Love is... (part 4)
Unveiling the Legal Drama: Boaz's Bold Move
Welcome to part 4 and the final post of the “Love is…” series on the Book of Ruth.
The Book of Ruth is a chapter from the history of the human heart. It takes place during the same period covered in the Book of Judges, but it couldn’t be more different. The Book of Judges records feats of arms, deeds of heroism, treachery, violence, and murder. But in the Book of Ruth, we are led aside from the highway of Hebrew history into a secluded by-path, a green lane of private life. Here are simple stories of heart and home, where affections and relationships play an essential role. The Book of Ruth gives us a glimpse into the domestic life of Israel, with its anxieties, sorrows, and sweetness. Women and children, honest work and homely talk; deaths, births, and marriages; loves, memories, and prayers, are all here. (paraphrased from H. D. M. Spence-Jones, ed., Ruth, The Pulpit Commentary (London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1909), 5.
We pick up the story in Ruth chapter 4.
Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there; and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz had spoken came by. So Boaz said, “Come aside, friend, sit down here.” So he came aside and sat down. 2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down.
—Ruth 4:1-2 NKJV
Boaz takes action
Boaz may have seemed passive up until now, but he now takes the initiative, and the other characters merely respond to his initiatives. Boaz begins the process by going up to the gate. I believe this event immediately follows his leaving the threshing floor to go to the city (Ruth 3:15 Love is… (Part 3)). Going up to the gate was the equivalent of going to court, since the city gates had a secondary function as courts where official business was conducted.
City gates in Palestine in the early iron age were complex structures with lookout towers at the outside and a series of rooms on either side of the gateway where defenders of the town would be stationed. But these gateways also served a secondary purpose, as a gathering place for the citizens of the town. This was where the official administrative and judicial business of the community was conducted
—Daniel Isaac Block, Judges, Ruth, vol. 6, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 704–705.
In Ruth 3:13 (Love is… Part 3), we discover an obstacle to the marriage between Ruth and Boaz, and now we see that Boaz is bringing the matter to court in an attempt to settle it once and for all. When Boaz arrived at the gate and sat down, this signified that he had arrived for legal business. As soon as he arrives, there is this incredible coincidence* that the man he wants to talk to just happens to pass by. (Coincidences are used to highlight God’s invisible hand behind the scenes, for more, see Love is… part 2)
With a superficial reading of the book the timing of the kinsman-redeemer’s arrival may seem coincidental, but a deeper reading will recognize again the hidden hand of God.
—Daniel Isaac Block, Judges, Ruth, vol. 6, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 705.
Remember how in Ruth 3:13 Boaz invoked the name of the LORD in his promise to Ruth? Now we see that indeed God is involved in this matter. We assume the man was going out to work in his field; if Boaz had missed him, who knows how long it would be before the man comes back through the city gates. This man is not identified by name, and even the way that Boaz greets him is odd and the subject of some debate. Different Bible translations can vary a bit because we are not sure of the expression, but it seems to be “Mr. So-and-so” or even “Hey you.” The translation “my friend” is generous since the original does not refer to this person in friendly terms. Some argue that just as Orpah serves as a foil to Ruth, this man would serve as a contrast to Boaz. He is not a bad person, but the text is worded in such a way as to diminish our respect for this man.
Now that Boaz has found the man he was looking for, the close relative or the gōʾēl, he needs to gather a quorum of witnesses. The fact that these men, who were leaders in their community, stopped what they were doing to follow Boaz to the city gate and deal with this issue shows their respect for Boaz and his stature in the community.
If the gate at Bethlehem was the size of the tenth century b.c. Gezer gate (slightly more than seven by fourteen feet, there would have been room for all twelve men, but it would have been crowded; and observers would have had to look on from the passageway outside the chamber. Since Bethlehem was always a less significant center than Gezer, the gateway might have been smaller, in which case the proceedings probably transpired in the plaza just inside the gate.
—Daniel Isaac Block, Judges, Ruth, vol. 6, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 707.
The court proceedings
3 Then he said to the close relative, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, sold the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. 4 And I thought to inform you, saying, ‘Buy it back in the presence of the inhabitants and the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you.’ ”
And he said, “I will redeem it.”
—Ruth 4:3-4 NKJV
Boaz goes straight to the point, the portion of the field belonging to our brother Elimelech, Naomi, who returned from the field of Moab, is selling. I know this is not a smooth translation, but it reflects the emphasis on the field being sold, which is how the text is worded in the original. (see it in BlueLetterBible.org)
Who the land belongs to may seem like a trivial matter. However, the land was distributed among the tribes under Joshua, and according to Mosaic Law, it should never leave the family. This explains the importance of the gōʾēl, which was one of the nation’s customs designed to prevent this from happening.
25 ‘If one of your brethren becomes poor, and has sold some of his possession, and if his redeeming relative comes to redeem it, then he may redeem what his brother sold. 26 Or if the man has no one to redeem it, but he himself becomes able to redeem it, 27 then let him count the years since its sale, and restore the remainder to the man to whom he sold it, that he may return to his possession. 28 But if he is not able to have it restored to himself, then what was sold shall remain in the hand of him who bought it until the Year of Jubilee; and in the Jubilee it shall be released, and he shall return to his possession.
