Commentary - Ruth 4:1-12

Bird's-eye view

In this culminating chapter of the story, we witness the public and legal resolution to all the private piety and covenantal loyalty that have gone before. Boaz, having been prompted by Ruth at the threshing floor, does not delay but proceeds immediately to the city gate, the place of all legal and commercial transactions. He is a man of his word. There, he masterfully and honorably orchestrates the legal proceedings required to redeem both the land of Elimelech and the hand of Ruth. He confronts the nearer kinsman, who is willing to perform the financially advantageous part of the duty but shrinks from the costly, covenantal part. With the refusal of the first redeemer, Boaz steps in. The entire transaction is done publicly, before ten elders as witnesses, and sealed with the ancient custom of the sandal. The chapter concludes with the joyful blessing of the people, who recognize in this union the hand of God at work, invoking the great matriarchs of Israel and, significantly, the line of Perez, born to Tamar. This is the gospel in miniature: a worthy redeemer pays the price to bring a Gentile bride into the covenant family, securing a name and an inheritance for the dead.

This is not a story about romance in the modern sense; it is a story about righteousness, duty, and covenant love, which is the only firm foundation for romance. Boaz is a model of masculine, godly initiative, and the events at the gate are a model for how Christians ought to conduct their affairs, with integrity, wisdom, and public accountability.

Outline

Context In Ruth

Ruth chapter 4 is the climax and resolution of the entire book. Chapter 1 introduced us to the tragedy of famine, death, and emptiness, leaving Naomi bereft and Ruth a loyal but destitute widow. Chapter 2 showed the first glimmers of hope through the providence of God, as Ruth "happened" to find herself in the field of Boaz, a man of standing and grace. Chapter 3 contained the pivotal night scene at the threshing floor, where Ruth, at Naomi's direction, boldly appeals to Boaz to act as her kinsman redeemer. Boaz commends her righteousness and promises to settle the matter. Chapter 4 is the fulfillment of that promise. It moves the story from the private sphere of the field and threshing floor into the public square, the city gate. Here, all the loose ends are tied up legally and publicly, resulting in the redemption of the inheritance and the marriage of Boaz and Ruth, which will reverse the emptiness of chapter 1 and lead directly to the genealogy of King David.

Key Issues

The Righteousness of the Redeemer

The entire scene at the gate is a master class in public righteousness. Boaz is not only a good man, but he is also a wise one. He knows that for this redemption to be secure, for Ruth's honor to be protected, and for the resulting inheritance to be uncontested, everything must be done in the full light of day, according to the established legal customs of Israel. There are no backroom deals, no shortcuts. He assembles a lawful court of ten elders. He gives the nearer kinsman the proper right of first refusal. He lays out the terms plainly. His integrity is impeccable.

This stands in stark contrast to our modern world, which prizes privacy and autonomy above all. For us, religion, relationships, and even business are often seen as "personal matters." But in Israel, covenant life was public life. Boaz understood that his duty to his kinsman, to Naomi, and to Ruth was a public duty, to be witnessed and affirmed by the community. This is the kind of robust, tangible faith that builds strong cultures. It is a faith that is not afraid of the light, but rather does its work in the gate, for all to see.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1-2 Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the kinsman redeemer of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, “Turn aside, my fellow, sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. Then he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down.

Boaz is a man of his word and a man of action. He told Ruth he would handle it, and the very next morning he is at the gate, the center of civic life. And then we have one of those glorious "divine coincidences" that fill this book. Behold, the very man he needs to see just happens to be passing by. This is the quiet hand of God's providence, arranging all things. Boaz does not shout or make a scene. He respectfully calls the man over, addressing him with a Hebrew phrase that is something like "Mr. So-and-so." Then Boaz formally gathers ten elders. This is not a casual chat; he is convening a court. He is establishing a proper legal body to witness and ratify the proceedings. Everything is being done decently and in order.

3-4 Then he said to the kinsman redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from the fields of Moab, has to sell the portion of the field which belonged to our brother Elimelech. So I thought to uncover this matter in your hearing, saying, ‘Acquire it before those who are sitting here and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if no one redeems it, tell me that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am after you.’ ” And he said, “I will redeem it.”

Boaz lays out the first part of the case. It is a straightforward real estate transaction. Naomi is selling family land, and according to the law (Leviticus 25), the nearest kinsman has the right to buy it to keep it within the family. Boaz presents this as a clear duty and opportunity. The other kinsman, seeing a chance to expand his own holdings, immediately agrees: "I will redeem it." From a purely financial perspective, it is a good deal. He sees the asset, but he does not yet see the obligation that comes with it. The trap is set.

5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the one who had died, in order to raise up the name of the one who had died, on behalf of his inheritance.”

