Ruth — Chapter 2

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1And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.

2And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.

3And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

4And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee.

5Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?

6And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:

7And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house.

8Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:

9Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.

10Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?

11And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.

12The 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.

13Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.

14And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.

15And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:

16And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.

17So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.

18And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed.

19And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man’s name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz.

20And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.

21And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.

22And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field.

23So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.

1And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband`s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz.

2And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.

3And she went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on the portion of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

4And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, Jehovah be with you. And they answered him, Jehovah bless thee.

5Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?

6And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:

7And she said, Let me glean, I pray you, and gather after the reapers among the sheaves. So she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, save that she tarried a little in the house.

8Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither pass from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens.

9Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.

10Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found favor in thy sight, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a foreigner?

11And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been showed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thy husband; and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people that thou knewest not heretofore.

12Jehovah recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of Jehovah, the God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to take refuge.

13Then she said, Let me find favor in thy sight, my lord, for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken kindly unto thy handmaid, though I be not as one of thy handmaidens.

14And at meal-time Boaz said unto her, Come hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers, and they reached her parched grain, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left thereof.

15And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not.

16And also pull out some for her from the bundles, and leave it, and let her glean, and rebuke her not.

17So she gleaned in the field until even; and she beat out that which she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.

18And she took it up, and went into the city; and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth and gave to her that which she had left after she was sufficed.

19And her mother-in-law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to-day? and where hast thou wrought? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she showed her mother-in-law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man`s name with whom I wrought to-day is Boaz.

20And Naomi said unto her daughter-in-law, Blessed be he of Jehovah, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is nigh of kin unto us, one of our near kinsmen.

21And Ruth the Moabitess said, Yea, he said unto me, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.

22And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter-in-law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, and that they meet thee not in any other field.

23So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz, to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.

1Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side of the family named Boaz. He was a wealthy, prominent man from the clan of Elimelech.

2One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields so I can gather grain behind whoever permits me to do so.” Naomi replied, “You may go, my daughter.”

3So Ruth went and gathered grain in the fields behind the harvesters. Now she just happened to end up in the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.

4Now at that very moment, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, “May the Lord be with you!” They replied, “May the Lord bless you!”

5Boaz asked his servant in charge of the harvesters, “To whom does this young woman belong?”

6The servant in charge of the harvesters replied, “She’s the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the region of Moab.

7She asked, ‘May I follow the harvesters and gather grain among the bundles?’ Since she arrived she has been working hard from this morning until now—except for sitting in the resting hut a short time.”

8So Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen carefully, my dear! Do not leave to gather grain in another field. You need not go beyond the limits of this field. You may go along beside my female workers.

9Take note of the field where the men are harvesting and follow behind with the female workers. I will tell the men to leave you alone. When you are thirsty, you may go to the water jars and drink some of the water the servants draw.”

10Ruth knelt before him with her forehead to the ground and said to him, “Why are you so kind and so attentive to me, even though I am a foreigner?”

11Boaz replied to her, “I have been given a full report of all that you have done for your mother-in-law following the death of your husband—how you left your father and your mother, as well as your homeland, and came to live among people you did not know previously.

12May the Lord reward your efforts! May your acts of kindness be repaid fully by the Lord God of Israel, from whom you have sought protection.”

13She said, “You really are being kind to me, sir, for you have reassured and encouraged me, your servant, even though I will never be like one of your servants.”

14Later during the mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and have some food! Dip your bread in the vinegar.” So she sat down beside the harvesters. Then he handed her some roasted grain. She ate until she was full and saved the rest.

15When she got up to gather grain, Boaz told his male servants, “Let her gather grain even among the bundles. Don’t chase her off!

16Make sure you pull out ears of grain for her and drop them so she can gather them up. Don’t tell her not to!”

17So she gathered grain in the field until evening. When she threshed what she had gathered, it came to about 30 pounds of barley.

18She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw how much grain she had gathered. Then Ruth gave her the roasted grain she had saved from mealtime.

19Her mother-in-law asked her, “Where did you gather grain today? Where did you work? May the one who took notice of you be rewarded!” So Ruth told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked. She said, “The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz.”

20Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be rewarded by the Lord because he has shown loyalty to the living on behalf of the dead!” Then Naomi said to her, “This man is a close relative of ours; he is our guardian.”

21Ruth the Moabite replied, “He even told me, ‘You may go along beside my servants until they have finished gathering all my harvest!’”

22Naomi then said to her daughter-in-law Ruth, “It is good, my daughter, that you should go out to work with his female servants. That way you will not be harmed, which could happen in another field.”

23So Ruth worked beside Boaz’s female servants, gathering grain until the end of the barley harvest as well as the wheat harvest. After that she stayed home with her mother-in-law.