29 ‘If a man sells a house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; within a full year he may redeem it. 30 But if it is not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house in the walled city shall belong permanently to him who bought it, throughout his generations. It shall not be released in the Jubilee.
— Leviticus 25:25-30 NKJV
Regarding Boaz and the other man, we know that both were related to Elimelech and that the man was a closer relative (Ruth 3:12), but we do not know the details of how they were related to Elimelech. Deuteronomy 25:5-10 and Genesis 38 indicate that the levirate obligation fell to the immediate brothers of the deceased man, but how it was handled beyond that is unclear. Numbers 27:9-11 discusses it, but it does not seem to apply directly here, though it gives us some ideas on how this issue could have been handled.
There is also debate regarding who the land belonged to. Did Naomi own the land? The Mosaic Law (Numbers 27) is unclear; it mentions son or daughter but not widow. Maybe it was implied (Proverbs 15:25), but we can’t know for sure. An argument for widows not being allowed to own the land is all the provisions the law made to protect the widow, orphan, and the alien from oppression and exploitation. (See Exodus 22:21–24; Deuteronomy 10:18; 14:28–29; 24:19–21; 26:12–13; 27:19. Also note the prophetic railing against those who violate these standards: Isaiah 1:17, 23; Isaiah 9:17; 10:2; Jeremiah 7:6; 22:3; Ezekiel 22:7, 25; Zechariah 7:10; Malachi 3:5; notice also the complaint in Job 24:3, 21. Not to mention the references in the Psalms to the LORD as the defender of widows: Psalms 68:5; 94:4–7; 146:9 (cf. also Proverbs 15:25) and Job’s claims (against his detractors, 22:9) to have done the same (Job 29:12–13; 31:16–17). (Block,709.)
To avoid a deeper dive into the details of Mosaic law, here is a summary I found helpful.
Accordingly, Naomi’s action was not to sell the land that belonged to her deceased husband Elimelech; it was not hers to sell because by law ownership of the land would be transferred to the nearest relative (Num 27:8–11). What she had done was authorize the court to give it in usufruct to the gōʾēl.
—Daniel Isaac Block, Judges, Ruth, vol. 6, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 710.
We don’t know all the details of what happened to Elimelech’s land once he left, but here is an educated guess.
“It seems most reasonable that moving to Moab had been a last resort for Elimelech. Before he would embark on such a drastic (and shameful) course of action, he would have attempted every other alternative, including selling the land to an outsider (cf. Lev 25:25–30). Obviously the poverty continued; and after the money from the sale was used up, he seems to have been faced with two choices: sell himself into slavery (cf. Lev 25:47–55) or move to a place where food was available. In moving to Moab he chose the lesser of two evils.
Meanwhile ten years had elapsed. During that time Elimelech and his two heirs had died in the land of Moab, and back in Bethlehem it appears the land had fallen into the hands of someone outside the family. When Naomi returned with Ruth, she could not automatically reclaim the land and begin making her own living from it. Consequently she and Ruth are left with no options but to scavenge for food. It seems, however, that because of Boaz’s generosity Naomi and Ruth had been assured of sufficient food for the near future, enabling the senior widow to turn her attention to the legal issues relating to the patrimonial holdings of her husband.”(ibid)
Boaz keeps it simple: if the goel (kinsman redeemer) wants to perform the duty or exercise the rights of a goel, then here’s his chance. But if he does not want to do it, he should let Boaz know, and Boaz will gladly do it.
At the end of Boaz’s speech, we collectively hold our breath. What will be the reply of the goel?
“I will redeem it” is the reply.
Our hearts sink. Oh no, this is terrible! Will this nameless man marry Ruth? What about Boaz? Will this man be kind to Ruth? What is he like? Was Naomi’s risky plan and Ruth’s careful execution all for nothing? I bet Ruth would feel devastated if she were close by and heard this. Would she be willing to go along with this and marry a man she had never met?
But Boaz has another speech to deliver.
Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance.”
—Ruth 4:5 NKJV
Boaz now introduces a complication to what seemed like a simple land acquisition. You were probably wondering about Ruth and why Boaz had not mentioned her. He brings her up now.
Boaz hereby reminded the gōʾēl that this transaction is more complex than merely acquiring usufruct rights to Elimelech’s field. Elimelech had a son whose death has left a second widow in the picture. This woman is implicated in any action that he as a gōʾēl might take. The manner in which Boaz introduced Ruth is significant. First, he introduced Ruth by her full name, “Ruth the Moabitess.” This more precise identification seems intended to cast doubts about the wisdom of acquiring the rights to Elimelech’s land in the mind of the gōʾēl.
—Daniel Isaac Block, Judges, Ruth, vol. 6, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 713–714.