This is the masterstroke. Boaz now reveals the other side of the coin. The land and the widow are a package deal. Redeeming the property of the dead means taking responsibility for the family of the dead. He must marry Ruth for the specific purpose of producing an heir who would then inherit the very land he was acquiring. The goal was not personal enrichment, but to raise up the name of the one who had died. This was the heart of the matter. It was about covenant loyalty, about ensuring a family line did not die out in Israel. It was about love, not just law.

6 So the kinsman redeemer 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.”

The man's true character is now revealed. The moment a personal cost is introduced, he backs out. Marrying Ruth and raising a son for Mahlon meant that the redeemed land would eventually pass to that son, not to his own heirs. Furthermore, supporting a wife and future child would be a drain on his current estate. His calculation is entirely selfish: "I cannot do it, lest I ruin my own inheritance." He prioritizes his own name and his own wealth over the name and legacy of his deceased kinsman. He is a man who will do his duty only when it is profitable. Boaz, by contrast, is willing to absorb the cost. This is the difference between a hireling and a shepherd, between a mere contractor and a true redeemer.

7-8 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the right of redemption and the exchange of land to establish any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel. So the kinsman redeemer said to Boaz, “Acquire this for yourself.” And he removed his sandal.

The narrator pauses to explain this legal custom for later readers. The removal and giving of a sandal symbolized the yielding of a right or a property. It was a public, tangible act that sealed the deal, like signing a contract today. The unnamed kinsman formally and publicly relinquishes his right of redemption to Boaz. The path is now clear.

9-10 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have acquired all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon from the hand of Naomi. And also, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the one who had died, on behalf of his inheritance, so that the name of the one who had died will not be cut off from his brothers or from the gate of his birth place; you are witnesses today.”

Boaz addresses the official witnesses and the watching crowd. He declares what he has done. First, he has acquired the property. But second, and more importantly, he has acquired the person. He explicitly states his purpose: he is taking Ruth as his wife to perpetuate the name and lineage of Mahlon. He is not just buying a field; he is rebuilding a family. He is fighting against the curse of death and oblivion. He wants everyone to know that this is an act of covenantal redemption, and he calls them all to bear witness.

11 And all the people who were in the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May Yahweh grant the woman who is coming into your home to be like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel, and so you shall achieve excellence in Ephrathah and shall proclaim your name in Bethlehem.

The community responds with a hearty affirmation and a blessing. They confirm their role as witnesses. Then they pray that Yahweh would make Ruth, this Moabitess, like Rachel and Leah, the foundational matriarchs of the twelve tribes of Israel. This is a staggering blessing. They are praying that this foreign woman would be a great mother in Israel, building up the covenant people. They bless Boaz as well, praying for his prosperity and reputation in his hometown.

12 Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the seed which Yahweh will grant you by this young woman.”

The second part of the blessing is even more pointed. They invoke the memory of Perez. The story of his conception (Genesis 38) was irregular and, on the surface, scandalous. Tamar, a widow, had to resort to a desperate stratagem to compel her father-in-law Judah to fulfill his levirate duty. And yet, from that messy situation, God brought forth the line of Perez, the very line from which Boaz himself descended. The people see a parallel. In Boaz and Ruth's story, which also involves a widow and the levirate principle, they see the same hand of God at work, bringing righteousness and life out of a situation of loss and potential shame. They are blessing this union by placing it squarely in the middle of God's unconventional, sovereign, and gracious plan of redemption, a plan that would ultimately lead to Christ.

Application

The story of Boaz at the gate is a profound illustration of the gospel and a powerful exhortation for Christian living. Boaz is a type of Christ, our great Kinsman Redeemer. We, like Ruth, were outsiders, spiritual Moabites, with no claim on the inheritance. We were destitute, and our first husband, Adam, left us with nothing but death. But Christ, our Boaz, was not ashamed to call us brethren. He came to the gate, to the place of judgment, and He met the demands of the law. The law, like the nearer kinsman, could point out the problem but could not ultimately solve it because of the cost. The law could not redeem us. But Christ could. He did not shrink from the cost; He paid it in full, not to protect His own inheritance, but to give His life for His bride. He redeemed us not with silver or gold, but with His own precious blood, in order to raise up a name for Himself and to bring us into His family forever.

For us, the application is twofold. First, we must rejoice in our redemption. We have been bought with a price by a Redeemer who did not count the cost. Our security is not in our own righteousness, but in His. Second, we are called to live like Boaz. Christian men in particular should see in Boaz a model of integrity, initiative, and responsibility. He used his strength and standing not to exploit the weak, but to protect and provide for them. All of us are called to conduct our affairs, our business, our relationships, with this same public integrity. Our word should be our bond. Our duties should be performed with diligence and love, not just when it is convenient. We are to be a people who live out our redemption in the city gate, for all the world to see.