Ladies Bible Study Session 3 Ruth 2

HISTORICAL:

*WHAT TIME PERIOD ARE WE DEALING WITH?

-Still the time of the judges b/f Israel had no king.

*WHAT’S HAPPENING ON THE WORLD STAGE?

-Nations are still pretty autonomous. Egypt is probably the biggest ruling nation at this time and also the most advanced it appears for now.

*WHAT’S HAPPENING AT A REGIONAL LEVEL?

This is predominantly Caananite territory that Israel taken over a big portion of but there are still areas that have not been conquered. Currently there appears to be peace/good relations with them though.

*WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE PARTICULAR LOCATION OF THIS STORY?

As has already been hinted at, this is a time of peace when prosperity has been restored to Bethlehem by Yahweh. It is so good that how the poor can be taken care of is well in place to the point of giving Ruth choices of fields she can glean at. This is a sign of abundant blessings for Bethlehem.

*WHAT’S HAPPENED IN THE PAST THAT’S INFORMING THESE PRESENT EVENTS? The famine that has ended but it has to have been a longer period of time especially if prosperity appears to be firmly established by the time Ruth ventures out to choose a field to glean from.

CULTURAL:

*IS THIS A JEWISH CONTEXT? ROMAN? EGYPTIAN? BABYLONIAN? ETC?

Hebraic (“Judaism” did not exist at this time for this is pre-exilic times)

*HOW IS THE CONTEXT (JEWISH, ROMAN, ETC.) IMPACTING THE STORY?

Because of this time era in Israel’s history everything is tied so much to carrying out the Torah instructions especially when it comes to dealing with the poor and the widows.

WHAT CULTURAL CLUES ARE GIVEN EXPLICITLY IN THE PASSAGE?

-The chapter itself begins with an introduction of Boaz:

“Now there was a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem named Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi’s HUSBAND, Elimelech.” This very man mentioned owns the very land that Ruth will find herself gleaning in.

-English Bibles translate ish gbwr chayil as “a man of standing” (NIV), “a worthy man” (ESV), “a man of great wealth” (NASB, NKJV), “a man of substance” (JPS), “a powerful man, and very rich” (Douay), “a prominent rich man” (NRSV), etc.

-We will see throughout this chapter some of the reasons why Boaz is given this characteristic. In the LINGUISTIC SECTION, we will discuss more of what this Hebrew word means.

*WHAT CULTURAL ASPECTS ARE SITTING BELOW THE SURFACE?

-There are apparently many fields dedicated to being a place where the poor/more vulnerable can choose to provide for themselves.

*HOW ARE VALUES, SUCH AS HONOR AND SHAME, INFLUENCING THE STORY? Boaz’s generosity is a definite thing to note as an honorable characteristic of him.

*WHAT ASSUMPTIONS ARE WE MAKING BASED ON OUR OWN CULTURAL LENSES THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE ACCURATE IN THE STORY?

GENERAL NOTES:

GLEAN—The corners of fields were not to be reaped, and the sheaf accidentally left behind was not to be fetched away, according to the law of Moses (Lev. 19:9; 23:22; Deut. 24:21). They were to be left for the poor to glean. Similar laws were given regarding vineyards and oliveyards. (Comp. Ruth 2:2.)

GLEANING (lāqaṭ, ‘to gather, glean’; ‘ālal, ‘to roll, glean, suck’, usually of grapes). Amid the rejoicing of harvest-time a kindly Israelitish law upheld the custom whereby the poor, orphans and strangers were allowed to glean grain, grapes and olives (Lv. 19:9–10; 23:22; Dt. 24:19). *RUTH took full advantage of the practice (Ru. 2:2ff.); Gideon used it in striking illustration of the superiority of Ephraim (Jdg. 8:2); and Jeremiah made of it a metaphor to express the complete annihilation of ‘backsliding Israel (Je. 6:9; 49:9–10). The custom of gleaning still persists in certain eastern countries. (*AGRICULTURE.)

Le 19:9–10

Le 23:22

Dt 24:19–22

It would have been easiest for the poor to roam over the whole field to improve their chances of adequate returns. In contrast, Boaz has intentions that Ruth be more than adequately provided for.

Victor Harold Matthews, Mark W. Chavalas, and John H. Walton, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament,

-Gleaning is akin to picking up the scraps that remain. In today’s context that would be like when we see people that scavenge through junkyards or trash heaps; or think of homeless people digging through garbage bins outside of restaurants.

-Scavenging: This is how people at the lowest rungs of society would get their food.

How gleaning worked: It occurred during tie time of the barley harvest which is in early spring; then about 7 wks later the wheat harvest.

-In the winter the grain is planted; winter rains come and then it grows. At springtime, it’s ready to harvest.

-The first people, the men would come through and would grab handfuls. Then, with a sickle chop them by hand. When a certain amount had been gathered, they would bundle them together, tie them off and set it.

