The Skeptics Annotated Bible (255 page)

(3.3)
“Make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.”

4 And it shall be,
when he lieth down
, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt
go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.

(3.4) “When he lieth down … go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.”

5 And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.

6 And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her.

(3.7-9) Ruth does as Naomi says, and then at midnight Boaz wakes up and finds Ruth “at his feet.” He asks who she is, and she says, “I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore your skirt over thine handmaid.” (“Spreading one’s skirt” is a biblical euphemism for sexual intercourse.)

7 And
when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry
, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and
she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.

(3.7)
“When Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, … she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.”

8 And it came to pass
at midnight
, that
the man
was afraid, and
turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.

(3.8)
At midnight … the man
…
turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.”

9
And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid
; for thou art a near kinsman.

(3.9)
“And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid.”

10 And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.

(3.11-14) Boaz seems agreeable to the suggestion and says, “I will do thee all that thou requirest.” Next he asks her to “Tarry this night … lie down until the morning.” So Ruth “lay at his feet until the morning.”

11 And
now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest
: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.

(3.11)
“Now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest.”

12 And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.

13
Tarry this night
, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman’s part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the LORD liveth:
lie down until the morning.

(3.13)
“Tarry this night … lie down until the morning.”

14
And she lay at his feet until the morning
: and she rose up before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor.

(3.14) “And she lay at his feet until the morning.”

15 Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and she went into the city.

16 And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her.

17 And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother-in-law.

18 Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day.

4
Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.

2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.

3 And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s:

4 And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.

5 Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.

6 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.

7 Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel.

8 Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe.

9 And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, of the hand of Naomi.

10 Moreover
Ruth the Moabitess
, the wife of Mahlon,
have I purchased to be my wife
, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.

(4.10)
“Ruth the Moabitess … have I purchased to be my wife.”
Boaz purchases Ruth to be his wife.

11 And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Beth-lehem:

12 And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman.

13 So
Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son.

(4.13) “Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son.”