Pastor Jerry A. Burns
On Ruth 2:13-23
Comforted by grace (verse 13)
Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens (verse 13).
Ruth knew she had no claim on Boaz. She was not even like one of his servants. Yet he had comforted her and spoken friendly, literally spoken to her heart. That is what the Lord Jesus does for the sinner who comes to Him. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).
A seat at his table (verse 14)
And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left (verse 14).
The stranger from Moab was invited to sit at the table. Boaz himself reached her the parched corn. Notice the three words at the end of the verse. She did eat. She was sufficed. And she left, that is, she had food left over. Grace does not give barely enough. Grace gives more than enough. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly (John 10:10).
The believer has been invited to the Lord's table as well, not because we belong there by birth, but because He welcomed us. Ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God (Ephesians 2:19).
Handfuls of purpose (verses 15 and 16)
And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not: And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not (verses 15 and 16).
Ordinarily, a gleaner gathered only what the reapers missed at the edges. But Boaz told his men to let her glean among the sheaves, and to drop handfuls on purpose where she would find them. She did not know it, but the blessing in her path had been placed there by the lord of the harvest.
That is grace. God does not give us leftovers. He gives us handfuls of purpose. Many of the blessings we stumble upon in life were dropped there on purpose by a loving God. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights (James 1:17).
An ephah of barley (verse 17)
So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley (verse 17).
Ruth did not stop at noon. She worked until evening, then threshed what she had gathered. An ephah was about 22 litres, far more than a gleaner could expect to gather in one day. God's blessing and Ruth's diligence went hand in hand. The hand of the diligent maketh rich (Proverbs 10:4).
Blessing brought home (verses 18 and 19)
And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed (verse 18).
Ruth did not keep the blessing to herself. She brought home the grain, and she also brought the food she had saved from the mealtime. The woman who had been blessed became a blessing.
And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz (verse 19).
Naomi could see that this was no ordinary day of gleaning. Someone had shown Ruth special favour. And then Ruth said the name, Boaz.
Bitterness gives way to blessing (verse 20)
And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen (verse 20).
Listen to the change in Naomi. In chapter 1 she said, the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me (Ruth 1:20). Now she says, Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness. The bitter woman is blessing God again. The word kindness is the Hebrew word for God's loyal, covenant love. Naomi thought God had left her. Now she sees He never stopped being kind.
And for the first time, hope appears. The man is near of kin unto us. Naomi knew what that meant. Boaz was a kinsman redeemer. There was someone with the right and the means to redeem.
This is where God's providence brings us. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning (Psalm 30:5).
Stay in his field (verses 21 to 23)
And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest. And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field (verses 21 and 22).
Naomi's counsel was wise. Stay in Boaz's field. Do not wander into another field. In another field there would be no protection, no provision, and no kinsman. The believer is wise to stay close to the Lord and to His people. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is (Hebrews 10:25). Wandering into other fields always leaves us exposed.
So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law (verse 23).
Ruth stayed faithful through the whole season, from barley harvest to the end of wheat harvest, a period of about seven weeks. She kept gleaning, kept serving, and kept caring for Naomi. She did not yet know how the story would end. But she stayed in the right field, and God was preparing the next chapter.
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Pastor Jerry A. Burns
On Ruth 2:13-23
Comforted by grace (verse 13)
Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens (verse 13).
Ruth knew she had no claim on Boaz. She was not even like one of his servants. Yet he had comforted her and spoken friendly, literally spoken to her heart. That is what the Lord Jesus does for the sinner who comes to Him. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).
A seat at his table (verse 14)
And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left (verse 14).
The stranger from Moab was invited to sit at the table. Boaz himself reached her the parched corn. Notice the three words at the end of the verse. She did eat. She was sufficed. And she left, that is, she had food left over. Grace does not give barely enough. Grace gives more than enough. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly (John 10:10).
The believer has been invited to the Lord's table as well, not because we belong there by birth, but because He welcomed us. Ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God (Ephesians 2:19).
Handfuls of purpose (verses 15 and 16)
And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not: And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not (verses 15 and 16).
Ordinarily, a gleaner gathered only what the reapers missed at the edges. But Boaz told his men to let her glean among the sheaves, and to drop handfuls on purpose where she would find them. She did not know it, but the blessing in her path had been placed there by the lord of the harvest.
That is grace. God does not give us leftovers. He gives us handfuls of purpose. Many of the blessings we stumble upon in life were dropped there on purpose by a loving God. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights (James 1:17).
