Commentary - Ruth 2:17-23

Bird's-eye view

This section of Ruth marks a significant turning point in the narrative, moving from the quiet desperation of two widows to the first tangible rays of redemptive hope. The passage details the fruit of Ruth's hard labor and, more importantly, the fruit of Boaz's lavish generosity, which is itself a fruit of his faithfulness to God's law. What we see here is the machinery of God's providence beginning to turn in a visible way. The conversation between Ruth and Naomi is the centerpiece, where a simple report about a day's work leads to a staggering theological revelation: the man who showed such kindness is not just any landowner, but a kinsman redeemer. This discovery ignites Naomi's faith, which had been smoldering under a pile of bitter ashes, and sets the stage for the central drama of the book. The themes are clear: God's provision for the poor, the blessing that comes from obedience to His law, the crucial importance of covenantal kindness (hesed), and the dawning realization that God has not abandoned His people.

In essence, this is the moment when the lights come on for Naomi. She connects the dots between Boaz's personal character and his covenantal obligation. This is not just a story about a lucky break for a poor girl; it is a story about how God weaves His grand redemptive plan through the faithful, everyday actions of His people. The day's wages are not just an ephah of barley, but a bushel of hope.

Outline

Context In Ruth

Coming immediately after Ruth's first encounter with Boaz in the field, this passage is the direct result of that meeting. In the preceding verses (Ruth 2:1-16), we see the "chance" happening of Ruth ending up in Boaz's field, Boaz's inquiry about her, his extraordinary kindness toward her, and his prayer of blessing over her. He has commanded his men not to bother her, to let her drink from their water jars, and even to pull out extra stalks of barley for her to glean. The events of our current passage are the tangible outcome of that grace. Ruth returns home not with the meager scraps a poor gleaner might expect, but with an abundance that astonishes her mother-in-law. This abundance prompts the crucial conversation that reveals Boaz's identity and his potential role in their family's future, a future that looked utterly bleak at the end of chapter 1.

Key Issues

The Hinge of the Story

Every good story has a moment where the plot turns, where a piece of information is revealed that changes everything. This is that moment in the book of Ruth. Up to this point, we have a story of tragedy, loyalty, and hard work. But it is a story without a clear path forward. Naomi is bitter, Ruth is a foreigner, and they are both destitute. But when Ruth comes home with a staggering amount of grain and a name, the name of Boaz, the story pivots. Naomi, the same woman who said "the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me," now pronounces a blessing from Yahweh.

The key that turns the lock is the identification of Boaz as a kinsman redeemer. This is a technical, legal, covenantal term. A kinsman redeemer (go'el) had the right and responsibility to "redeem" or buy back a relative who had fallen into debt or slavery, and to buy back family land that had been sold. By extension, as we see in the law of Levirate marriage (Deut. 25:5-10), he also had a responsibility to the family line. Naomi hears the name "Boaz" and doesn't just see a kind man; she sees a potential answer to her family's extinction. She sees God's law providing a path out of the cul-de-sac of her despair. This is where personal piety (Boaz's kindness) intersects with covenantal law, and the result is the engine of redemption starting up.

Verse by Verse Commentary

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

The verse begins by emphasizing Ruth's diligence. She worked the entire day, "until evening." Her virtue is not laziness expecting a handout, but industriousness. The result of her labor, however, is far beyond what mere industriousness could produce. After threshing her grain, she has about an ephah. An ephah was a significant amount, likely somewhere between 20 and 30 pounds of barley. This was not a handful to get them through the next meal; this was enough to feed two women for a couple of weeks. This is not just provision; it is abundance. And we, the readers, know that this abundance is the direct result of Boaz's commands to his men. It is the fruit of a combination of Ruth's hard work and Boaz's unmerited favor. This is a picture of the Christian life: our diligent labor combined with God's sovereign grace produces a harvest beyond all expectation.

18 She took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also took it out and gave Naomi what she had left after she was satisfied.

Ruth's character continues to shine. She carries this heavy load back to the city, a testament to her strength and determination. The first thing that happens is that Naomi "saw" the results. The visual impact of this mountain of grain must have been stunning. But Ruth's provision did not stop there. She also brought out the leftover roasted grain from the lunch Boaz had provided. She had eaten "after she was satisfied," and instead of keeping the rest for herself for the next day, her first thought was to give it to Naomi. This is a small detail, but it speaks volumes about her selfless love and her commitment to the vow she made back in chapter 1. She is not just providing for their shared household; she is actively caring for her mother-in-law.