-That is called a SHEAVE/SHEAF of grain and it would stand up.

-They’d go to the next sections and complete the process until the assigned sections of the field were completed.

-In this process sometimes a stalk or two are missed. Sometimes when binding, a piece would fall out, or when stacking a piece would fall out.

-The harvesters would make these sheaves, and then usually the women would come behind them and gather and bring in the sheaves, taking them to the threshing floor. That’s the 2nd stage.

-What was left on the ground was picked up by the “scavengers”/gleaners to take what they could/wanted.

-A CRAFTY LANDOWNER would send their harvesters back through again to pick up those leftovers b/c it was worth quite a lot. HOWEVER The Torah forbid Israel to be like this. they were to leave the edges unharvested.

- Fun Fact: an “EDGE” was up to what the landowner saw was an edge to them. So a landowner could CHOOSE to be generous or very stingy.

-This was Israel’s version of “social welfare program”.

-Look at how God set up a system to take care of the poor!

*QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION:

-With the political landscape of today who best aligns with what God instructed His people?

-Explain your response.

-Which is the better word: GLEAN or SCAVENGE?

-Explain your response.

Ruth 2.4 (Boaz arrives and greets his workers and they respond back)

-Boaz is shown to be a faithful Israelite b/c he greets his workers and they reply back “in the name of Yahweh” not the name of Baal or Chemosh or any other god BUT ONLY in the name of Yahweh. This tells us what kind of man this Boaz guy is.

*Ruth 2.5 5 CONJUNCTIONThen Boaz asked his foreman, “Who is that young woman over there? Who does she belong to?”

*Why would Boaz ask these questions? How does he know she’s new?

*What do you picture his field looking like?

-He could have been asking “Who is this young woman?”; or “To whom does she belong?”

-Where is she from: what tribe is she from?

-Who is her father/husband/family?

-This is not big field that we may picture in our modern culture of big field operations; this is not like the images of farming in Indiana or Iowa.

-You would know your workers, your hired hands. It would be like a family affair/clan affair/village affair. You would notice if someone were scavenging in your field b/c you could see your entire field at one glance.

-The foreman’s reply to Boaz tells us:

1. Ruth went and asked the foreman which is something she should not have had to ask permission to do. This is a LEGAL thing that as we have already discussed instructed in the Torah to do. REMEMBER THIS IS THE TIME OF THE JUDGES…

2. Ruth again does ask to scavenge BUT BEYOND the allowed which is among the SHEAVES behind the harvesters. Remember scavenging was supposed to happen AFTER the sheaves were brought. Then what remained could be picked up, BUT she actually asked to go among the STANDING SHEAVES and pick up the grain. That is ABOVE & BEYOND.

QUESTION: Besides the obvious, what can be drawn from Ruth’s approach to this situation?

Questions to mull over: Did she know better? After all she is a foreigner? Was she being presumptuous? Or is this because she’s thinking of the responsibility she’s taken on to provide for not only herself BUT her mother-n-law as well?

Whatever the reason(s) it was a very bold request.

So when Boaz asks the foreman and hears the response, Boaz is actually impressed.

DISCUSSION: So is this system a handout or a hand-up? Explain responses.

*This is OPPORTUNITY for both Ruth AND Boaz:

-Boaz makes a way for Ruth to carry out her requests with dignity but also with ease. He protects her.

-Boaz INCLUDES her in by calling her “daughter”. Boaz is most likely older than she is but remember Ruth ain’t no spring chicken either because she was married for 10 years so even if by traditions of that time, when she married her now deceased husband she was in her young teens, by this current time in the story she might be in her late twenties but most likely is in even her early 30’s. This also doesn’t mean Boaz is extremely old either but definitely older.

-Calling Ruth “daughter” is another way of giving Ruth, in this picture of a foreigner that is picking through his trash. Calling her daughter brings her into the family context. This is a great example of AMAZING GRACE! “Ruth you are now with us!”.

-Remember in this cultural time, women were very vulnerable, subject to being taken advantage of especially when you were either a widow or single. We know in our modern context many young girls especially can be sold into slavery as sex slave. Well Boaz tells his men to make sure Ruth is not harmed or taken advantaged of by the men there. He also provides a refuge to her by instructing her to not “scavenge” in any other field. In other words her safety is assured. So she will not only have enough food but again she will very much be protected.

*START YOUTUBE VIDEO @20:45 AND PLAY UNTIL 22:08’ish.

-Another cultural standout is except for slaves like the Gibeonites mentioned in the book of Joshua (BTW this was a part of our Read Through The Bible in a Year plan today in the Book of Joshua), the other people who “carried water” were women. In the Hebrew mind this kind of work was considered a type of punishment or a way of exerting influence. This again was typically work done by captured slaves, especially Gentiles. So irony of ironies, here is a foreigner, and immigrant, a low on the social totem pole because Ruth was also a widow was insured that she was able to receive drinks of water as needed-the same water Boaz’s workers had drawn out!

