Ruth 4

Ruth 4:1

V. REDEMPTION BY BOAZ (4:1-12)4:1-6 In the morning Boaz went up to the gate of the city, where the elders sat and where legal matters were settled. It so “happened"another designed coincidence that the close relative walked by at that very moment. Addressing him as “friend,” and asking him to stop for a while, Boaz stood before the ten . . . elders and told the story of Naomi and Ruth. Then he gave the close relative the chance to buy back the land belonging to Elimelech, which had probably been mortgaged when Elimelech went to Moab. Up to this point, the unnamed relative was willing. However, when Boaz told him that whoever bought the land must also marry Ruth the Moabitess, he backed away, explaining that this would ruin his inheritance. He would have to devote time and energy to looking after Ruth’s property, thus possibly having to neglect his own. Ultimately, the land would go to Ruth’s heirs, not his own. Commenting on the omission of the nearer relative’s name, Matthew Poole writes: Doubtless Boaz knew his name, and called him by it; but it is omitted by the holy writer, partly because it was unnecessary to know it; and principally in way of contempt, as is usual, and as a just punishment upon him, that he who would not preserve his brother’s name might lose his own. The closer relative is widely taken to typify the law. Ten witnesses (the Ten Commandments) confirm its inability to redeem the sinner. “The law can’t redeem those whom it condemns. It would be against its own purpose.” The law could not redeem because it was weak through the flesh (Rom_8:3). The refusal of the closer relative freed Boaz, who was next in line, to marry Ruth. 4:7, 8 In those days, all transactions concerning redemption and exchange were confirmed by one of the parties taking off his sandal and handing it to the other. The law actually specified that the widow should take off the sandal of the refusing kinsman and spit in his face (Deu_25:9). In this case the closer relative simply took off his sandal and gave it to Boaz. 4:9-12 As soon as Boaz received the sandal, he announced that he would purchase Elimelech’s property and marry Ruth the Moabitess. The crowd blessed Boaz, wishing him a posterity as numerous as that of Rachel and Leah. The mention of Perez, the offspring of Tamar by Judah, overlooks the sordid aspects of that story and concentrates on the fact that it was another case of levirate marriage involving an Israelite and a foreigner.

Ruth 4:13

VI. THE ROYAL GENEALOGY OF DAVID TRACED BACK TO OBED (4:13-22)4:13-16 Boaz married Ruth, and she bore him a son named Obed (servant). Naomi took the baby as her own and became a nurse to him. 4:17-22 Obed later became the ancestor of Jesse, the father of David. Thus the book closes with a short genealogy of David (beloved) which was to become part of a greater genealogythat of David’s great Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 1). This genealogy is not intended to be complete. Salmon lived at the beginning of the period of the judges, and David was not born until the beginning of the period of the kings, a span of almost 400 years. Names are often deliberately omitted in biblical genealogies. With this little genealogy ending with David, the reader is prepared for the monarchy and the next books in biblical order, 1 and 2 Samuel.