19 Her mother-in-law then said to her, “Where did you glean today and where did you work? May he who took notice of you be blessed.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, “The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz.”

Naomi is sharp. She knows that this kind of haul is not normal. This was not the result of gleaning in just any field. So she asks two questions: "Where did you glean?" and "Where did you work?" Before she even gets an answer, she pronounces a blessing on the anonymous benefactor. "May he who took notice of you be blessed." She rightly perceives that someone has shown extraordinary favor to Ruth. Ruth's reply is simple and direct, withholding none of the details. She identifies the man by name: Boaz. The giving of the name is the crucial piece of information that unlocks the whole situation for Naomi.

20 Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed of Yahweh who has not forsaken his lovingkindness to the living and to the dead.” Then Naomi said to her, “The man is our relative; he is one of our kinsman redeemers.”

This is the theological climax of the chapter. Upon hearing the name Boaz, Naomi erupts in a doxology. And notice the radical shift from her attitude in chapter 1. There, she claimed Yahweh's hand was against her. Here, she blesses Boaz in the name of Yahweh. She recognizes that God has not forsaken His hesed, His covenantal lovingkindness. This is a massive theological statement. She sees Boaz's kindness to her and Ruth ("the living") as an extension of God's faithfulness to her dead husband and sons ("the dead"). God's covenant promises extend beyond the grave. Then comes the revelation: "The man is our relative; he is one of our kinsman redeemers." Naomi connects Boaz's character to his covenantal position. The kindness he showed was not just the random act of a nice man; it was the kindness of a man who was living out his covenantal identity, perhaps without even realizing the full implications of what he was doing. For Naomi, this is the first glimmer of a real, substantive hope for the restoration of her family line and property.

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

Ruth, perhaps not yet grasping the full legal significance of the term "kinsman redeemer," adds another piece of practical good news. The provision is not just for one day. Boaz has extended an invitation for her to glean in his fields for the entire harvest season, both the barley and the subsequent wheat harvest. She reports his instruction to stay close to his "young men." This detail sets up Naomi's corrective counsel in the next verse. Ruth is reporting the facts, and in her innocence, she doesn't see the potential problem.

22 Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, so that others do not oppress you in another field.”

Here we see Naomi's wisdom and prudence. She affirms the goodness of Boaz's offer but subtly corrects the detail. "It is good... that you go out with his young women." Boaz had told her to stay close to the reapers (who were men), but also mentioned that he had charged them not to touch her. Naomi, knowing the ways of the world, understands that it is far safer and more proper for a young woman to associate with the other women in the field. This protects Ruth's reputation and her safety. She also reinforces the wisdom of staying in Boaz's field exclusively. To go to another field would be to risk being "oppressed" or molested, and it would also be an act of ingratitude toward Boaz. Good theology (recognizing God's hand) leads to wise and practical living.

23 So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz in order to glean until the end of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

The chapter concludes with a summary of Ruth's obedience and faithfulness. She follows Naomi's wise counsel, staying with the women. She continues her diligent work for the entire duration of the harvest season, which would have been several weeks. The final clause is simple but profound: "And she lived with her mother-in-law." This reminds us of the foundational commitment upon which this whole story is built. Ruth's loyalty to Naomi, her refusal to abandon her, is the human bedrock upon which God is building this glorious story of redemption. Her faithfulness in the small thing, her relationship with Naomi, has opened the door to this great and unexpected blessing.

Application

This passage is a master class in seeing the hand of God in the ordinary course of life. We are tempted to look for God in the spectacular, the miraculous, the burning bush. But here, God's lovingkindness arrives in a sack of barley. God's redemption is revealed in a conversation between two women at the end of a long work day. We must learn to see the world as Naomi begins to see it again. The kindness of a godly employer, a word of encouragement, an unexpected provision, these are not random bits of luck. For the Christian, they are the fingerprints of a sovereign and gracious Father who has not forsaken His lovingkindness to the living or to the dead.

Furthermore, we see the beautiful interplay of grace and effort. Ruth works hard, from sunup to sundown. But the abundance comes from Boaz's grace. We are called to be diligent in our callings, to work with all our might. But we must never believe that the fruit of our labor is entirely our own doing. It is God who gives the increase, and our response should be one of profound gratitude. And like Boaz, those of us who are in a position of strength or authority are called to be agents of God's grace. We are to be faithful to God's law, which always has a special concern for the widow, the orphan, and the foreigner. We are to leave "handfuls on purpose" for those in need, reflecting the character of our ultimate Kinsman Redeemer, Jesus Christ, who did not just leave handfuls for us, but gave Himself completely.