*BOAZ SHOWS KINDNESS TO RUTH:

-Ruth 2.12-13 “...even though I am not one of your workers.” Ruth puts herself socially below his servants because she recognizes she’s not just a servant. She is a foreigner. She is not just a foreigner but a _________(Moabite).

-She felt she was less important than Boaz’s servant girls.

*FOOD:

-Ruth 2.14 At mealtime, Boaz invites Ruth to have some bread and to dip it in the wine vinegar. We’re not exactly sure what this is but it’s some kind of sauce/delicacy that would probably soften the bread and/or give it some flavor; or perhaps it was a type of yogurt-ish sour something.

*REVIEW THE CULTURAL ASPECTS OF THIS STORY GIVEN SO FAR STARTING IN FIRST CHAPTER:

-Patriarchal culture but with a book from a matriarchal POV mostly.

-Ruth 2.17 Ruth “worked” in the field until evening. She then threshed the barley she had gathered-enough to fill a basket(?). What size is a typical basket?

-Some translations say about an effa. So what is an effa? About 20 quarts or 22 liters. So think of eleven 2-liter bottles full. This was enough to feed a contingent of troops. Remember when David was on the run from Saul? 1 Samuel 17 David brought his troops and effa of flour, of grain . So this is a very large amount Ruth worked all day to scavenge/glean and thresh. She takes it back into town to where Naomi was.

-Remember Boaz also gave her some roasted grain that she ate until she was full and the remaining she kept to give to Naomi.

*EXTRAVAGANT GENEROSITY:

-No only just enough grain to provide for them for a while after this one day of work, but also given a delicacy to eat. She got food. She got dinner.

*KINSMAN REDEEMER:

-Naomi ascribes Boaz as being their kinsman redeemer. kinsman because they’re related. Redeemer b/c redeems means to buy back from slavery.

-PLAY VIDEO STARTING AT 22:46-23:29.

*WORK TIME-PERIOD:

-Ruth work through the barley harvest and then the wheat harvest-about 7-8 wks. This is from about late April to early June.

GEOGRAPHICAL:

*WHERE ARE WE ON A MAP?

-See the map

*WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THIS LOCATION?

-To be discussed in more details in another chapter.

*ARE WE DEALING WITH MOUNTAINS, VALLEYS, DESERTS, ETC?

*IS THIS AN URBAN OR RURAL SETTING?

*WHO LIVES THERE? WHAT ARE THEY LIKE?

*WHO’S THE RULING AUTHORITY?

-There is still no king so The Judges are still ruling.

*WHAT’S THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC LIKE AROUND THE AREA?

*HAS ANYTHING HAPPENED IN THIS LOCATION BEFORE? (EXTREMELY IMPORTANT QUESTION TO ASK B/C GEOGRAPHY HOLDS MEMORIES, AND STORIES CONNECT TO OTHER STORIES FROM THE GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION.)

VISUAL:

*WHAT DID THE PLACE LOOK LIKE?

*ARE THERE PHOTOS OF THE ANCIENT RUINS OR LOCATION?

-To be discussed later.

LINGUISTICS:

*GENERAL NOTES:

-The “might and honor” (gbwr chayil) of Boaz (Ruth 2:1) is further evident in the instructions that he leaves with his servants. Boaz personally ensures the safety of Ruth from other men who work in the field and allows her to glean ears of grain (Ruth 2:4–9, 15–16).

-In the narrative that follows, Boaz is confirmed as a rich man, a landowner with servants. But, he is also a righteous and moral man who is able “to bring Yahweh’s blessing to his people and to Ruth” (Ruth 2:4, 12; Saxegaard, Character Complexity, 149). For example, in Ruth 2:4 Boaz greets his servants by saying, “The Lord be with you,” and they respond in kind, “The Lord bless you.” Duguid notes that the inclusion of this interchange in the narrative allows the reader to recognize immediately that “Boaz honors the Lord in his work and is respected by his workers” (Duguid, Esther & Ruth, 158–59). Taking into account both Boaz’s wealth and social status, Saxegaard, therefore, offers a literal translation that reads Boaz as “a man of might and honour” (Saxegaard, Character Complexity, 149).

-1475] גִּבּוֹר gibbôr 159× mighty one, mighty warrior, special guard [1368]

-Ruth 2.8

-2 חֶ֫סֶד ḥesed 249× unfailing love, loyal love, devotion, kindness, often based on a prior relationship, especially a covenant relationship [2617] See kindness; love; loyalty; mercy.

*WHAT WAYS DOES BOAZ SHOW “HESED”?

*CLING:

-[1815] דָּבַק dābaq 55× [Q] to be united, hold fast, keep, cling to; [H] to overtake, cause to cleave, press hard upon; [Pu] to be joined fast, be stuck together; [Ho] be made to cleave, stick to; from the base joining or fastening objects together comes the figure of close association of people [1692] See overtake.