 Naomi tells Ruth to approach Boaz 1 She lays down at his feet at night 7 He promises be her kinsman redeemer if another does not 10 |
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CHAPTER 3
By Naomi's instructions, Ruth lies at feet of Boaz--He promises, as a kinsman, to seek her to wife. |
Naomi seeks to find Ruth a 'redeeming kinsman' who will perform according to the Law of Moses in taking Ruth to wife and to raise up seed to the dead, the house of Mahlon and Elimelech. Boaz commits to Ruth that he will perform the responsibility of the surrogate husband to her but he first has to let the nearer of kin, Peloni Almoni, of the same tribal Ephrathite clan as Manlon and Elimelech first commit to whether he will perform as the redeeming kinsman and take Ruth to wife in order to raise up seed to the dead. | Boaz has to allow Peloni Almoni the first option to redeem the tribal land of Elimelech, Mahlon and Chilion. The land inheritance is to stay in the same tribal family if there is such a one to perform that duty. Boaz cannot, because Boaz, though related by maternal marriage to Elimelech, is not of the same tribal clan as is Peloni Almoni. Boaz seems to know Peloni Almoni's nature, that he may want to redeem the land to his house but that Peloni Almoni may not want to take the responsiblity of marrying Ruth. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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1 ¶ Then Naomi her mother in
law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek
aresta
for thee, that it may be well with thee?
2 And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnowetha barley to night in the threshingfloor. 3 Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the afloor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking. 4 And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do. 5 And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do. 6 ¶ And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her. |
1a
rest Implying here marriage
Ruth 1:9. God gave two
important institutions or plans for 'rest' to attain to here upon this
earth which may extent on into eternity. These are marriage between
a man and a woman which might evolve into eternal celestial marriage
and membership in God's church of worship, the Kingdom of God. These
two institutions are inseparable in God's Kingdom for the Family is
the basic unit of the Church and the basic unit of God's Heaven and
Kingdom. It is the basis for etermal progression in bring to pass the
eternal life and immortality of man. When the institution of God's
marriage between a man and a women is attacked and challenged, the
very foundations of heaven are being attacked. (See
Declaration on the Family)
2a winnoweth This is a process of separating the chaff, the straw-like shells, from around the kernels of grain after loosening the shells by rubbing. To accomplish this, the 'whole' grain is tossed into the air. The wind would carry the lighter chaff away and the heavier grain, would fall down to the ground to be gathered in place. |
1a Implying marriage 3a IE threshing floor
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7 And when Boaz had eaten and
drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the
heap of acorn: and she came softly, and uncovered his
feet, and laid her down.
8 And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet. 9 And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near akinsmana. |
9a for thou art a near kinsman It was the 'right' in Israel for widow of the dead to approach a 'near kinsman brother' to 'require' him to perform the responsibility of the 'redeeming kinsman' in behalf of the dead brother. This is set out in Deuteronomy 25:5-10. Though Ruth's confrontation of Boaz on this matter was not exactly according to the precise steps set out, Ruth still had the right to requist of a 'kinsman brother' to perform such duty and if he would not, there was a performance of removing the shoe as witness 'against' them that they did refuse. Boaz will act as Ruth's representative in performing this witness at the gate of the city 'against' Peloni Almoni because Boaz by oath would so perform if the nearer kinsman would not. |
7a OR grain 9a Ruth 2:20
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10 And he said, Blessed be
thou of the LORD, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the
latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young
men, whether poor or rich.
11 And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a avirtuous woman. 12 And now it is true that I am thy anear kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I. 13 Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the apart of a kinsmana, well; let him do the kinsman's part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the LORD liveth: lie down until the morning. 14 ¶ And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up beforea one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor. 15 Also he said, Bring the avail that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and she went into the city. 16 And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her. 17 And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law. 18 Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day. |
13a
part of a kinsman The action of performance upon the 'part of
a kinsman' in this respect is to fulfill the vicarious surrogate fathering
of a 'firstborn' son to the house of the dead Mahlon in this case. This
vicarious performance should be familar to memebers of the LDS faith who
perform vicarious ordinances for the dead, in their behalf. Boaz would so
vicariously perform as a surrogate father to Ruth's first born son, Obed,
who would be the seed of the house of Mahlon and Elimelech. This is similar
to that great vicarious work which Jesus Christ has performed for all of us
in the atoning and redeeming sacrifice for sin which the Lord has performed
for each of us. And just as binding and effective as Christ's vicarious
performance for us is the vicarious temple work we do for the dead and just
so effective is Boaz's vicarious performance in raising up seed, Obed, to
the house of Mahlon and Elimelech, the true ancestors of Obed, Jesse, David
and of Jesus Christ as part of the house of David and the house of Elimelech.
14a rose up before Early in the dim light of morning, Ruth arose and did leave the threshing floor so as not to be recognized by any other than Boaz. This avoided any presumption upon the part of others of any impropriety having occured, which there was none. |
11a
Prov. 12:4;
Moro. 9:9; 12a Deut. 25:5-6 13a Matt. 22:24 15a OR cloak, mantle, a square piece of cloth used as an outer robe
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