Ladies Bible Study Session 4 Ruth 3

HISTORICAL:

*WHAT TIME PERIOD ARE WE DEALING WITH?

-This is still during the time of the judges when Israel had no king and everyone did what was right in their own eyes.

*WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE WORLD STAGE?

-Egypt is a major power at this time still.

*WHAT'S HAPPENING AT A REGIONAL LEVEL?

-The Canaanites and surrounding areas of Israel are still causing major problems b/c Israel failed to driven them out.

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

-Bethlehem has come out of a famine and are prosperous enough for wealthy landowners to provide for the less fortunate.

*WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE PAST THAT'S INFORMING THESE PRESENT EVENTS?

-POV of Ruth is affected b/c she comes from an enemy nation that was literally banned by Yahweh from "entering into union" with Israel; BUT Ruth shows herself to be more faithful to Yahweh than some of the "truest" Israelite by making the decision to CLING to Naomi, Naomi's people; and MOST IMPORTANTLY their God-Yahweh.

-The famine experience caused Elimelech Naomi's now deceased husband to make the terrible decision of going to Moab where he ends up dying. Then their sons both marry Moabite women but after 10 years of marriage both of the men, the sons of Naomi die as well leaving all now 3 of these women as widows in a time when the world was not quite as friendly to widows. Then Naomi makes the brave decision of returning to her homeland after hearing Yahweh has lifted the curse on the land of her birth by restoring prosperity to it. One of her daughter-in-laws even after being urged to stay in Moab decides to CLING to Naomi by going with Naomi to a town that was most likely not going to be as friendly to her-but she of course goes anyway hence why this book is named after her. So two widows with no material resources return to a place that although is prosperous in and of itself, Naomi and Ruth have NOTHING. Naomi is so downtrodden and depressed that she even feels The Great Provider Himself has abandoned her.

CULTURAL:

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

-Agrarian Society & Village Life where farming and village life is the norm. Understanding how farming communities functioned (agricultural cycle, dry/wet season, tenant farmers, property lines, etc.) and what village life was like is key to unlocking a plethora of stories.

-Ancient Israelite during the time of the Judges.

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

-More insight into how the Kinsman Redeemer; harvesting crops and the celebrations & Ruth's "proposal" to Boaz works in this culture.

*WHAT CULTURAL CLUES ARE GIVEN EXPLICITLY IN THE PASSAGE:

-In this chapter Ruth being a young widow is still an issue for Naomi is getting even older and although Ruth has assimilated into Israeli culture, it is still a vulnerable position to be in for Naomi being older is not going to be around always.

-3:2. Naomi pointed out that since Boaz was a relative of theirs, he could be a kinsman-redeemer for Ruth. He had an open and willing heart. So Naomi suggested Ruth go to the threshing floor that evening. The people of Bethlehem took turns using the threshing floor. The floor was a flat hard area on a slightly raised platform or hill. In threshing, the grain was beaten out from the stalks with flails (cf. 2:17) or was trodden over by oxen. Then in winnowing the grain was thrown in the air and the wind carried the chaff away. The grain was then removed from the threshing floor and placed in heaps to be sold or stored in granaries.

Threshing and winnowing were a time of great festivity and rejoicing. Naomi knew that Boaz was threshing his grain on the day that she had chosen for her plan. She also knew that Boaz would be sleeping near his grain that night, to protect it.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures.

-3:2. winnowing barley at the threshing floor. Winnowing was often done in the late afternoon, when the breeze had picked up after the day’s heat. The process used a pronged fork on a long handle by which the threshed grain was tossed into the air. The breeze blew the lighter chaff a short distance away (it was later retrieved to be used as fodder), while the grain fell back to the threshing floor. The threshing floor was usually out in an open area to make maximum use of the breeze.

The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament.

