully constructed dialogue that reveals character. The chapter employs dramatic irony — the reader knows Boaz is kin before Ruth does. The phrase 'her hap was to light on' subtly conveys providence disguised as coincidence, a hallmark literary device in Ruth's storytelling.