An ephah of barley (verse 17)
So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley (verse 17).
Ruth did not stop at noon. She worked until evening, then threshed what she had gathered. An ephah was about 22 litres, far more than a gleaner could expect to gather in one day. God's blessing and Ruth's diligence went hand in hand. The hand of the diligent maketh rich (Proverbs 10:4).
Blessing brought home (verses 18 and 19)
And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed (verse 18).
Ruth did not keep the blessing to herself. She brought home the grain, and she also brought the food she had saved from the mealtime. The woman who had been blessed became a blessing.
And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz (verse 19).
Naomi could see that this was no ordinary day of gleaning. Someone had shown Ruth special favour. And then Ruth said the name, Boaz.
Bitterness gives way to blessing (verse 20)
And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen (verse 20).
Listen to the change in Naomi. In chapter 1 she said, the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me (Ruth 1:20). Now she says, Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness. The bitter woman is blessing God again. The word kindness is the Hebrew word for God's loyal, covenant love. Naomi thought God had left her. Now she sees He never stopped being kind.
And for the first time, hope appears. The man is near of kin unto us. Naomi knew what that meant. Boaz was a kinsman redeemer. There was someone with the right and the means to redeem.
This is where God's providence brings us. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning (Psalm 30:5).
Stay in his field (verses 21 to 23)
And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest. And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field (verses 21 and 22).
Naomi's counsel was wise. Stay in Boaz's field. Do not wander into another field. In another field there would be no protection, no provision, and no kinsman. The believer is wise to stay close to the Lord and to His people. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is (Hebrews 10:25). Wandering into other fields always leaves us exposed.
So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law (verse 23).
Ruth stayed faithful through the whole season, from barley harvest to the end of wheat harvest, a period of about seven weeks. She kept gleaning, kept serving, and kept caring for Naomi. She did not yet know how the story would end. But she stayed in the right field, and God was preparing the next chapter.
Adam Clarke
On Ruth 2:13
Not like unto one of thine hand-maidens - I am as unworthy of thy regards as any of thine own maidservants, and yet thou showest me distinguished kindness.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
On Ruth 2:9-13
go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn - Gleaners were sometimes allowed, by kind and charitable masters, to partake of the refreshments provided for the reapers. The vessels alluded to were skin bottles, filled with water--and the bread was soaked in vinegar (Rut 2:14); a kind of poor, weak wine, sometimes mingled with a little olive oil--very cooling, as would be required in harvest-time. This grateful refection is still used in the harvest-field.
John Gill
On Ruth 2:13
Then she said, let me find favour in thy sight, my lord,.... Or rather, since she had found favour in his sight already: the words are to be considered, not as a wish for it, but as acknowledging it, and expressing her faith and confidence, that she should for time to come find favour in his sight, and have other instances of it; for so the words may be rendered, "I shall find favour" (z), for which she gives the following reasons:
for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid; had spoken in her commendation, and wished her all happiness here and hereafter; said kind and comfortable words to her, to her very heart, as in Isaiah 40:2 which were cheering, refreshing, and reviving to her:
though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens; not worthy to be one of them, or to be ranked with them, being meaner than the meanest of them, a poor widow, and a Moabitish woman; the Septuagint and Syriac versions leave out the negative particle, and read, "I shall be as one of thine handmaids".
(z) "inveniam gratiam", Pagninus, Montanus.
Keil & Delitzsch
On Ruth 2:13
Ruth replied with true humility, "May I find favour in thine eyes; for thou hast comforted me, and spoken to the heart of thy maiden (see Jdg 19:3), though I am not like one of thy maidens," i.e., though I stand in no such near relation to thee, as to have been able to earn thy favour. In this last clause she restricts the expression "thy maiden." Carpzov has rightly pointed this out: "But what am I saying when I call myself thy maiden? since I am not worthy to be compared to the least of thy maidens." The word אמצא is to be taken in an optative sense, as expressive of the wish that Boaz might continue towards her the kindness he had already expressed. To take it as a present, "I find favour" (Clericus and Bertheau), does not tally with the modesty and humility shown by Ruth in the following words.
Matthew Henry
On Ruth 2:4-16
Now Boaz himself appears, and a great deal of decency there appears in his carriage both towards his own servants and towards this poor stranger.
I. Towards his own servants, and those that were employed for him in reaping and gathering in his corn. Harvest-time is busy time, many hands must then be at work. Boaz that had much, being a mighty man of wealth, had much to do, and consequently many to work under him and to live upon him. As goods are increased those are increased that eat them, and what good has the owner thereof save the beholding of them with his eyes? Boaz is here an example of a good master.