-To give more information about this process to wait for the wind to blow the chaff away took time. It was a long, labor-intensive process. Again it took a long time. There was no machine that you could just throw the stuff in, then it would do this. So this process would be done at night b/c it's hot during the day to be shoving piles of grain, throwing them up in the air. The other reason for doing it at night is that the night breeze not only made it cooler but als would blow the chaff away a little easier b/c this is the weather patterns of the Middle East that although technically is not a desert the climate was very similar.

-This was like an event.

-Think of all that was gathered to be equivalent to money-stacks of it that needed to be guarded from potential thieves.-DISCIPLE DOJO

-3:3. Ruth’s ablutions. The perfume mentioned here consisted of scented oils that would have been commonly used at celebrations and other festive occasions. The scents were usually derived from imported plants.

The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament.

-The words best clothes may be rendered “a large outer garment.” This was to keep her identity from being detected. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures.

-Something to consider is the clothing depicted here is just a garment one wrapped around themselves as an outer covering. See Ex 22 where it says a widow's garment is not to be taken in pledge b/c she would then not have any to cover herself at night. If anything this was more out of practicality b/c Ruth was being instructed to be out in the cold of the night. And also the perfumes/oils were obviously going to make Ruth more presentable she had also been mourning and for a long time-possible for months which is very normal for this culture period-DISCIPLE DOJO

-Naomi in short was telling Ruth "it's now time to stop being in mourning and enter into OUR society as an ISRAELITE WOMAN! This reminds us a little of what David did when word got to him that his child had died even after all the time he spent fasting a praying. Remember his exact actions? (he anointed himself with oil, freshened himself up, put on his garment, and went around like normal business.-DISCIPLE DOJO

-3:3. why shouldn’t Boaz know she is there? Some commentators have suggested that Ruth is fashioning herself as a bride, and thus to be seen would be to tip her hand. Most consider her remaining hidden to be an issue not of propriety but of appropriate timing.

The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament.

-3:4. After Boaz finished eating and drinking, Ruth was to observe the place where he retired for the night. Under cover of darkness Ruth was to go to Boaz, uncover his feet, and lie down there. (On the meaning of the uncovering of the feet, see the comments on v. 7.) Boaz, Naomi said, would then tell Ruth what she was to do. The implication was clear that Ruth should do whatever he requested.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures.

-The reason Naomi tells Ruth to make sure no one sees her is that what Naomi is instructing Ruth to do is really close to being scandalous-DISCIPLE DOJO

-Naomi is putting a lot of trust in Boaz so this is a huge leap for Naomi-DISCIPLE DOJO

-Remember this is the time of the judges when everyone does what is right in their own eyes so their is a lot of trust being put into Boaz's character b/c a lower-class servant working foreign woman coming into a threshing floor at night where the guys are all sleeping after a meal of eating & drinking revelry & uncovering his feet, that's pretty overt or could be taken as overt-DISCIPLE DOJO

-Her actions could even be seen as her being a prostitute and could be of then read in a very bad light-DISCIPLE DOJO

-But it's also possible to read her actions in a very good light b/c of how ambiguous it is and what she's doing, being intentional, but not over the line of illicit.-DISCIPLE DOJO

-All of this is a cultural thing-DISCIPLE DOJO

-In Leviticus 18 where it tells who one should not have sex with there is a phrase that says "you will not UNCOVER the nakedness of your father. And it literally says "uncover the wing or the corner of the garment of your father. So uncovering the garment is a euphemism itself for a sexual act. So everything she's doing is very explicitly charged and could easily BE SEEN that way by anybody but Boaz. And Boaz is actually going to know EXACTLY what she's doing and his response is going to show. -DISCIPLE DOJO

-3:5. Ruth stated that she would act in full and unquestioned obedience to the directions of her mother-in-law (cf. 2:22–23).

The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures.

-3:6. Ruth went to the threshing floor and carried out the plan in exact detail as matchmaker Naomi had laid it out.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures.

-3:7. lying at the end of the grain pile. The threshing floor would have been used by many members of the community, so there would have been others there winnowing besides Boaz. Each would have had his assigned traditional area, and each would sleep by his pile after the festivities so as to guard it until it could be carted away in the morning.