If the goel wants to acquire the rights to Elimelech’s land, he must also assume the responsibility of rescuing the line of Elimelech. Naomi, Elimelech’s widow, is likely past childbearing age, but Ruth is young; she is also a Moabitess, and chances are that the goel has anti-Moabite feelings. Boaz is clear about the importance of perpetuating the name of the dead. (See Deuteronomy 25:9, “to raise/establish the name of his brother,” which is replaced with “build the house of his brother.” See also Judah’s command to his son Onan “to raise up seed for your brother” (Genesis 38:8). (ibid)
I cannot redeem it
6 And the close relative said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”
—Ruth 4:6 NKJV
The reason for the goel rejecting his responsibility/opportunity is fairly clear. He is concerned how being responsible for the field that belonged to Elimelech, plus supporting Elimelech’s widow, Naomi, plus Marrying Ruth and raising a child who will ultimately own the land in the future would cost him a lot of money, time, and effort up front and not really be worth it in the long run. Especially if he already has his hands full regarding his own land and family. It could also be that the people of Bethlehem considered Elimelech cursed by God, and the goel might have feared for the well-being of his family if he were to marry Ruth. After all, Naomi herself said that the hand of the Almighty had dealt bitterly against her. (See Love is…(Part 1)) Perhaps the goel was afraid of bad luck or a curse.
Here’s my sandal
7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging, to confirm anything: one man took off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was a confirmation in Israel.
8 Therefore the close relative said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” So he took off his sandal. 9 And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi. 10 Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from his position at the gate. You are witnesses this day.”
— Ruth 4:7-10 NKJV
“Let’s make this official. Here’s my sandal!”
This practice must have fallen out of popularity by the time the book was written, and the narrator had to explain to the audience the meaning of the act. I just imagine seeing someone walking down the street with just one sandal and thinking to myself, “he must have gone to court today…”
Boaz’s plan works; he officially has rights to the land and is responsible for perpetuating the name of the dead (Elimelech/Mahlon). Notice how Boaz addresses not only the elders but also “all the people.” This seems to indicate that a crowd had gathered to witness the proceedings, and Boaz is making sure everyone knows that he is the goel.
The reaction of the people
11 And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the Lord will give you from this young woman.”
— Ruth 4:11-12 NKJV
If you were curious about how the general population felt about Boaz’s actions toward Ruth and Naomi you no longer need to wonder. The people bless Boaz and Ruth.
Blessings rose up within their hearts, ascended into heaven, and came down—charged with something Divine as well as something human and humane—in showers upon his head, and upon the head of his bride.
—H. D. M. Spence-Jones, ed., Ruth, The Pulpit Commentary (London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1909), 63.
I imagine the crowd erupting into celebration. Everyone was happy to see Boaz behaving in a way that honored God and provided for Ruth, a widow and a foreigner, and Naomi, who was also a widow. This response from the people warms my heart. Even though we live in a sinful world, we love to catch a glimpse of the heart of God reflected in human lives that demonstrate love and kindness, especially towards the weak and outcast. Such actions fill us with hope and remind us that we serve a loving God.
Until now, Ruth has been a foreigner and an outsider, but the communal blessings changed that.
They also show that the people warmly welcome Ruth into the community. When Ruth first set out from Moab, she committed herself to Naomi’s people (“your people shall be my people;” 1:16). But as Glover observes in his essay on ethnic identity, affiliation cannot be decided unilaterally. The community has to be willing to accept that individual. The blessings offered by the people of Bethlehem signal acceptance and enact Ruth’s integration into the community. In the remainder of the narrative, Ruth is no longer identified as a Moabite.
—Tamara Cohn Eskenazi and Tikva Frymer-Kensky, The JPS Bible Commentary: Ruth, First edition, JPS Tanakh Commentary (Philadelphia, PA: Jewish Publication Society, 2011), 83.
Ruth and Boaz have been consistently described and portrayed in the story as having the highest ethical standards and embodying covenantal hesed. But the blessing from the witnesses makes no mention of Ruth or Boaz’s character or behavior, rather, they recognize the LORD as the source of the blessing, recognizing that any offspring through Ruth would be a divine gift.
And they lived happily ever after
13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel! 15 And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.” 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him. 17 Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “There is a son born to Naomi.” And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18 Now this is the genealogy of Perez: Perez begot Hezron; 19 Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab; 20 Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon; 21 Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed; 22 Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David.
—Ruth 4:13-22 NKJV
In the end, the story is not really about Ruth, nor is it about Boaz or Naomi. The story is not even about Obed. Though all these characters are important, the story is about God and His mercy and His hesed towards His people. Why is Ruth’s love or hesed so important? Because through her kindness and dedication (hesed/love)to her mother-in-law, God acted to bring about the greatest king Israel would ever have. Why is Naomi’s hesed towards Ruth so important? Because God worked through her love to bring about a great blessing to all of Israel. Why is Boaz’s hesed/love towards Ruth and Naomi so important? Because God used it to bring about a great blessing to the entire world.
The story of the Book of Ruth is not simple, nor is it straightforward. But we do see God working through flawed people who choose love, mercy, and kindness, and because each person freely chooses to place the good of the other ahead of their own, God was able to work through them to bring about blessings that impacted the entire world. The genealogy of Perez stops with David, but Matthew 1 traces the genealogy all the way down to Jesus, son of David, who was really the Son of God, the Messiah, our Lord and Savior.