1Naomi had a relative of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz.

2Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Let me now go to the field, and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I find favor.” She said to her, “Go, my daughter.”

3She went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

4Behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, “May Yahweh be with you.” They answered him, “May Yahweh bless you.”

5Then Boaz said to his servant who was set over the reapers, “Whose young lady is this?”

6The servant who was set over the reapers answered, “It is the Moabite lady who came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab.

7She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ So she came, and has continued even from the morning until now, except that she rested a little in the house.”

8Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Don’t go to glean in another field, and don’t go from here, but stay here close to my maidens.

9Let your eyes be on the field that they reap, and go after them. Haven’t I commanded the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink from that which the young men have drawn.”

10Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take knowledge of me, since I am a foreigner?”

11Boaz answered her, “I have been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother, and the land of your birth, and have come to a people that you didn’t know before.

12May Yahweh repay your work, and a full reward be given to you from Yahweh, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”

13Then she said, “Let me find favor in your sight, my lord, because you have comforted me, and because you have spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not as one of your servants.”

14At meal time Boaz said to her, “Come here, and eat some bread, and dip your morsel in the vinegar.” She sat beside the reapers, and they passed her parched grain, and she ate, and was satisfied, and left some of it.

15When she had risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and don’t reproach her.

16Also pull out some for her from the bundles, and leave it. Let her glean, and don’t rebuke her.”

17So she gleaned in the field until evening; and she beat out that which she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.

18She took it up, and went into the city. Then her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned; and she brought out and gave to her that which she had left after she had enough.

19Her mother-in-law said to her, “Where have you gleaned today? Where have you worked? Blessed be he who noticed you.” She told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.”

20Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by Yahweh, who has not abandoned his kindness to the living and to the dead.” Naomi said to her, “The man is a close relative to us, one of our near kinsmen.”

21Ruth the Moabitess said, “Yes, he said to me, ‘You shall stay close to my young men, until they have finished all my harvest.’”

22Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maidens, and that they not meet you in any other field.”

23So she stayed close to the maidens of Boaz, to glean to the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and she lived with her mother-in-law.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Reflection

Summary

Ruth gleans in the field of Boaz, a wealthy relative of Naomi's husband, and he shows her extraordinary kindness and protection. God's providence guides her steps to the one man who can redeem their family.

Authorship & Background

Author: Unknown, traditionally attributed to Samuel. Ruth is set 'in the days when the judges ruled' (1:1) but provides a beautiful contrast to the moral chaos of Judges. While Judges ends with 'every man did that which was right in his own eyes,' Ruth shows ordinary people living faithfully in dark times. The book demonstrates God's providence, the kinsman-redeemer (go'el) concept, and the inclusion of Gentiles in God's plan. Ruth, a Moabite woman, becomes the great-grandmother of David and an ancestor of Christ (Matthew 1:5).
Historical Context: Chapter 2 introduces Boaz and the practice of gleaning. The Mosaic Law required landowners to leave the edges of their fields unharvested and not to go back for forgotten sheaves — these were for "the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow" (Leviticus 19:9-10; 23:22; Deuteronomy 24:19-22). Ruth qualifies on all three counts: she is a stranger (foreigner), effectively fatherless (no male protector), and a widow. The gleaning laws were Israel's social safety net — not charity but dignified provision through labor. Ruth does not beg; she works. The chapter's pivotal phrase is "her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz" (v.3). The Hebrew word "miqreh" (chance, happening) is used with deliberate irony — what appears to be random chance is God's sovereign direction. Ruth "happens" to find the one field in Bethlehem belonging to a kinsman-redeemer of Elimelech's family. Boaz himself is introduced as "a mighty man of wealth" (KJV) or "a worthy man" (ESV) — Hebrew "gibbor chayil," a man of substance, valor, and standing. His first words in the narrative are a blessing: "The LORD be with you" (v.4). He is a man whose speech reveals his character. His treatment of Ruth — protection, provision, invitation to eat, deliberate generosity ("let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose") — goes far beyond legal obligation. The gleaning law required leaving scraps; Boaz provides abundance. His blessing in v.12 — "under whose wings thou art come to trust" — uses the image of God as a sheltering bird (Psalm 91:4; 36:7), and foreshadows his own role: in chapter 3, Ruth will ask him to spread his "wing" (same Hebrew word) over her. Boaz becomes the human instrument of the divine shelter he invokes. Naomi's response when she learns the identity of Ruth's benefactor reveals the theological heart of the book: "Blessed be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead" (v.20). God's hesed has not ceased. The kinsman-redeemer has appeared. Hope returns.
Ruth's Initiative and God's Providence (vv.1-3): Ruth takes initiative: "Let me now go to the field, and glean" (v.2). She does not wait for provision to come to her — she goes to work within the system God has provided. Naomi's simple "Go, my daughter" suggests either resignation or trust. Ruth's "hap" (v.3) — her chance encounter with Boaz's field — is the narrator's way of showing that what humans experience as coincidence, God orchestrates as providence. There is no randomness in God's economy. The field she "happens" upon belongs to a man who is both wealthy enough to help and related closely enough to redeem.
Boaz's Character Revealed (vv.4-16): Boaz arrives greeting his workers with blessing (v.4) — this is a man whose relationship with God permeates his daily business. He notices Ruth immediately and inquires about her (v.5). His servant's report emphasizes her diligence: "she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now" (v.7). Boaz's response to Ruth is extraordinary in its generosity: stay in my field (v.8), drink from my water (v.9), eat at my table (v.14), glean among the sheaves — not just the edges (v.15), and I will deliberately drop grain for you (v.16). Each instruction exceeds what the law requires. His protection — "have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee?" (v.9) — acknowledges the real danger a foreign woman faced in the fields. His knowledge of her story (v.11) shows that Ruth's faithfulness to Naomi has become known throughout Bethlehem. Reputation precedes her.
The Blessing of Wings (v.12): Boaz's prayer — "a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust" — is both a blessing and an unconscious prophecy. The Hebrew "k'nafayim" (wings) is the same word translated "skirt" in 3:9 when Ruth asks Boaz to spread his "skirt" over her. Boaz prays that God will shelter Ruth; God's answer is that Boaz himself will be the shelter. This is how God often works: He answers prayers through the very people who pray them.
Naomi's Recognition (vv.19-23): When Naomi learns that Ruth has gleaned in Boaz's field, her response shifts from bitterness to blessing. "The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen" (v.20) — KJV. The ESV is more explicit: "one of our redeemers." The Hebrew "go'el" appears here for the first time in Ruth. Naomi recognizes that God has not abandoned them — He has positioned them near a redeemer. The chapter ends with Ruth gleaning through both barley and wheat harvests (v.23) — approximately seven weeks of provision, from April to June.