The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, Ru 3:7.

-3:7–9. uncovering feet and the spreading of the garment. There are occasions in the Old Testament where the term “feet” is used euphemistically for the sexual organs. The expression “spread the edge of the garment” is likewise used with sexual overtones in a betrothal context in Ezekiel 16:8. The text of Ruth does not suggest a blatant sexual act but is provocative in its ambiguity.

The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, Ru 3:8–9.

-3:7. Some commentators suggest that what Ruth did presented an opportunity for immorality. But nothing in the passage supports this. Her mother-in-law had complete confidence in the integrity of the kinsman-redeemer. Boaz could be trusted to act responsibly. And Ruth was recognized by everyone as “a woman of noble character” (v. 11). The uncovering of the feet was a ceremonial act that was completely proper. Probably the scene took place in the dark so that Boaz had the opportunity to reject the proposal without the whole town knowing about it. “Ruth,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures.

-3:7–9. uncovering feet and the spreading of the garment. There are occasions in the Old Testament where the term “feet” is used euphemistically for the sexual organs. The expression “spread the edge of the garment” is likewise used with sexual overtones in a betrothal context in Ezekiel 16:8. The text of Ruth does not suggest a blatant sexual act but is provocative in its ambiguity.

The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, Ru 3:8–9.

-3:9. what is Ruth asking? Ruth uses a phrase that elsewhere is used to refer to betrothal and marriage. It is also clear from Boaz’s response in the next verse that she has requested marriage. Naomi had not advised her to be this bold, but the outcome of marriage was certainly what Naomi had in mind.

The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, Ru 3:9.

-3:8–9. Something startled Boaz in the middle of the night. He turned to discover that a woman was lying at his feet. Boaz asked for the identity of his unusual guest (cf. 2:5). Ruth responded in humility (cf. 2:10): I am your servant Ruth. She had put herself under the wings of Yahweh (2:12), and now she asked to be put under the wings of Boaz. In the phrase the corner of your garment the word “corner” is ḵānāp̱, which is translated “wing” in 2:12. She used a poetic image that had its source in the blessing that Boaz had given her. A Moabitess widow was calling the attention of a noted Hebrew to his responsibility. He could now follow through on his benediction (2:12) by becoming Ruth’s kinsman-redeemer and providing her with the security of marriage.

“Ruth,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures.

-Ru 3.9 Boaz probably slept upon a mat or skin; Ruth lay crosswise at his feet—a position in which Eastern servants frequently sleep in the same chamber or tent with their master; and if they want a covering, custom allows them that benefit from part of the covering on their master’s bed. Resting, as the Orientals do at night, in the same clothes they wear during the day, there was no indelicacy in a stranger, or even a woman, putting the extremity of this cover over her.

A Commentary, Critical, Experimental, and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments: Joshua–Esther.

-Ru 3.9 To this day in many parts of the East to say of any one that he put his skirt over a woman is synonymous with saying that he married her; and at all the marriages of the modern Jews and Hindus one part of the ceremony is for the bridegroom to put a silken or cotton cloak around his bride (see Robert’s ‘Oriental Customs,’ on this passage, where it is shown that the same practice obtains amongst the Hindus).

A Commentary, Critical, Experimental, and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments: Joshua–Esther.

-Remember Naomi gave Ruth specific instructions but like everything else Ruth has done, she goes above and beyond again. When Boaz asks of her identity she tells him the "standard humble answer" but then instead of waiting for Boaz to tell her what to do which is what Naomi said he would do Ruth tells him in short "You're my kinsman redeemer. So she's literally saying, "Cover me up. It's cold, put your garment around me. Right?