1. He had a servant that was set over the reapers, Rut 2:6. In great families it is requisite there should be one to oversee the rest of the servants, and appoint to each their portion both of work and meat. Ministers are such servants in God's house, and it is requisite that they be both wise and faithful, and show their Lord all things, as he here, Rut 2:6.
2. Yet he came himself to his reapers, to see how the work went forward, if he found any thing amiss to rectify it, and to give further orders what should be done. This was both for his own interest (he that wholly leaves his business to others will have it done by the halves; the master's eye makes a fat horse) and it was also for the encouragement of his servants, who would go on the more cheerfully in their work when their master countenanced them so far as to make them a visit. Masters that live at ease should think with tenderness of those that toil for them and bear the burden and heat of the day.
3. Kind and pious salutations were interchanged between Boaz and his reapers.
(1.) He said to them, The Lord be with you; and they replied, The Lord bless thee, Rut 2:4. Hereby they expressed, [1.] Their mutual respect to each other; he to them as good servants, and they to him as a good master. When he came to them he did not fall a chiding them, as if he came only to find fault and exercise his authority, but he prayed for them: "The Lord be with you, prosper you, and give you health and strength, and preserve you from any disaster." Nor did they, as soon as ever he was out of hearing, fall a cursing him, as some ill-natured servants that hate their master's eye, but they returned his courtesy: "The Lord bless thee, and make our labours serviceable to thy prosperity." Things are likely to go on well in a house where there is such good-will as this between master and servants. [2.] Their joint-dependence upon the divine providence. They express their kindness to each other by praying one for another. They show not only their courtesy, but their piety, and acknowledgement that all good comes from the presence and blessing of God, which therefore we should value and desire above any thing else both for ourselves and others.
(2.) Let us hence learn to use, [1.] Courteous salutations, as expressions of a sincere good-will to our friends. [2.] Pious ejaculations, lifting up our hearts to God for his favour, in such short prayers as these. Only we must take heed that they do not degenerate into formality, lest in them we take the name of the Lord our God in vain; but, if we be serious in them, we may in them keep up our communion with God, and fetch in mercy and grace from him. It appears to have been the usual custom thus to wish reapers good speed, Psa 129:7, Psa 129:8.
4. He took an account from his reapers concerning a stranger he met with in the field, and gave necessary orders concerning her, that they should not touch her (Rut 2:9) nor reproach her, Rut 2:15. Masters must take care, not only that they do no hurt themselves, but that they suffer not their servants and those under them to do hurt. He also ordered them to be kind to her, and let fall some of the handfuls on purpose for her. Though it is fit that masters should restrain and rebuke their servants' wastefulness, yet they should not tie them up from being charitable, but give them allowance for that, with prudent directions.
II. Boaz was very kind to Ruth, and showed her a great deal of favour, induced to it by the account he had of her, and what he observed concerning her, God also inclining his heart to countenance her. Coming among his reapers, he observed this stranger among them, and got intelligence from his steward who she was, and here is a very particular account of what passed concerning her.
1. The steward gave to Boaz a very fair account of her, proper to recommend her to his favour, Rut 2:6, Rut 2:7. (1.) That she was a stranger, and therefore one of those that by the law of God were to gather the gleanings of the harvest, Lev 19:9, Lev 19:10. She is the Moabitish damsel. (2.) That she was allied to his family; she came back with Naomi, the wife of Elimelech, a kinsman of Boaz. (3.) That she was a proselyte, for she came out of the country of Moab to settle in the land of Israel. (4.) That she was very modest, and had not gleaned till she had asked leave. (5.) That she was very industrious, and had continued close to her work from morning even until now. And the poor that are industrious and willing to take pains are fit to be encouraged. Now, in the heat of the day, she tarried a little in the house or booth that was set up in the field for shelter from the weather to repose herself, and some suggest that it is probably she retired for her devotion. But she soon came back to her work, and, except that little intermission, kept close to it all day, though it was not what she had been used to. Servants should be just in the character and reports they give to their masters, and take heed they do not misrepresent any person, nor without cause discourage their master's charity.
