Ruth 4 meaning explained in AI Summary

Boaz meets with the other relative, who declines to redeem Ruth and Naomi's land. Boaz then publicly declares his intention to redeem them, marries Ruth, and they have a son named Obed. The book concludes with a genealogy tracing Obed's lineage to King David, highlighting Ruth's place in the lineage of the Messiah.

Chapter 4 of the Book of Ruth brings the story to a satisfying conclusion, focusing on redemption, kinship responsibility, and God's providence.

1. Boaz Secures the Right of Redemption:

• Boaz goes to the city gate, a public gathering place, and calls upon ten elders to witness his actions.
• He finds the closer relative, unnamed but referred to as "so-and-so," and presents him with the opportunity to redeem Elimelek's land and marry Ruth, thus preserving Naomi's family line.
• The closer relative is initially interested in the land but declines when he realizes it involves marrying Ruth, fearing it would jeopardize his own inheritance.
• Boaz, with the elders as witnesses, formally agrees to fulfill the role of kinsman-redeemer by purchasing the land and taking Ruth as his wife.

2. Boaz and Ruth's Marriage:

• Boaz publicly declares his intention to marry Ruth, invoking the name of the Lord and the blessings of the community.
• The elders and the people at the gate bless the union, praising Boaz for his kindness and praying for God's blessing on their marriage.

3. The Birth of Obed:

• Ruth and Boaz have a son named Obed, bringing joy to Naomi and continuing the family line.
• The women of Bethlehem celebrate with Naomi, recognizing Obed as a special child who will bring her comfort and security in her old age.

4. Genealogical Significance:

• The chapter concludes with a genealogy tracing Obed's lineage to David, establishing a direct link between Ruth and the future king of Israel.

Key Themes:

• Redemption: Boaz acts as a redeemer for Naomi and Ruth, restoring their land, providing security, and continuing the family line.
• Kinship Loyalty: Boaz goes above and beyond the call of duty to fulfill his obligations as a kinsman.
• God's Providence: Even though Ruth and Naomi faced hardship, God worked through seemingly ordinary events to provide for them and ultimately weave their story into the lineage of David.

Chapter 4 offers a heartwarming conclusion to the Book of Ruth, highlighting the importance of family, loyalty, and God's faithfulness even in difficult circumstances.

Ruth 4 bible study ai commentary

The overarching theme of Ruth 4 is redemption, fulfillment, and divine providence. It moves from a tense legal negotiation at the city gate to a joyous celebration of new life, culminating in a genealogy that places this small, personal story at the heart of Israel's—and the world's—salvation history. God's covenant faithfulness (hesed) is brought to its conclusion through the willing obedience of Boaz, the go'el (kinsman-redeemer), who acts decisively to restore the line of Elimelech and bring Naomi from emptiness to fullness.

Ruth 4 Context

The chapter's events take place at the city gate, the ancient Near East's center for legal, commercial, and social matters. Transactions required public witnesses (here, ten elders) to be legally binding. The central legal concept is the go'el, or kinsman-redeemer. This role combined two Old Testament laws: the redemption of family land that had been sold due to poverty (Leviticus 25:25) and the principle of Levirate marriage, where a man was to marry his deceased brother's childless widow to provide an heir for the dead man (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). While not a strict Levirate case (Boaz was not Mahlon's brother), the principle of preserving a family's "name" and "inheritance" is the driving force of the narrative.

Ruth 4:1-2

Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the kinsman-redeemer of whom Boaz had spoken came by. So Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down.

In-depth-analysis

• The Gate: Boaz takes initiative, positioning himself in the public legal space. This contrasts with Ruth's nighttime meeting on the threshing floor, moving the story from private appeal to public, legal resolution.
• "Behold": The text emphasizes divine providence. The nearer kinsman just "happened" to come by at that exact moment.
• "Friend" (Hebrew: ploni almoni): Literally "so-and-so" or "a certain one." The man is intentionally left unnamed, a literary device that erases his identity from this redemptive story because he ultimately refuses to fulfill his duty. He is forgotten by history.
• Ten Elders: This establishes a formal, legal court. Ten men constituted a quorum (minyan) for public and religious matters, ensuring the transaction would be legally uncontestable.

Bible references

• Gen 23:17-18: "So the field of Ephron... was made over to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city." (Legal transaction at the city gate)
• Deut 25:7: "...then his brother's wife shall go up to the gate to the elders..." (The gate as the place for Levirate disputes)
• Prov 31:23: "Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land." (Leadership and respect at the city gate)

Cross references

Deut 21:19 (elders' legal role), Zech 8:16 (judging truly in the gates), Psa 127:5 (sons defending at the gate).

Ruth 4:3-4

Then he said to the kinsman-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. So I thought I would tell you of it and say, ‘Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I am after you.” And he said, “I will redeem it.”

In-depth-analysis

• Strategic Approach: Boaz masterfully presents the proposition. He begins with the land, an attractive asset. This tests the kinsman's motives: is he interested in the property or in the family duty?
• "Our relative Elimelech": Boaz emphasizes their shared kinship and obligation to the deceased.
• The Offer: The language is formal and legal ("buy it in the presence of..."). It is a public and binding offer.
• The Acceptance: The nearer kinsman quickly agrees, "I will redeem it." He sees a straightforward, profitable land deal, unaware of the full obligation.