BUT SYMBOLICALLY, she asking him to marry her. Because in marriage, in Near Eastern culture, and even today in Middle Eastern culture, one of the things you do to solidify the marriage is the man, the husband takes his cloak and wraps it around his wife, taking her under his wing, and saying, I'm going to be your protector, I'm going to be your provider, I'm going to take you...Where Adam & Eve were separated, God pulled from the side of Adam, and he made Eve, and there was separation. Now, symbolically, marriage is bringing back to the side the part of you tat was taken, if you're the man. And so pulling your garment around somebody is taking them back to your side, reuniting, becoming one flesh, and taking them under the shelter of your wing, just like a bird would shelter her chicks under her wing in times of danger.-DISCIPLE DOJO

-So SHE proposes to him! So this may go against all we have been taught when it comes to how "a lady should act" especially in the "who is supposed to pursue who" topic.-DISCIPLE DOJO

-She doesn't run over his authority. She doesn't demand anything of him. She doesn't belittle or treat him as less. What she does is express her desires openly, brazenly, with no equivocation, and says this is what I want and then she allows him to either respond or reject.-DISCIPLE DOJO

-Think about this: Boaz DID NOT FIND

RUTH until she "uncovered his feet". -DISCIPLE DOJO.

-Takes the "Romanticism" out of it eh?-ME

-Remember Boaz's blessing in the last chapter was "May The LORD under whose wing you have come bless you." Ruth is flipping the script on him and saying "hey, you be that blessing! You be the one under whose wing I come. In other words, you be the face of God to me and my family right now."-DISCIPLE DOJO

-A tip for single ladies, don't take your dating or your relationship advice verbatim from the CULTURES of the Bible. Do a little translation. In other words, bringing the principles that are in the story in its CONTEXT to OUR CONTEXT today and saying, "What are these principles?" And the principles in this one for Naomi and Ruth is a need to provide for this woman who has provided for me. I need to show "CHESED" to this woman who has shown "CHESED" to me.-DISCIPLE DOJO

-The point is that for this culture and time, Ruth takes a VERY GREAT RISK.-DISCIPLE DOJO

-3:10. Boaz gave no hint that Ruth had embarrassed him by her actions or that she had done something that was not within her rights or against the customs of the day. Rather than thinking suggestive thoughts as some might have done in such a setting, he immediately blessed Ruth: The LORD bless you. He again used the phrase my daughter, a reminder of their age difference (cf. 2:8; 3:11). He commended Ruth for her act of kindness (“loyalty,” ḥeseḏ; cf. comments on 1:8) that was greater than her decision to serve her mother-in-law. Boaz also commended her for not going after a younger man. He seemed to believe Ruth could have readily found such a match. He praised her for being willing to marry an older man in order to fulfill her commitment to her first husband, Mahlon (cf. 4:10), and the family name of Elimelech.

“Ruth,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures.

-Boaz's response is fascinating. Ant it's not the response you'd expect would be-revulsion. "I'm the CEO. This is somebody not even working in the mail room. This somebody that I let empty the trash cans. And they're coming to me, the CEO, and they're saying 'marry me'". So right there, his response would have been like, "No. I'm a man of noble character. I'm a man of high standing. You're and immigrant. You're working in my field. You're a woman. You a woman approaching a man. I'm the one who's supposed to approach your family to try to secure a marriage. I'm the one who's supposed, you know..." Like there's cultural norms and this is completely turns all of them on their head.

Boaz is faced with a choice: "Do I shame this woman? Do I reject this woman politely? Do I take advantage of this woman? He can do what he wants. there's nobody around so all he's got to do is say, "she came to seduce me." It will just be her word against his.

So EVERYTHING HINGES ON HIS CHARACTER. Let's not forget The Book of Judges' ending where story after story women were being abused, raped, killed.

