Ruth 2:12 kjv
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.
Ruth 2:12 nkjv
The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge."
Ruth 2:12 niv
May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge."
Ruth 2:12 esv
The LORD repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!"
Ruth 2:12 nlt
May the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done."
Ruth 2 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Divine Protection & Refuge | ||
| Psa 17:8 | Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, | God's protective shadow for His people. |
| Psa 36:7 | How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. | Trusting God's steadfast love. |
| Psa 57:1 | Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge. | Seeking refuge directly in God. |
| Psa 61:4 | Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge in the shelter of your wings! | Finding lasting security in God. |
| Psa 91:4 | He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge. His faithfulness is a shield and buckler. | God's personal care and protection. |
| Deu 32:11 | Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings... | Metaphor of God's watchful care. |
| Isa 31:5 | Like birds hovering, so the Lord of hosts will protect Jerusalem. He will protect and deliver it; he will spare and rescue it. | God's defense like hovering birds. |
| Matt 23:37 | O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets... how often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings. | Jesus' lament, showing a desire to gather and protect. |
| Divine Recompense & Reward | ||
| Psa 18:20 | The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me. | God rewards righteousness. |
| Psa 19:11 | By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. | Reward for obedience to God's word. |
| Psa 58:11 | Truly there is a reward for the righteous; truly there is a God who judges on earth. | Assurance of recompense for the just. |
| Pro 11:18 | The wicked earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness gets a true reward. | Contrast of true and false rewards. |
| Isa 40:10 | Behold, the Lord God comes with might... behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. | God bringing His own reward. |
| Matt 6:4 | So that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. | Divine reward for hidden good deeds. |
| Heb 11:6 | And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. | Faith leading to seeking God and His reward. |
| Rev 22:12 | “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.” | Christ's future reward and judgment. |
| Coming to God & Seeking Him | ||
| Psa 73:28 | But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge. | Making God one's personal refuge. |
| Isa 55:7 | let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. | Call to turn to God for forgiveness and grace. |
| Zeph 3:12 | But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord. | Seeking refuge in God's Name. |
| Act 10:35 | but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. | God accepts those from any nation who fear Him. |
| God of Israel | ||
| Gen 33:20 | There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel. | Emphasizes God's covenant name with Israel. |
| Ex 24:10 | and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. | Direct divine encounter, defining "God of Israel". |
Ruth 2 verses
Ruth 2 12 Meaning
Ruth 2:12 expresses Boaz's heartfelt prayer and pronouncement of blessing over Ruth. It declares that God, the Lord of Israel, will recompense her faithfulness and good deeds. This reward is promised to be full and complete because Ruth, a foreign woman, demonstrated remarkable loyalty by forsaking her homeland and its gods to seek refuge under the protective care of Yahweh, the God of Israel. It highlights divine providence, reward for faithfulness, and God's protective nature over those who trust in Him.
Ruth 2 12 Context
Ruth 2:12 is a pivotal verse, forming the climax of Boaz's initial encounter with Ruth. Immediately prior, Ruth has been introduced gleaning in Boaz's field. Her humility, diligence, and particularly her selfless devotion to Naomi, her widowed mother-in-law, have been relayed to Boaz by his foreman (Ruth 2:7). Ruth 2:11 establishes Ruth's extraordinary loyalty, highlighting that she left her father, mother, and native land to go to a people she previously did not know. This background underscores the significance of Boaz's blessing in Ruth 2:12, as it acknowledges Ruth's profound act of hesed (covenantal kindness/loyalty) and directly connects it to divine reward and protection. The setting in the harvest fields also subtly points to God's provision through human agency. Historically, this account showcases how foreigners could be integrated into the community of Israel and become beneficiaries of Yahweh's blessings through acts of faith and loyalty, challenging exclusionary tendencies common in many ancient societies.
Ruth 2 12 Word analysis
- The Lord (יְהוָה, YHWH): The covenant name of God, indicating His personal, revealed, and ever-present nature to His people. Boaz invokes the specific God of Israel, not a general deity, to highlight His power and commitment.