Map & Geography

  • Bethlehem and its surrounding fields: Ruth gleans in Boaz's barley fields during the harvest season
  • The fields lay outside the town walls; gleaning rights allowed the poor to follow reapers along the field edges
  • Bethlehem sits in the fertile hill country of Judah, surrounded by terraced agricultural land

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik highlights the phrase "her hap was to light on" as the narrator's deliberate irony — nothing in Ruth's story is accidental. He notes that Boaz's generosity exceeds legal requirement at every point, making him a type of Christ who gives far beyond what duty demands.
  • Charles Spurgeon: "Boaz said to his servants, 'Let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her.' What a beautiful picture of grace! The Lord does not merely permit us to glean in His fields — He instructs His providence to drop blessings deliberately in our path, disguised as happy accidents. We think we have found them by our own effort; in truth, they were placed there by His design. Every mercy that seems accidental is actually intentional. Every blessing that appears earned is actually given. Handfuls of purpose — that is the story of every believer's life."

Reflection

  • 1. Providence disguised as coincidence (v.3). Ruth "happened" to find Boaz's field. We "happen" upon jobs, relationships, opportunities, and open doors that are actually God's sovereign placement. Learn to recognize providence in retrospect — the "accidents" of life are often God's appointments. Trust that God is directing your steps even when you cannot see His hand.
  • 2. Grace that preserves dignity (v.16). Boaz does not hand Ruth a bag of grain — he arranges for her to "find" it through her own labor. God's provision often works this way: He opens doors that require us to walk through them. True generosity empowers rather than creates dependence. When helping others, consider how to give in ways that honor their dignity and agency.
  • 3. Character precedes blessing (v.11). Boaz blesses Ruth because her faithfulness is already known. Her loyalty to Naomi, her willingness to work, her humility — these preceded Boaz's generosity. God often prepares the ground of blessing through the quiet faithfulness that no one seems to notice. But someone always notices. Reputation is built in obscurity.
  • 4. Faithful speech reveals faithful hearts (v.4). Boaz's first recorded words are a blessing: "The LORD be with you." How we speak to those under our authority reveals our relationship with God. Leaders who bless their people create cultures of faithfulness. The words we speak over others matter.
  • 5. God answers prayers through the people who pray them (v.12). Boaz prays that God will shelter Ruth under His wings. God's answer: Boaz himself will spread his wing over her (3:9). When we pray for others, we should be prepared to become the answer. Prayer is not a substitute for action — it is often the prelude to it.