BUT we have seen Boaz's character.-DISCIPLE DOJO

-Boaz responds "The LORD bless you, my daughter. This "CHESED" is greater than that which you showed earlier. You've not run after the younger (In Hebrew it's choicer men), whether rich or poor. And so he doesn't see himself as anything special. It's like in the Song of Songs when the woman says "I'm just a lily of the valley". That is not a good phrase. That's like the valley's full of lilies. "I'm just another, I'm just a there's a bunch of flowers out there." So again when Ruth asks to marry him, Boaz is kind of like, "I'm nothing special."-DISCIPLE DOJO

-Boaz is one of the few genuinely and thoroughly good characters in the Bible aside from Jesus. There are very few. There are very few heroes that aren't flawed in Scripture, but Boaz is up there among them.-DISCIPLE DOJO

-3:11. Boaz then relieved any immediate fears Ruth might have had by saying that he would do as she requested. He might have sensed that she was apprehensive over how he might interpret her bold proposal. Boaz told her that all his fellow townsmen (lit., the “people of the gate,” probably referring to the elders of Bethlehem) considered her a person of the highest reputation. Noble character translates ḥayil (“valor, worth, ability”), the same word used of the worthiness of Boaz (2:1; cf. Prov. 12:4; 31:10, 29 [“noble”]). They were truly a good match!

“Ruth,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures.

-3:12. why does it matter that there is a closer relative? The benefits that derived from functioning as a kinsman-redeemer required that a sequence of priorities be established. Closer relatives were therefore given the opportunity to exercise that function first.

The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, Ru 3:12.

-3:12. The narrative, however, was not nearing the end. Still another complication had to be unraveled. Boaz had already looked into the legal aspects of the proposed marriage; perhaps he had anticipated her request. He knew that Ruth by her marriage into Elimelech’s family had a relative who was more closely related to her than he was. But Boaz would do all he could to see that the outcome would be one that satisfied Ruth’s request.

“Ruth,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures.

-Even though Boaz descibes Ruth as being a woman of noble character, his own honesty is going to throw a kink in the plan possibly. Because he says, "although it's true, I am a near of kin, there is a kinsman redeemer nearer than I." In other words he says, "I am next in line to marry you, to take you in." And remember, taking her in means assuming control of the land that belonged to her dead husband & holding that land in order until whatever son is born comes of age, and then that son gets the land and continues the name of Elimelech.

So Boaz stepping in to marry her is not creating a dynasty for Boaz. It's preserving the dynasty of Elimelech & Mahlon that have died.

So that's the kindness, "CHESED" Boaz is showing. And this is the risk that's involved. He says I am A kinsman redeemer but I'm not THE kinsman redeemer. There's somebody closer than me.-DISCIPLE DOJO

-3:13. Boaz acted responsibly in two ways: (1) He did not send her home in the middle of the night. He would protect her and he would touch her only if she could be rightfully his. (2) Also he protected the rights of her nearer kinsman. If the other relative wanted to redeem, that was his right. But if the nearer kinsman was not willing, Boaz would surely do so. He covered his pledge with a vow. There was no doubt about how Boaz wanted the matter to eventuate.

“Ruth,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures.

-He WANTS to do this but He has to give the other guy a chance. She doesn't even know who this other guy is btw. We KNOW who Boaz's character has shown itself to be but this other guy...? So of course Boaz is who we're all rooting for and the narrator is urging us in this direction too. The good thing is Ruth will be taken of BUT again there are so many "ifs" in the who and how that care will go.-DISCIPLE DOJO

-3:14. why should it not be known a woman was there? Aside from the natural desire to preserve the reputation of both Ruth and Boaz (the word used in v. 13 for staying the night does not have sexual connotations), Boaz was anxious not to jeopardize the legal matters of the following day by any shadow of immorality.

The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, Ru 3:14.

-3:14. Ruth lay at his feet until early morning. She arose before daylight. Boaz did not want her life complicated by village gossips, so he urged her not to let it be known she had been at the threshing floor. Nothing had happened that was improper but gossipers are not careful about facts.“Ruth,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures.

-3:15. Into Ruth’s shawl Boaz put six measures of barley for her and Naomi. Naomi was entering more and more into the fullness of her wise decision to return to Bethlehem. The “measure” was probably the seah (one-third of an ephah or about 10 pounds). Thus six seahs would equal about 60 pounds. Ruth was a strong woman to be able to carry such a heavy load. Probably Boaz placed the burden on her head.

