Ruth 3:6-13

Ruth 3:6-13

[6] And she went down  unto the floor,  and did  according to all that her mother in law  bade  [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 corn:  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,  I am Ruth  thine handmaid:  spread  therefore thy skirt  over thine handmaid;  for thou art a near kinsman.  [10] And he said,  Blessed  my daughter:  for thou hast shewed  more kindness  in the latter end  than at the beginning,  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 virtuous  woman.  [12] And now it is true  that I am thy near kinsman:  howbeit there is  a kinsman  nearer  [13] Tarry  this night,  and it shall be in the morning,  that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman,  well;  let him do the kinsman's part:  but if he will  not do the part of a kinsman  to thee, as the LORD  liveth:  lie down  until the morning. 

What does Ruth 3:6-13 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Ruth carried out Naomi"s instructions exactly, further demonstrating her loyal love to her mother-in-law, and encouraged Boaz to pursue the possibility of marriage ( Ruth 3:6-9). Boaz"s response to Ruth"s actions is as remarkable as what she did.
"Note that the threshingfloor was a public place and that these incidents all took place in the open. Both men and women were lying about the threshingfloor. Entire families were gathered there. There was not much privacy connected with such circumstances, but it was the custom of the day and was not considered immodest or even questionable. This was a happy family gathering in the spirit of a religious festival....
"Instead of bringing him before the public eye and forcing him to perform the part of a goel [1], she was giving him the opportunity of rejecting or accepting the office of goel quietly." [2]
Evidently Ruth assumed, or at least hoped, that Boaz was the closest living single male relative of her husband Mahlon (cf. Ruth 4:10). As such he would have been able to marry her if he desired to do so. She was inviting him to exercise the legal right of her levir (brother-in-law). The Hebrew words translated "spread your covering [3] over your maid" ( Ruth 3:9) are an idiom referring to marrying (cf. Ruth 3:10; Ruth 2:12; Deuteronomy 22:30; Deuteronomy 27:20; 1 Kings 19:19; Ezekiel 16:8; Malachi 2:16).
The Old Testament nowhere lists marriage as a duty of a kinsman redeemer. Therefore Ruth"s request seems to go beyond Boaz"s obligations in that role. However there are indications that the duties of the go"el went beyond what the law stipulated, namely, the redemption of property and enslaved relatives. This was the spirit of the law if not its letter.
"The word"s metaphorical usage suggests that he also may have assisted a clan member in a lawsuit ( Job 19:25; Psalm 119:154; Proverbs 23:11; Jeremiah 50:34; Lamentations 3:58). Further, if one assumes that the picture of Yahweh as go"el reflects Israelite legal customs, the go"el also was an advocate who stood up for vulnerable family members and who took responsibility for unfortunate relatives. [4] In sum, it seems likely that the duty of go"el was a broad one-indeed, far broader than the redemption acts taught in Leviticus 25 and those typical of the levirate. Evidently it aimed to aid clan members, both the living who were perceived to be weak and vulnerable and the dead. Indeed, it may be particularly significant for the book of Ruth that two of the duties concern actions on behalf of the dead ( Numbers 5:8; Numbers 35:12; Numbers 35:19-27; etc.)." [5]
"The lives of genuinely good people are not governed by laws but character and a moral sense of right and wrong. For Boaz Yahweh"s covenant with Israel provides sufficient guidance for him to know what to do in this case." [6]
Why did Boaz not initiate a proposal of marriage? Evidently for two reasons: he assumed Ruth wanted to marry a younger Prayer of Manasseh , someone closer to her own age ( Ruth 3:10), and he was not the closest eligible male relative ( Ruth 3:12).
The blessing motif surfaces again as Boaz wished God"s blessing on Ruth for her kindness to him ( Ruth 3:10). Evidently her first kindness was her willingness to stay near Boaz by serving as his maidservant and by gleaning in his fields. Her last kindness was her willingness to marry him and thereby provide Naomi with an heir even though Boaz was an older man. Ruth assumed this familial obligation to Naomi of her own free will.
"Kindness" is loyal love (Heb. hesed, Ruth 3:10). This motif also appears again here. Previously Naomi had prayed that God would deal kindly with her daughters-in-law as they had dealt with her ( Ruth 1:8). Then she had prayed that Boaz would experience Yahweh"s blessing for his loyal love to Naomi, Ruth , and their husbands ( Ruth 2:20). Now Boaz acknowledged that Ruth had been God"s channel of blessing to him out of loyal love to him.
Boaz"s description of Ruth as a woman of "excellence" (NASB) or "noble character" (NIV, Heb. hayil) is interesting because the same Hebrew word describes Boaz in Ruth 4:3-5. Hayil means a person of wealth, character, virtue, attainment, and comprehensive excellence. As such Ruth was worthy to be the wife of Boaz. They were two of a kind. The word hayil also describes the ideal woman in Proverbs 31:10 (cf. Proverbs 12:4; Proverbs 19:14).
Boaz promised to marry Ruth if the nearer kinsman chose not to exercise his right to do so ( Ruth 3:13). [7]
"Not to carry through his commitment after invoking the Lord"s name would have been a violation of the third commandment ( Exodus 20:7)." [8]
What the nearer kinsman"s decision involved becomes clear later in the story ( Ruth 2:1). Even though Boaz wanted to marry Ruth , he did not violate the Mosaic Law to do so. His submission to God"s Law reflects his submission to God. We see here another reason he was an excellent man ( Ruth 2:1).