- repay (יְשַׁלֵּם, yeshallem): From the root שׁלם (shalem), meaning to be complete, whole, or peaceful. Here, it implies not just compensation but a full, just, and complete recompense for deeds done. God will perfectly settle accounts.
- your work (פָּעֳלֵךְ, po'alech): Refers to Ruth's actions, particularly her demonstrable faithfulness and diligent labor, leaving her family and gods for Naomi and Yahweh. This "work" is born of genuine love and commitment.
- and a full reward (וּתְהִי מַשְׂכֻּרְתֵּךְ שְׁלֵמָה, u't'hi maskurtech shlemah): A comprehensive recompense.
- reward (מַשְׂכֻּרְתֵּךְ, maskurtek): Literally "wages" or "hire." It speaks to a earned return, yet in this context, it is God's generous divine reciprocation rather than a strict transactional wage.
- full (שְׁלֵמָה, shlemah): Feminine form of shalem. Emphasizes the completeness, abundance, and wholeness of the divine repayment, aligning with God's perfect nature.
- be given you by the Lord God of Israel (מֵאֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, mei'et YHWH Elohei Yisrael): Explicitly states the source of the blessing.
- God of Israel (אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, Elohei Yisrael): This title emphasizes God's specific covenant relationship with Israel. By seeking refuge under this God, Ruth is placing herself within His covenant protection, signifying a deep level of conversion and identification with Israel.
- under whose wings (אֲשֶׁר בְּכַנְפָיו, asher b'kanphav): A tender and powerful metaphor for divine protection, shelter, and intimate care, much like a mother bird gathers and protects her young. It conveys security, warmth, and sanctuary.
- you have come for refuge (חָסִית, chasit): From the root חסה (chasah), meaning "to seek shelter, to flee for protection, to put trust in." This term signifies Ruth's conscious, deliberate act of faith and dependence, demonstrating active trust in Yahweh. She sought safety and salvation not in her old Moabite gods or culture, but uniquely in the God of Israel.
This verse beautifully intertwines human agency ("your work," "you have come") with divine sovereignty ("The Lord repay," "God of Israel," "under whose wings"). It portrays Ruth's deliberate choice to seek shelter in Yahweh, an act of faith that Boaz recognizes and blesses, proclaiming God's faithful response. The phrase "under whose wings" especially transforms the traditional tribal protection (e.g., kinsman-redeemer's covering) into divine care, elevating Ruth's faith to a spiritual act of trusting God Himself. Her prior "work" is now validated and promised abundant recompense directly from God.
Ruth 2 12 Bonus section
This verse carries significant theological weight, implying a form of conversion for Ruth. As a Moabitess, her native religion would have been polytheistic, likely centered on Chemosh and other gods. Her coming "under the wings" of the Lord God of Israel signifies a radical spiritual shift, a declaration of sole allegiance to Yahweh, thereby performing an implicit polemic against her former Moabite idols. Boaz’s blessing also foreshadows Ruth's inclusion into the lineage of David and eventually Christ (Matt 1:5), demonstrating God’s universal grace that extends beyond ethnic boundaries to embrace those who respond in faith. The language used by Boaz positions God as the ultimate kinsman-redeemer (go'el) figure, whose protection and provision far transcend even the actions of human benefactors like Boaz himself.
Ruth 2 12 Commentary
Ruth 2:12 encapsulates Boaz’s recognition of Ruth's extraordinary faith and faithfulness. His words are both a prayer and a prophetic blessing, acknowledging that Ruth's actions—leaving her homeland, its gods, and her family to cleave to Naomi and, by extension, Naomi's God—are not merely acts of human kindness but profound demonstrations of spiritual devotion. Boaz perceives that Ruth has intentionally placed herself under the covenant protection of Yahweh. The promise of "full reward" signifies God's complete and generous recompense, far exceeding any earthly calculation, because He is a God who abundantly repays those who truly trust in Him. The imagery of taking refuge "under His wings" beautifully portrays God as a secure, tender, and all-encompassing protector for those who abandon all to cling to Him. This verse solidifies Ruth's place, not merely as an outsider, but as one who, through faith, is now fully embraced and cherished by the God of Israel.