Some Hebrew manuscripts read, Then he went back to town, but others have “she” in place of “he.” Since Ruth returned to Bethlehem at that time and Boaz a bit later that morning (4:1), both renderings (“she” and “he”) fit the facts.

“Ruth,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures.

-So he instructs her to stay until morning but to get up before anyone could be recognized. And he said "don't let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor." Why? Is he embarrassed? No for her. Women came to the threshing floor all the time. Wasn't a big deal. Prostitutes would come to threshing floors. Business was good. Threshing floors, think about truck stops today. If you don't know, truck stops, a lot goes on at truck stops, it's sketchy. Why? Well... For women who are desperate, who are trying to make ends meet, doing whatever they can, they would go to threshing floors. And in pagan Canaanite culture, where threshing and harvest, all of it centered around the cult of the Canaanite gods, you better believe sex was part of the deal. And that was seen as an act of worship even. That's why the Canaanite gods were always such a temptation to Israel. That's what the pagan Canaanite culture was all built around, so Boaz is saying, "Hey don't let anybody know one was at the threshing floor. It's not necessarily for his reputation. -DISCIPLE DOJO

-There's always been a double standard. Guys don't take as big a hit for promiscuity as women do. And it was the same in the ancient world. Remember the Story of their ancestors Judah & Tamar?-Disciple Dojo

-So Boaz is protecting Ruth more than he is protecting himself.-DISCIPLE DOJO

-Ruth 3.15. Bring the veil that thou hast upon thee, and hold it [מִטְפַּחַת]. Eastern veils are large sheets—those of ladies being of red silk; but the poorer or common class of women wear them of blue, or blue and white, striped linen or cotton. They are wrapped round the head, and fall down over the shoulders, enveloping the whole person (see Roger’s ‘Domestic Life in Palestine,’ p. 46; Graham’s ‘Jordan and Rhine,’ p. 195).

A Commentary, Critical, Experimental, and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments: Joshua–Esther.

-3:17. six measures. The unit of the six measures is unspecified and therefore uncertain. It is unlikely that it would be six ephahs—that would be far too much for her to carry. Boaz may just have used shovelfuls or double handfuls.

The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament Ru 3:17.

-Naomi eagerly sought to know the outcome of Ruth’s adventure and predicted that Boaz would quickly resolve the issues that day. Whatever the outcome as to who the redeemer would be, it would be Ruth’s day of redemption.

“Ruth,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures.

-So Boaz gives generously again-we don't know how much was put into her shawl b/c there isn't a specific amount given but enough to put in her shawl for her to trow on her back and go back to Naomi.

-3:16–17. Naomi sought to know how it had gone with Ruth. As before, she called Ruth my daughter (v. 1; 2:2; cf. 1:11–13; 3:18). Ruth gave her a full report and added that Boaz had given her the barley so that Naomi could share in Ruth’s future fulfillment. Naomi had done her matchmaking well and had earned a reward. The aged widow could then rest assured that she would not be forgotten in the future.

“Ruth,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures.

-*ASK EVERYONE TO READ THEIR TRANSLATION OF VERSE 16

The Literal Hebrew says "who are you my daughter?" We know she knows who she is b/c she calls Ruth "daughter". It's often missed b/c it hard to bring out in English (I KNOW THIS SHOULD BE IN THE LINGUISTIC OR EVEN LITERARY LENS BUT THIS IS ALSO A CULTURE SITUATION THAT IS DRIVING THIS PHRASE). IT'S AN IDIOM-A FIGURE OF SPEECH. What she's basically asking, "who's are you, my daughter?" In other words, "How did it go? Are you Miss Boaz now? Or are you still Ruth the Moabitess?" In our modern language "Show me the ring!".-DISCIPLE DOJO

-3:18. Naomi and Ruth had done all they could. The initiative now rested with Boaz. Boaz would not rest till he had settled the matter that day.

“Ruth,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures .

