Naomi now tells Ruth that she must find a home for her, where she will be well provided for, Ruth 3:1. The KJV uses the word ‘rest’ while the N.K.J.V. uses the word ‘security’ in this verse. These words are equivalent to marriage. In effect, Naomi was saying, “shall I not get you a good husband, that it may be well with you’.
Dummelow, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Marriages are always arranged by the parents in Eastern lands; here, of course, the mother-in-law must intervene.’
Remember that Naomi had been praying for a husband for Ruth, Ruth 1:8-9. Here we see Naomi’s care for her daughter-in-law’s present and future well-being and comfort.
She didn’t want Ruth to remain a poor gleaner in the fields at harvest time; this was very commendable on Naomi’s part. She understood what it meant to be old and live a life of sorrow. She didn’t want to see Ruth, who was still a young woman confined for the rest of her life to widowhood.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It is significant that Naomi had previously prayed for a husband for Ruth, Ruth 1:8-9, but here she is exerting herself to bring about the answer to her prayer.’
Hubbard, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Divine and human actions work together’ in the achievement of God’s purpose. This teaches that, ‘Believers are not to wait passively for events to happen, but they must seize the initiative when the opportunity presents itself.’
Naomi will now proceed with a plan to arrange a marriage between Ruth and Boaz. To put it mildly, she has a plan about how to get Ruth well married to Boaz. Due to Ruth living among strangers with different customs, along with her modesty and humility, she would never have thrust herself forward to be married to Boaz, whom, no doubt, she was very impressed with.
Naomi basically asks, ‘Isn’t Boaz one of our relatives?’ Ruth 3:2. She is mindful of the levirate marriage customs, which called upon the nearest unmarried kinsman to take the responsibility of marrying the widow of a deceased husband who was of near kin.
It was a custom of the Jews although never stated precisely in the Law of Moses that if an Israelite who had been married died without children, it became the duty of his brother to marry his widow so that he might establish his brother’s name in Israel by begetting a son through his sister-in-law, Deuteronomy 25:5-10 / Matthew 22:24-25 / Mark 12:19 / Luke 20:28.
The child then would take the name of the deceased in order that the deceased’ name might not become extinct in Israel. This person was looked upon as a ‘redeemer,’ Deuteronomy 25:6.
Due to the near kinship of Boaz, he stood in line to be the redeemer. Naomi recognised this when she said, ‘Boaz is a relative of ours?’ Ruth 3:2. Naomi probably had noticed with great interest that Boaz seemed partial to Ruth and that Ruth had a great admiration for Boaz. She now steps forward to further this relationship.
At this point of the barley harvest, he would be winnowing that night at the threshing floor, Ruth 3:2 / Isaiah 41:14-16. Winnowing often occurred at night when the breeze would come up, enabling the grain to separate from the chaff when it was tossed into the air.
It seems likely also that Boaz would spend the night there to guard the grain from any thieves who might try to take the grain to gain money.
The facts are clear that both Naomi and Ruth have the purest of motives in their plan. Although Ruth had been kindly treated by Boaz, he hadn’t made any suggestion concerning marriage.
Naomi now plans a way by which Ruth might be able to meet Boaz alone. First, she must wash herself and then anoint herself, then put on her best garment that would make her attractive and appealing in appearance, Ruth 3:3.
Such customs haven’t changed over all the years since Ruth’s time. She is to go down to the threshing floor but not to make herself known in appearance to Boaz until he has finished eating and drinking, Ruth 3:3. This, in many ways, is a risky and daring act on the part of Naomi and Ruth.
She is to wait until he lies down to sleep and then go and uncover his feet and lie down at his feet, Ruth 3:4 / Exodus 4:25. Under usual circumstances, this would have been interpreted as an immoral act. Certainly, Ruth is taking a risk in doing this; the integrity of both Ruth and Boaz, however, was such that Naomi felt free to suggest it.
Ruth seems quite willing to follow Naomi’s instructions, Ruth 3:5-6, and so, she waits until he has eaten and drunk and is ‘in good spirits’, Ruth 3:7, due to the good harvest.
He finally lies down beside the heap of grain that had been winnowed, Ruth 3:7. We are told she came ‘quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down,’ Ruth 3:7.
Hubbard, in his commentary, says the following.
‘By lying down at Boaz’s feet, Ruth symbolised her proposal of marriage, which came a moment later in Ruth 3:9.’
