Ruth 2

“Let me now go to the field, (says Ruth,) and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find favour; that is, after whoever may allow me, for there were probably brutes in that country, as in ours, that would reduce the privilege almost to nothing. It was “her hap,” however, to light on a part of the fields belonging to Boaz; and thus our chances are God’s providences. The pious farmer comes into the fields to visit and to encourage his reapers. “The Lord be with you,” said he; and they answered, ‘The Lord bless thee.’ A beautiful example this of the piety and simplicity of primitive times; and a striking instance of the harmony between urbanity and true religion, which is always disgraced by moroseness and ill-temper.

Seeing, however, a strange woman in the field, Boaz inquires of his overseer whose damsel she was; and understanding it to be Naomi’s daughter-in-law, of whose kind and dutiful conduct towards her mother he appears to have been informed, he encourages her to continue gleaning after his maidens, and charges his young men in no way to interrupt her. Naomi hearing this account, begins to see the hand of Providence in the business, reminds her daughter that Boaz was one of their nearest kinsmen, and intimates an anticipation of much greater things than these, in which views Ruth no doubt participated—for she did as she was desired—kept fast by the young people of Boaz, until the full end of harvest.

Notes on the verses

II. Ver. 2. Glean ears of corn.—This, formerly, was the general custom. This address of Naomi to her daughters-in-law is exceedingly tender, persuasive, and affecting. |—Bagster.

Ver. 14. Ruth clave.—[The LXX. add, “and returned to her own people.” The Vulgate, Syriac, and Arabic, are to the same purpose. It seems a very natural addition, and agrees with the assertion in the next verse; and is accordingly adopted by Houbigant as a part of the text.]—Bagster.

Ver. 4. Boaz came from Beth-lehem.—Homer represents the master of the field a king among his reapers, with his staff, or sceptre, in his hand.

Ver. 6. The servant, &c.—(This seems to have been a kind of steward, who had the under-management of the estate. Some think that an officer of this kind is intended by Homer, in the description he gives of a harvest field, as represented by Vulcan on one compartment of the shield of Achilles. He is there styled a king, and his staff is called a sceptre; and he stands in mute attendance merely to see that the work is well done and that each performs his task.)—Bagster.

Ver. 15. Unto her ‘gods.—{They were probably both idolaters at this time. That they were proselytes is an unfounded conjecture; and the conversion of Ruth probably now commenced.}—Bagster.

Ver. 19. All the city was moved.—{From this it would appear that Naomi was not only well known but also highly respected at Beth-lehem; a proof that Boaz was of high consideration at that place.}—Bagster.

Ver. 7. In the house.—A tent, or shed, erected for the shelter or refreshment of the reapers, &c.

Ver. 22. Barley harvest.—[At the beginning of Spring: for the barley-harvest, which was now concluding.]

Ver. 14. Dip thy morsel in the vinegar.—According to Calmet, this was not the strong acid used for sallads, &c. but a kind of small wine, (hence forbidden to the Nazarites,) much used in harvest time, and a usual drink of the common soldiers.

—He reached her parched corn.—M’Michael says, ‘To day we crossed the valley of Elassar, near some corn-fields, where one of the Arabs plucked some green ears of corn, parched them for us, by putting them into the fire, and then, when roasted, rubbed out the grain in his hands,”

Ver. 17. An ephah of barley.—‘* Not less than seven gallons and a half; a good day’s work.”—Dr. Clarke.

Ver. 18. That she had reserved.—Part of her dinner, probably, which she had reserved for Naomi.

Ver. 20. To the living and the dead.—To herself and her late husband.

— One of our next kinsmen.— Hebrew, “Of our dec Goel signifies a near kinsman, who hath the right to redeem the inheritance, or revenge the death of his relative. See Chap. iv.

Ver. 23. The wheat-harvest.—This followed about a month after the barley-harvest, which was now concluding.

Chap. III. Ver. 2. Winnoweth.—{It is probable that the winnowing of grain was effected by taking up a portion of the corn in a sieve, and letting it down slowly in the wind; thus the grain would, by its own weight, fall in one place while the chaff, &c. would be carried to a distance by the wind. It is said here that this was done at night; probably what was threshed out in the day was winnowed in the evening, when the sea-breeze set in, which was common in Palestine.}—Bagster.

Ver. 7. Went to lie down.—[Such was the simplicity of those early times that the most wealthy persons looked after their own affairs, both at home and in the field. These threshing-floors were covered at top to keep off the rain, but lay open on all sides, that the wind might come in freely, for winnowing the corn; which being done, it is probable they were shut up at night, with doors fitted to them, that if any one lay there he might be kept warm, and the corn be secured from robbers.]

—Bagster.

Ver. 9. Spread thy skirt.—(Heb. “spread thy wing:” the emblem of protection; and a metaphor taken from the young of fowls, which run under the wings of their mother from birds of prey. Even to the present day, when a Jew marries a woman, he throws the skirt of his talith over her, to signify that he has taken her under his protection.)—Bagster.

Chap. II. Ver. 1. My horn is exalted—Bruce remarks the use of horns, silver or gilt, by the governors of provinces, which he describes as shaped like candle extinguishers. The late ingenious Editor of Calmet considers them as military insignia; and mentions having seen some Sepoys from the East Indies, several years ago, with steel horns of the same shape on the front of their helmets; but he seems to doubt the propriety of applying them to the female dress.—Fragments, No. 114. The following testimonies, however, are decisive on this point. Col. Light describes the female Maronites and Druses as wearing a tin or silver conical tube, about twelve inches long; and the wife of the Emir on Mount Lebanon, as sometimes wearing one of gold, enriched with precious stones. ‘Those seen by Macmichel were of silver, studded with jewels, so placed as to mark their conditions, a married woman wearing the horn on the right side, a widow on the left, and a virgin directly on her crown, the vail being always thrown over each. Buckingham mentions a Christian woman with a silver horn rising from her forehead obliquely, four or five inches in diameter, and tapering to a point—Orient. Lit. No. 426.

—My mouth is enlarged.—That is, I speak with boldness.

Ver. 2. There is none beside thee.—This whole hymn is evidently tied, and we conceive (as often is the case) a word is to be borrowed from the preceding member of the verse, thus: “* There is none holy as Jehovah: There is none (holy) besides thee. ‘There is no rock like our God !”

Ver. 3. Talk no more exceeding proudly.—Heb, “* Multiply not your boasting proudly, proudly.”—Dr. Jebb’s Sac. Lit. p. 393.

Ver. 5. They that were hungry ceased (to hunger.)—Dr. Hunt.

Ver. 10. Broken to pieces.—[The LXX. insert, ’ Let not the wise glory in his wisdom, nor the strong glory in his strength, nor the rich glory in riches; but let him who glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth the out; and executeth judgment and righteousness in the midst of the people.] —Bagster.

Ver. 20. Ele blessed, &c.—[‘The natural place for this verse seems to be before the 11th, after which the 21st should probably come in; and after the 21st, perhaps the 26th should follow.]—Bagster.