-Naomi says, "sit tight, m daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today. In other words, she knows, we don't know exactly how she knows, but she knows that this is going to be taken care of today.-DISCIPLE DOJO

GEOGRAPHICAL:

Nothing has changed geographically-still in Bethlehem and "Pinpointed" places like where Naomi & Ruth stay; and the Threshing Floor where Boaz is.

VISUAL LENS:

*HAND OUT PHOTOS OF THE THRESHING PROCESS

LINGUISTIC:

*WHAT WORDS APPEAR TO BE SIGNIFICANT (PAY ATTENTION IF KEY WORDS ARE REPEATED)?

-גְּאוּלִים geʾûlîm 1× redemption, with an implication that the redemption involves recompense. Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words.

-gʾl 1, v., redeem, redeemer, avenger; reclaim as one’s own

The Lexham Analytical Lexicon of the Hebrew Bible.

-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.

Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words.

-The Book of Ruth depicts when a woman is pursuing the grace of God and the "hesed" of God and the relationship of God, and in doing it, and it involves a man.

-Ruth 3.4,7,8,14 ַרְגְּלוֹת- margelôt 5× (place of) the feet [4772*]Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words.

-There is a word for "feet" and it's the word "regel" but this is a different word "margelôt" which means like footing. It's almost like a participle version of feet. It's like place of where your feet are, your foot area.

This is important b/c foot, in Hebrew, "regel" is a euphemism for your genitals. -DISCIPLE DOJO

-To reiterate the text DOES NOT say uncover his feet. IT SAYS "uncover his FOOTING, or the place WHERE HIS FEET ARE. What difference does it make? ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD when feet is a euphemism and footing is not. So she did something that was so close to being scandalous, but just stopped short of going over the edge. And Boaz knew exactly what she was doing. -DISCIPLE DOJO

-חַ֫יִל

Ruth 3.11 ḥayil 246× strength, capability, skill, valor, wealth; army, troop, warrior [2428] See ability; army; capability; forces; power; rich, riches; strength; valiant; warriors; wealth.

Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words.

-Boaz ascribes to Ruth the same title that the narrator ascribed to him. An "Isha Hayel" is a woman of strength, a woman of character, a woman of virtue, a woman of power. That's what "Hayel" means. It's like strength, power, authority, nobility.

Ruth 3.1 1 מָנוֹחַ mānôaḥ 7× resting place; the home of a person or the lair of an animal, with the focus that this is a place of rest, satisfaction, and contentment [4494]

Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006), 977.

-Ruth 3.1,7,10

יָטַב yāṭab 117× [Q] to be good, go well; to be glad, pleased; [H] to do good, right; to make successful, cause to prosper; “to be good in the eyes” indicates pleasure in and acceptance of a person or situation [2895* & 3190] See do good; go well; please; prosper.

Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words.

-Ruth 3.4,7

גָּלָה gālâ 187× [Q] to tell, uncover, reveal; depart, leave, be exiled, banished; [Qp] to be opened, unseal; be made known; [N] to be revealed, be exposed; [P] to reveal, expose (nakedness) = sexual relations; [Pu] to be opened, exiled; [H] to deport, exile [1540] See depart; exile; expose; have sexual relations with; reveal.

Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words.

* HOW DO OTHER TRANSLATIONS TRANSLATE IT?

*WHAT DOES THE WORD MEAN IN ITS ORIGINAL LANGUAGE?

*IS THE WORD COMMUNICATING ANYTHING VISUAL (HEBREW & GREEK OFTEN HAVE WORD PICTURES ASSOCIATED WITH KEY WORDS) OR A CULTURAL VALUE?

* WHERE ELSE IS IT USED IN THIS PARTICULAR BOOK OF THE BIBLE?

*WHERE ELSE IS IT USED IN THE BIBLE?

LITERARY:

*WHAT TYPE OF GENRE IS THIS?

-Narrative

*WHAT'S ITS LITERARY DESIGN?

*ARE THERE PARALLEL STORIES? MEANING, DOES THIS STORY HAVE ECHOES TO OTHER STORIES?