At the moment, Boaz isn’t aroused from sleep, but around midnight, he discovers that a woman is lying at his feet, which no doubt startled him, Ruth 3:8.
Boaz was naturally startled to discover a woman lying at his feet. ‘Who are you?’ he asked, and the response was, ‘I am your servant Ruth,’ she said, and so Ruth asks Boaz to spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family, Ruth 3:9 / Ezekiel 16:8. The KJV renders this ‘spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid.’
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following concerning the word garment.
‘The same word in the plural is translated ‘wings’ in Boaz’s prayer, Ruth 2:12, where he speaks of ‘Jehovah, under whose wings thou (Ruth) art come to take refuge.’
The custom of men placing a corner of their garments over a maiden as a token of marriage is still known among the Arabs today. Boaz evidently didn’t know that he had the right to take Ruth as his wife since she hadn’t made it known that she wanted to marry. Ruth informs him that she was willing that he alone fulfil the levirate duties toward her.
His answer and reaction to Ruth indicates to some that he was much an older man in age than Ruth by using the words, ‘my daughter’, Ruth 3:10. Boaz tells her that her kindness is greater than that which she showed earlier, Ruth 3:10.
And she is commended that she didn’t seek after a young man who would have been more attractive to her, Ruth 3:10. Boaz knew that her intentions were sincere in that he had observed that she didn’t chase young men or the rich.
Some have estimated that he was eighty years old at the time, and Ruth was forty years old at the time, but the age difference wasn’t as much a factor as it is in our culture. He states a fact that the whole city of Bethlehem knew of her and that she was a virtuous woman, Ruth 3:11, but he doesn’t consider her actions immoral.
It’s said that Boaz was only a nephew of Elimelek, Ruth 2:20, whereas it seems a brother of Ruth’s deceased husband, Ruth 1:1-3, was still living. Even though he was obviously eager to marry her, he recognises that the closest relative must decide whether or not he wishes to marry her, Ruth 3:12.
It must have been late as Boaz invites Ruth to stay the night and then he makes an oath to Ruth that he would make every effort to take her as his wife, Ruth 3:13.
However, if there was a closer relative who was closer in lineage to Ruth he had to consult for her hand Ruth 3:13. The closer relative should have the first opportunity.
She remains to lie at his feet until early morning, early enough that no one would recognise her, and then says that no one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor, Ruth 3:14.
There are a few views concerning who Boaz was speaking to in this verse. Some believe that He was speaking to Ruth, some believe he was speaking to others who were present and still others suggest that he was thinking these words to himself.
Whoever he is speaking to, Boaz, realising the danger of the situation, requests that no one know that Ruth spent the night at his feet. Such a story repeated by others would grow into a story that would greatly exaggerate what had actually taken place and would have harmed the reputation of Ruth and Boaz.
Before departing, he asks for her shawl and measures out six ephahs of barley, which she takes with her into the city under the dim light of early dawn, Ruth 3:15.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The particular measure here was the seah, said to be about one-third of an ephah. If that is correct, it would mean that Ruth carried two ephahs of barley to Naomi. A bushel of barley weighs 50 pounds, and one and one-half bushels, the six seahs, would have weighed about 75 pounds, quite a heavy load. The statement that Boaz laid it on her probably means that he placed it on top of her head. It is well known that women can carry great weights when properly balanced upon the head.’
Although the text suggests that ‘he’, that is, Boaz, went back to town, the footnote in most Bibles has the word ‘she’, which would mean it was Ruth who went back down. It’s possible that it was Ruth who went back to the town first, and then Boaz went back to the town later, Ruth 4:1.
When Ruth returned to Naomi, Naomi asked how things went with Boaz, Ruth 3:16. The KJV has a slightly different slant on this verse. The fact that it was very early in the morning is brought out by the fact that Naomi wasn’t sure who she was at first, as she asks, ‘Is that you, my daughter?’ KJV.
No doubt with much excitement, Ruth rehearses what had happened between her and Boaz, Ruth 3:16-17. Furthermore, he didn’t want her to return to her mother-in-law without some barley grain, Ruth 3:17. Naomi gives some encouraging advice to Ruth.
Boaz is definitely interested in marrying Ruth, and being an honourable man, he wouldn’t rest until he followed the proper procedures to determine if he would be eligible to marry Ruth, Ruth 3:18. In the meantime, Ruth must wait; she must be patient.