Ruth 4:3

Ruth 4:3

Boaz Redeems Ruth

1 Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there; and behold, ^athe close relative of whom Boaz had spoken came by. So Boaz said, “Come aside, friend, sit down here.” So he came aside and sat down.

2 And he took ten men of ^athe elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down.

3 Then he said to the close relative, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, sold the piece of land ^awhich belonged to our brother Elimelech.

4 And I thought to inform you, saying, ^a‘Buy it back ^bin the presence of the inhabitants and the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if² you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; ^cfor there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you.’ ” And he said, “I will redeem it.”

5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, ^ato perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance.”

6 ^aAnd the close relative said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”

7 ^aNow this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging, to confirm anything: one man took off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was a confirmation in Israel.

Commentaries:

Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown

<< Ruth 4:2

Ruth 4:4 >>

Naomi . . . selleth a parcel of land—that is, entertains the idea of selling. In her circumstances she was at liberty to part with it (Leviticus 25:25). Both Naomi and Ruth had an interest in the land during their lives; but Naomi alone was mentioned, not only because she directed all the negotiations, but because the introduction of Ruth's name would awaken a suspicion of the necessity of marrying her, before the first proposition was answered.

**Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing Ruth 4:3:**

Ruth 4:1
Job 19:25
Jeremiah 32:7

<< Ruth 4:2

Ruth 4:4 >>

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