2. Boaz was hereupon extremely civil to her in divers instances. (1.) He ordered her to attend his reapers in every field they gathered in and not to glean in the field of another, for she should not need to go any where else to better herself (Rut 2:8): Abide here fast by my maidens; for those of her own sex were the fittest company for her. (2.) He charged all his servants to be very tender of her and respectful to her, and no doubt they would be so to one to whom they saw their master kind. She was a stranger, and it is probably her language, dress, and mien differed much from theirs; but he charged them that they should not in any thing affront her, or be abusive to her, as rude servants are too apt to be to strangers. (3.) He bade her welcome to the entertainment he had provided for his own servants. He ordered her, not only to drink of the water which was drawn for them (for that seems to be the liquor he means, Rut 2:9, drawn from the famous well of Beth-lehem which was by the gate, the water of which David longed for, Sa2 23:15), but at meal-time to come and eat of their bread (Rut 2:14), yea, and she should be welcome to their sauce too: Come, dip thy morsel in the vinegar, to make it savoury; for God allows us not only nourishing but relishing food, not for necessity only, but for delight. And for encouragement o her, and direction to the servants, he himself, happening to be present when the reapers sat down to meat, reached her parched corn to eat. It is no disparagement to the finest hand to be reached forth to the needy (Pro 31:20), and to be employed in serving the poor. Observe, Boaz was not scanty in his provision for his reapers, but sent them so much more than enough for themselves as would be entertainment for a stranger. Thus there is that scattereth and yet increaseth. (4.) He commended her for her dutiful respect to her mother-in-law, which, though he did not know her by sight, yet he had heard of (Rut 2:11): It has been fully shown me all that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law. Note, Those that do well ought to have the praise of it. But that which especially he commended her for was that she had left her own country, and had become a proselyte to the Jewish religion; for so the Chaldee expounds it: "Thou hast come to be proselyted, and to dwell among a people whom thou knowest not." Those that leave all, to embrace the true religion, are worthy of double honour. (5.) He prayed for her (Rut 2:12): The Lord recompense thy work. Her strong affection to the commonwealth of Israel, to which she was by birth an alien, was such a work of the divine grace in her as would certainly be crowned with a full reward by him under whose wings she had come to trust. Note, Those that by faith come under the wings of the divine grace, and have a full complacency and confidence in that grace, may be sure of a full recompence of reward for their so doing. From this expression, the Jews describe a proselyte to be one that is gathered under the wings of the divine majesty. (6.) He encouraged her to go on in her gleaning, and did not offer to take her off from that; for the greatest kindness we can do our poor relations is to assist and encourage their industry. Boaz ordered his servants to let her glean among the sheaves, where other gleaners were not allowed to come, and not to reproach her, that is, not to call her thief, or to suspect her of taking more than was allowed her, Rut 2:15. All this shows Boaz to have been a man of a generous spirit, and one that, according to the law, considered the heart of a stranger.
3. Ruth received his favours with a great deal of humility and gratitude, and conducted herself with as much propriety in her place as he did himself in his, but little thinking that she should shortly be the mistress of that field she was now gleaning in. (1.) She paid all possible respect to him, and gave him honour, according to the usage of the country (Rut 2:10): She fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground. Note, Good breeding is a great ornament to religion; and we must render honour to whom honour is due. (2.) She humbly owned herself unworthy of his favours: "I am a stranger (Rut 2:10) and not like one of thy handmaids (Rut 2:13), not so well dressed nor so well taught, not so neat nor so handy." Note, It well becomes us all to think meanly of ourselves, and to take notice of that in ourselves which is diminishing, esteeming others better than ourselves. (3.) She gratefully acknowledged his kindness to her; though it was no great expense to him, nor much more than what he was obliged to by the divine law, yet she magnifies and admires it: Why have I found grace in thy eyes? Rut 2:10. (4.) She begs the continuance of his good-will: Let me find favour in they sight (Rut 2:13), and owns that what he had said had been a cordial to her: Thou hast comforted me, for that thou hast spoken friendly to me. Those that are great, and in high places, know not how much good they may do to their inferiors with a kind look or by speaking friendly to them; and so small an expense, one would think, they should not grudge, when it shall be put upon the score of their charity. (5.) When Boaz gave her her dinner with his reapers she only ate so much as would suffice her, and left the rest, and immediately rose up to glean, Rut 2:14, Rut 2:15. She did not, under pretence either of her want or of her labour, eat more than was convenient for her, nor so much as to unfit her for work in the afternoon. Temperance is a friend to industry; and we must eat and drink to strengthen us for business, not to indispose us to it.
Tyndale Study Notes
On Ruth 2:13
2:13 your workers (literally your maidservants): By her use of this term, Ruth placed herself lower on the social scale than Boaz’s servants.
Tyndale Open Study Notes · CC BY-SA 4.0