Bible references

• Lev 25:25: “If your brother becomes poor and sells part of his property, then his nearest redeemer shall come and redeem what his brother has sold.” (The law of land redemption)
• Jer 32:6-8: "...Hanameel my cousin will come to you and say, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours.’” (Jeremiah fulfilling the role of a kinsman-redeemer for land)

Cross references

Num 27:8-11 (inheritance laws), Gen 23:3-4 (purchasing burial land).

Ruth 4:5-6

Then Boaz said, “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.” Then the kinsman-redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot exercise it.”

In-depth-analysis

• The True Cost: Boaz reveals the "catch." The land and Ruth are a package deal. The goal is not profit but to "perpetuate the name of the dead" (l'hakim shem hamet).
• The Refusal: The kinsman's reason is crucial: "lest I impair ('ashchith) my own inheritance." The word 'ashchith means to spoil, ruin, or destroy.
• "Impair my inheritance": This could mean several things:
  1. Economic Drain: Supporting two widows was costly.
  2. Succession Complication: A son born to Ruth would legally be Mahlon's heir and inherit Elimelech's land. This son might also later claim a share of the kinsman's own estate, reducing the inheritance for his existing children.
  3. Lineage Contamination: Marrying a Moabite could be seen as a risk, despite the legal allowance (Deut 23:3-6 applied to participation in the assembly, not explicitly to marriage for women).
• Contrast: The unnamed kinsman's self-interest ("my own inheritance") is in stark contrast to Boaz's selfless action, which mirrors God's hesed.

Bible references

• Deut 25:6: "...the first son whom she bears shall succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel." (The purpose of Levirate marriage)
• Gen 38:9: "But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother's wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother." (An earlier refusal to perpetuate a brother's line, seen as wicked)

Cross references

Lev 25:25 (kinsman's obligation), Num 36:7 (preserving tribal inheritance), Deut 23:3 (prohibition against Moabites entering the assembly).

Ruth 4:7-8

Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel. So when the kinsman-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” he drew off his sandal.

In-depth-analysis

• The Sandal Ceremony: This act publicly symbolizes the transfer of a right or property. By giving Boaz his sandal, the kinsman is legally relinquishing his claim and right to redeem.
• Contextual Shift: In Deuteronomy 25:9, a widow pulls the sandal off the man who refuses her, which is an act of public shaming. Here, the man removes it himself in a neutral, contractual manner. The focus is on the legal transfer of rights, not shame.

Bible references

• Deut 25:9-10: "...she shall go up to him... pull his sandal off his foot, and spit in his face... And his name shall be called in Israel, ‘The house of him who had his sandal pulled off.’” (The sandal ceremony as public shaming)

Cross references

Psa 60:8 (possessing land by casting a sandal), Psa 108:9.

Ruth 4:9-10

Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon. Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day.”

In-depth-analysis

• Public Proclamation: Boaz publicly states the full scope of his redemptive act: he has acquired all the property and Ruth.
• "I have bought" (qaniti): This Hebrew word can mean to buy, acquire, or create. It's the same root word God uses in Genesis 14:19 ("Creator/Possessor of heaven and earth"). Boaz's acquisition is a creative, restorative act.
• Purpose Reiterated: Boaz makes the purpose explicit: to perpetuate the name of the dead. This is not for his own gain but for the sake of Mahlon and Elimelech's family line.
• From the Gate: "the gate of his native place" signifies that the deceased's civil identity and rights will be preserved within the community.

Bible references

• Isa 43:1: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine." (God as the ultimate redeemer who purchases His people)
• Eph 1:13-14: "...you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it..." (Believers as God's purchased possession)

Cross references

Isa 44:22 (God redeeming Israel), Tit 2:14 (Christ redeeming a people for himself), 1 Cor 6:20 (bought with a price).

Ruth 4:11-12

Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem, and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the LORD will give you by this young woman.”

In-depth-analysis

• Community Blessing: The transaction is sealed with a powerful communal blessing, validating the union in the eyes of God and man.
• Rachel and Leah: Invoking the matriarchs of the twelve tribes elevates Ruth to the status of a foundational mother in Israel. It's a prayer for great fruitfulness.
• Tamar and Perez: This is a radical and grace-filled comparison. Tamar secured her heir through an unconventional, even scandalous, act (Gen 38). By invoking her, the people place Ruth's unconventional foreign origin and assertive action in a positive, righteous light. It legitimizes the union and foreshadows great things from it. Perez became the ancestor of the tribe of Judah, the royal line.
• Bethlehem: The blessing is specific to Bethlehem, foreshadowing its future significance as the city of David and the Messiah.

