RUTH

The book of Ruth is the record of a Believer. Elimelech, Naomi and their two sons had gone to Moab because of a famine in Israel during the time of the Judges. There Elimelech died and their two sons married two Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. The sons died also and the women were left with no children. Culturally the husband's family was to provide for the widows but for the daughters-in-law there weren't any. Orpah went back to her family and Ruth persisted and stayed with Naomi because she believed God. There is still a possibility of help; culture provides a Kinsman Redeem: one of the deceased husband's family can help raise up children with Ruth for Naomi.

Ruth 1
:15 And she [Naomi] said,
    Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people,
        and unto her gods:
    return thou after thy sister in law.
:16 And Ruth said,
        Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee:
        for whither thou goest, I will go;
        and where thou lodgest, I will lodge;
        thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
:17   Where thou diest, will I die,
        and there will I be buried:
        the LORD do so to me,
            and more also,
        if ought but death part thee and me.

 Ruth is committed to God and Naomi. She has heard of the one true God and chooses to believe. Their circumstances are dire. Culturally, it appears that they are out of favor with God because their husbands have died leaving them with no children. Who is going to take care of them? They are facing a life of poverty. Yet, Ruth still believes God and decides to take a stand and trust Him.

:22 So Naomi returned,
    and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her,
        which returned out of the country of Moab:
    and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest. [late April]

Ruth 2
:1 And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's,
        a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech;
    and his name was Boaz.
:2 And 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.
:3 And 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.

In verse three where God says "and her hap [miqreh] was to light [qarah] on" contains two Hebrew words that indicate a figure of speech. Each of these words have an element of chance in their meanings. Miqreh means 'something met with, i.e. and accident or fortune' and qarah means 'to light upon (chiefly by accident).' So, "her chance chanced upon." This is a figure of speech called polyptoton "a repetition of the same part of speech in different inflections" (Appendix 6 of the Companion Bible). Figures of speech are legitimate grammatical usages which depart from literal language to call attention to themselves. The words of the Lord are pure words. His Word has no contaminations. The words are written specifically for specific purposes. The figures of speech are there to draw our attention to specific messages in specific ways.

Ruth, by chance, chanced upon the field of Boaz--a wealthy man and kinsman to Naomi--where Ruth could glean food. This is an honorable way for people to get food if there is no one to take care of them.

:4 And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers,
        The LORD be with you.
    And they answered him,
        The LORD bless thee.
:5 Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers,
        Whose damsel is this?
:6 And 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:
:7     And 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.
:8 Then 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:
:9     Let 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.
:10 Then 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?
            [not of the house of Israel]
:11 And 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.
:12 The 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.

Here is another figure of speech anthropopatheia; contributing to God, who is spirit, the characteristics of humans or creatures. God does not have wings but you can picture the loving care of a mother bird protecting and caring for her brood under her expansive wings. The picture these words draw in your mind is more vivid than merely saying "in whom you have trusted." Let it be said of us:

The 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.

:13 Then 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.
:14 And 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 [gave to/handed] her parched corn, [roasted ears of grain]
    and she did eat,
    and was sufficed,
    and left.

Take note of the all of the 'ands' in verse 14. This is polysyndeton or 'Many Ands'. It is the repetition of the word "and" at the beginning of successive clauses, each independent, important, and emphatic, with no climax at the end. Each act above is individually important. She ate with Boaz. In Eastern customs it is significant if you eat with someone. It is customary to bring someone in and offer them food but the host will stand apart while the guests eat. He handed her food, but she ate with the reapers.

:15 And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying,
        Let her glean even among the sheaves,
        and reproach her not: [reproach...: Heb. shame her not]
:16    And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her,
and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.
:17 So she gleaned in the field until even,
    and beat out that she had gleaned:
    and it was about an ephah of barley. [about 3 English pecks or ? of a bushel]

God has put Ruth in the right place. Her ephah of barley is pretty good for a days work at gleaning.

:19 And 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.
:20 And 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. [this is very important]
:21 And Ruth the Moabitess said,
        He said unto me also,
            Thou shalt keep fast by my young men,
            until they have ended all my harvest.
:22 And 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.
:23 So 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.

God is taking care of them because of their faithfulness.

Ruth 2:12
The 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.