The Histories · Old Testament
Ruth 4
A household and a family line
General context
Boaz brings the question of the family property before the nearer relative and the town elders. When the relative declines, Boaz publicly announces the purchase and his intention to marry Ruth. Ruth bears a son, and the women speak to Naomi about the child. The closing verses name him Obed and connect him to Jesse and David.
Cited passages: Ruth 4:1, Ruth 4:2, Ruth 4:6, Ruth 4:9, Ruth 4:10, Ruth 4:13, Ruth 4:14, Ruth 4:17, Ruth 4:3
Ruth 4 (KJV)
1Then 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.
2And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.
3And 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:
4And 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.
5Then 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.
6And 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.
7Now 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.
8Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe.
9And 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.
10Moreover 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.
11And 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:
12And 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.
13So 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.
14And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.
15And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.
16And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.
17And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,
19And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,
20And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon,
21And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,
22And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.
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Historical context
The account places the transaction at the town gate with ten elders as witnesses. It pauses to explain an earlier Israelite practice involving a sandal to confirm a transaction. Boaz's announcement links the property and marriage to preserving the dead man's name in his inheritance. These explanations come from the story itself.
Literary context
The ending moves from public witnesses to a child in Naomi's care, then to a genealogy. The women address Naomi, while the narrator explicitly says Ruth gave birth. Keeping those statements together avoids confusing the child's mother with the person celebrated by her neighbours. The genealogy then places this household within a longer family line.
Cited passages: Ruth 4:13, Ruth 4:14, Ruth 4:16, Ruth 4:17, Ruth 4:18, Ruth 4:22
For reflection
Why might the narrator close this household story with a list of generations?
People in this chapter
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