Bible references

• Gen 29-30: The story of Rachel and Leah building the house of Israel through their children. (National fruitfulness)
• Gen 38: The account of Tamar securing her lineage through Judah, bearing Perez. (Unconventional means for a righteous end)
• Micah 5:2: “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah... from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel...” (Prophetic significance of Bethlehem)

Cross references

Gen 24:60 (blessing on Rebekah for fruitfulness), Psa 128:3 (a fruitful vine), Gen 48:15-16 (Jacob's blessing).

Ruth 4:13-17

So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son... And the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a kinsman-redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age...Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom and became his nurse. And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

In-depth-analysis

• "The LORD gave her conception": This is the climax of God's action in the book. Human plans and faithfulness (Boaz's hesed) come to fruition only through divine intervention. Ruth was likely childless in her previous 10-year marriage, making this act even more significant.
• Full Circle for Naomi: The women's blessing directly reverses Naomi's lament in chapter 1. She who was empty is now full. She who had lost a husband and sons now has a grandson who is a "restorer of life" (nefesh) and a "nourisher of... old age."
• "A son has been born to Naomi": Legally, the child is Mahlon's heir. Emotionally and socially, he is Naomi's redeemer. She takes him to her bosom, a picture of profound comfort and restoration.
• Obed: The name means "servant" or "worshiper." He will serve to continue the family line and serve God's ultimate redemptive plan.
• The Line of David: The narrative explicitly states the child's identity, bridging the gap from the family story to the national one.

Bible references

• Gen 29:31: "When the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren." (God's sovereignty over conception)
• Psa 113:9: "He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the LORD!" (God reversing barrenness)
• Luke 1:58: "And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her." (Community joy at the birth of John the Baptist)

Cross references

1 Sam 1:19-20 (Hannah's conception), Luke 2:28-30 (Simeon taking Jesus in his arms), Isa 9:6 (a son is given).

Ruth 4:18-22

Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.

In-depth-analysis

• The Toledot (Genealogy): This genealogy is the theological punchline of the entire book. It frames the story of love, loyalty, and redemption within God's grand plan for Israel's monarchy.
• Perez to David: It intentionally links this story back to the "scandalous" grace of Tamar (Gen 38) and forward to Israel's greatest king.
• Purpose of the Book: The genealogy reveals that the Book of Ruth was preserved to explain and legitimize the lineage of King David, showing that a faithful Moabite woman was his great-grandmother, a stunning inclusion of a Gentile in the royal line.
• Messianic Trajectory: This genealogy is picked up directly in the New Testament, placing Ruth squarely in the lineage of the Messiah.

Bible references

• Matt 1:3-6: "...and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron... and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king." (The fulfillment of this lineage in Jesus Christ)
• Luke 3:31-33: Traces Jesus' lineage back through David and Boaz. (Luke's genealogy)
• 1 Chr 2:3-15: A parallel Old Testament genealogy confirming the line of Judah to David. (Historical record)

Cross references

Gen 5 (first toledot), Gen 11:10-26 (Shem to Abram), Num 1:7 (Nahshon as leader of Judah).

Ruth Chapter 4 Analysis

• Typology of Boaz: Boaz is one of the clearest "types" of Christ in the Old Testament. He is the go'el (kinsman-redeemer) who is able, willing, and acts at a great price to himself to redeem a destitute and foreign bride, give her a new name, a new inheritance, and bring her into his family. (cf. Eph 5:25-27).
• The Two Redeemers: The unnamed kinsman ("Mr. So-and-so") represents the Law. The Law can point out the problem (the need for redemption) but is ultimately powerless to save because it is constrained by self-interest and cannot provide the ultimate solution (cf. Rom 8:3). Boaz represents Grace, who does what the Law could not. He goes beyond the letter of the law to fulfill its spirit out of hesed (loving-kindness).
• Gentile Inclusion: The book is a powerful polemic against the kind of rigid nationalism that arose after the exile (seen in Ezra-Nehemiah). It demonstrates that God's plan has always included people from all nations, placing a Moabite woman (and Rahab the Canaanite, Matthew 1:5) in the direct line of the Messiah.
• Emptiness to Fullness: The entire book arcs from Naomi's declaration, "I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty" (Ruth 1:21) to this chapter, where "a son is born to Naomi," filling her arms, her home, and her future with hope. This is a microcosm of the gospel story.
• Hidden Providence: While God is only mentioned directly as the one who "gave her conception," His hand is evident throughout, from the "chance" meeting in chapter 2 to the kinsman happening by the gate at the right time. God works through the faithful, ordinary actions of his people to accomplish his extraordinary purposes.

Ruth 4 Summary

Boaz proceeds to the city gate to legally settle the matter of redemption. He confronts the nearer kinsman, who agrees to buy Elimelech's land but refuses when he learns the deal includes marrying Ruth the Moabite. Through the sandal ceremony, the kinsman transfers his right to Boaz, who publicly declares his intention to marry Ruth to preserve the family line. Blessed by the elders, Boaz and Ruth marry, and God grants them a son, Obed. This child restores Naomi's hope and is celebrated as her own. The book concludes with a crucial genealogy, revealing Obed as the grandfather of King David, thus weaving this intimate family story into the epic narrative of Israel's royal and messianic line.