Ruth 4
Big idea: Boaz takes the matter to the town gate, offers the nearer kinsman Naomi’s land, then binds to it the duty to marry Ruth and raise the dead man’s name — a cost the nearer redeemer refuses. Boaz redeems both land and Ruth before witnesses; their son Obed restores Naomi and becomes the grandfather of David. The empty widow ends with a child in her lap and a place in Israel’s royal line.
The genealogy that closes the book (4:18–22) runs Perez → Boaz → Obed → Jesse → David, turning a village love story into the backstory of the monarchy — and, in the New Testament, of the Messiah.
4:1–6 — At the gate
Boaz goes to the gate, seats ten elders as witnesses, and lays the case before the nearer kinsman: Naomi is selling Elimelech’s land — will he redeem it? The man agrees, until Boaz adds that redeeming the land means acquiring Ruth to raise up the dead man’s name on his inheritance. That would endanger the redeemer’s own estate, and he declines.
1 Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there. Behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by. Boaz said to him, “Come over here, friend, and sit down!” He came over, and sat down. 2 Boaz took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here,” and they sat down. 3 He said to the near kinsman, “Naomi, who has come back out of the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s. 4 I thought I should tell you, saying, ‘Buy it before those who sit here, and before the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know. For there is no one to redeem it besides you; and I am after you.” He said, “I will redeem it.” 5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must buy it also from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance.” 6 The near kinsman said, “I can’t redeem it for myself, lest I endanger my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption for yourself; for I can’t redeem it.”
4:7–12 — The sandal and the witnesses
By the old custom, the kinsman removes his sandal to seal the transfer, and Boaz declares before all the people that he has acquired Elimelech’s estate and Ruth as his wife to perpetuate the dead man’s name. The witnesses bless the marriage: may Ruth be like Rachel and Leah who built Israel, and Boaz’s house like Perez’s, born of Tamar and Judah.
7 Now this was the custom in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: a man took off his sandal, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the way of formalizing transactions in Israel. 8 So the near kinsman said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” then he took off his sandal. 9 Boaz said to the elders and to all the people, “You are witnesses today, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi. 10 Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, I have purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses today.” 11 All the people who were in the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May Yahweh make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and like Leah, which both built the house of Israel; and treat you worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 Let your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, of the offspring which Yahweh will give you by this young woman.”
4:13–17 — A son born to Naomi
Boaz marries Ruth, Yahweh gives her conception, and she bears a son. The women bless Naomi: Yahweh has not left her without a redeemer; the child will restore her life and old age, born of the daughter-in-law who loves her and is “better to you than seven sons.” Naomi takes the boy to her bosom, and the neighbors name him Obed — father of Jesse, father of David.
13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and he went in to her, and Yahweh enabled her to conceive, and she bore a son. 14 The women said to Naomi, “Blessed be Yahweh, who has not left you today without a near kinsman. Let his name be famous in Israel. 15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and sustain you in your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” 16 Naomi took the child, laid him in her bosom, and became nurse to him. 17 The women, her neighbors, gave him a name, saying, “A son is born to Naomi”. They named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
4:18–22 — The generations of Perez
A ten-name genealogy runs from Perez (son of Judah and Tamar) through Boaz and Obed to Jesse and David. The private story of a Bethlehem family is revealed as a public, national one: the line of the coming king passes straight through a Moabite widow’s faithfulness.
18 Now this is the history of the generations of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron, 19 and Hezron became the father of Ram, and Ram became the father of Amminadab, 20 and Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon became the father of Salmon, 21 and Salmon became the father of Boaz, and Boaz became the father of Obed, 22 and Obed became the father of Jesse, and Jesse became the father of David.
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).