Ruth 4 6

Ruth 4:6 kjv

And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.

Ruth 4:6 nkjv

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 niv

At this, the guardian-redeemer said, "Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it."

Ruth 4:6 esv

Then the redeemer said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it."

Ruth 4:6 nlt

"Then I can't redeem it," the family redeemer replied, "because this might endanger my own estate. You redeem the land; I cannot do it."

Ruth 4 verses

Ruth 4 6 Meaning

Ruth 4:6 describes the pivotal moment in the legal proceeding at the city gate where the closest kinsman, referred to as the "redeemer" (Hebrew: go'el), declares his inability to fulfill the kinsman-redeemer duties. He explicitly states that to redeem Naomi's land and simultaneously take Ruth as a wife to raise an heir for the deceased Mahlon would jeopardize his own inheritance. He therefore grants his right of redemption to Boaz, clearing the path for Boaz to perform the duty. This verse reveals the complexity of Mosaic law regarding land redemption and levirate marriage, highlighting how specific conditions could preclude even the closest kinsman from fulfilling the obligation, primarily due to concerns about the dilution or complication of one's own familial estate.

Ruth 4 6 Context

Ruth 4:6 is set at the city gate of Bethlehem, which served as the community's legal and administrative center. Boaz had brought the closest kinsman (referred to simply as "So-and-so" in earlier verses) to witness and participate in the legal process concerning Naomi's land and Ruth's levirate marriage claim. Naomi had decided to sell her land, a remnant of her husband Elimelech's inheritance, due to her destitution. Under Mosaic Law (Leviticus 25), this land first had to be offered to the nearest male relative, the go'el, for redemption to keep it within the family lineage. Crucially, the situation was compounded by Ruth's request to Boaz (and by extension, to the go'el) to "spread your cloak over your servant," a euphemism for marriage and providing an heir, as per levirate marriage law (Deuteronomy 25). The go'el's statement in Ruth 4:6 reveals that while he was willing to redeem the land, the additional responsibility of marrying Ruth to raise an heir for Mahlon (her deceased first husband) was an impediment for him, as any son born would perpetuate Mahlon's line, potentially complicating or diluting his own familial inheritance. This specific legal complication—marrying Ruth and raising an heir for the deceased—was the boundary he was unwilling to cross.

Ruth 4 6 Word analysis

• And the redeemer (go'el גֹּאֵל):
  • Literally "the one who redeems" or "kinsman-redeemer."
  • This is not merely a "relative" but a specific role in Israelite society, obligated to defend and restore family rights and property.
  • Functions included avenging blood (Num 35:19-21), redeeming land sold due to poverty (Lev 25:25), and buying back relatives sold into servitude (Lev 25:48-49).
  • In Ruth, the go'el combines the land redemption and the levirate marriage duties, showing the interwoven nature of property and progeny in ancient Israel.
• said: Simple declaration of his decision in the public forum.
• I cannot (lo-'ukhal לֹא־אוּכַל):
  • Strong negation and inability/unwillingness.
  • It's not a physical "cannot," but a legal and financial impossibility or an unwillingness to bear the cost/risk.
  • Indicates a refusal rooted in practical considerations of the law's implications.
• redeem it for myself:
  • Refers to the land of Naomi/Elimelech.
  • "For myself" highlights that he, personally, would not benefit without jeopardizing his own standing.
  • He saw the two aspects (land + wife to raise seed) as an inseparable package tied to the redemption.
• lest I mar ('ashkhit אָשְׁחִית) mine own inheritance (nachalati נַחֲלָתִי):
  • Mar ('ashkhit): To spoil, ruin, destroy, corrupt. It implies causing damage or loss, particularly in a legal sense of diminishing his estate or blurring its boundaries.
  • Inheritance (nachalah*): Refers to the ancestral land passed down through the family, central to Israelite identity and divine covenant (Josh 14:1).
  • Significance: This is the core reason for his refusal. A child born to Ruth would be legally the son of Mahlon, inheriting Mahlon's name and property. If this child also inherited property from the current go'el's own ancestral line (due to their unique situation or a complicated future scenario not fully detailed), or if it simply blurred his own lineage by him taking responsibility for someone else's, it would be a "marring." It ensures his property passes fully to his natural heirs, preserving the distinct boundaries of his own clan's land (Num 36).
• redeem thou my right to thyself:
  • "My right" (ge'ullati גְּאֻלָּתִי): My redemption or my right of redemption.
  • This is the legal transfer of the obligation and privilege of go'el from the first kinsman to Boaz.
  • It signifies a complete renunciation and delegation of the duty and privilege.
• for I cannot (lo-'ukhal) redeem it:
  • A re-affirmation, emphasizing his decision and ensuring no ambiguity.
  • The repetition reinforces the finality of his choice, highlighting the insurmountable barrier (for him) of the "marring of inheritance."

Ruth 4 6 Bonus section

The closest kinsman's exact relationship to Elimelech (or Naomi) is not specified beyond being "the nearest" (Ruth 3:12). This unnamed go'el's reluctance due to preserving his inheritance stands in contrast to Boaz's proactive willingness to take on this duty, despite the complexities. The levirate aspect, vital to Naomi and Ruth, might not have been a mandatory part of land redemption under all circumstances. However, Boaz's inclusion of it ("you acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow... to perpetuate the name of the deceased," Ruth 4:5) indicates it was either a general expectation when the redeemer was also marrying a widow, or specifically part of the agreement offered by Boaz. The go'el's concern for his nachalah (inheritance) reveals a fundamental aspect of Israelite society: the sanctity and importance of keeping ancestral lands within their designated tribal and family lines. This concern reflects laws established in texts like Numbers 36, which prevented inheritances from passing to other tribes through female heirs. The public nature of the legal proceedings at the city gate also underscores the transparency and witnessed legality of such transfers in ancient Israel, which were often sealed by the symbolic act of giving a sandal (Ruth 4:7-8). This narrative thus not only progresses the immediate plot but provides a rich tableau of ancient legal customs surrounding property, lineage, and the institution of the kinsman-redeemer, which finds its ultimate theological fulfillment in Christ.

Ruth 4 6 Commentary

Ruth 4:6 encapsulates the legal dilemma that paved the way for Boaz's role as redeemer. The closest kinsman, though willing to redeem the field for economic reasons, recoiled from the attached condition of marrying Ruth and raising an heir in the deceased's name. This additional requirement, fundamental to Ruth's plea, presented a direct conflict with his vested interest in preserving his own family's clear lineage and land inheritance. The word mar (spoil, destroy) signifies that to assume the full go'el duty here would, in his view, cause significant legal or financial damage to his estate or dilute his own line's claim to it. Essentially, he would be investing his resources (marrying Ruth) to perpetuate another man's name and estate, a venture he perceived as financially unwise or legally compromising to his own inheritance boundaries (Num 36). His refusal, articulated clearly and transferred officially, highlights the scrupulous adherence to legal protocols of the time and God's sovereign hand in orchestrating events according to His plan, even through human self-interest. This step was indispensable for Boaz to fulfill his part in God's redemptive narrative, eventually leading to the lineage of King David and, ultimately, the Messiah.