Boaz Redeems Ruth

Ruth 4

1 Now Boaz had gone up to x the gate and sat down there. And behold, y the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, "Turn aside, friend; sit down here." And he turned aside and sat down. 2 And he took ten men z of the elders of the city and said, "Sit down here." So they sat down. 3 Then he said to the redeemer, "Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. 4 So I thought I would tell you of it and say, a 'Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.' If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you 1 will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you." And he said, "I will redeem it." 5 Then Boaz said, "The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth 2 the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order b to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance." 6 c Then the redeemer said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it."

7 d Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel. 8 So when the redeemer said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself," he drew off his sandal. 9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to e Chilion and to Mahlon. 10 Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, f to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day." 11 Then all the people who were g at the gate and the elders said, "We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, h who together i built up the house of Israel. May you act worthily in j Ephrathah and k be renowned in Bethlehem, 12 and may your house be like the house of Perez, l whom Tamar bore to Judah, because m of the offspring that the Lord will give you by this young woman."

  1. Cross References
    2 Samuel 15:2
    And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside...
    2 Samuel 18:4
    The king said to them, "Whatever seems best to ...
    2 Samuel 18:24
    Now David was sitting between the two gates, an...
    2 Samuel 18:33
    And the king was deeply moved and went up to th...
    2 Samuel 19:8
    Then the king arose and took his seat in the ga...
    Psalms 127:5
    Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with th...
  2. Cross References
    Ruth 2:20
    And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!" Naomi also said to her, "The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.
  3. Cross References
    1 Kings 21:8
    So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal, and she sent the letters to the elders and the leaders who lived with Naboth in his city.
    Proverbs 31:23
    Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land.
  4. Cross References
    Leviticus 25:25
    If your brother becomes poor and sells part of his property, then his nearest redeemer shall come and redeem what his brother has sold.
    Jeremiah 32:7 - 8
    Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you and say, 'Buy my field that is at Anathoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours.
  5. Cross References
    Ruth 4:10
    Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day.
    Ruth 3:13
    Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.
    Deuteronomy 25:5 - 6
    If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband's brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her.
  6. Cross References
    Ruth 3:12 - 13
    And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I.
  7. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 25:7 - 10
    And if the man does not wish to take his brother's wife, then his brother's wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, 'My husband's brother refuses to perpetuate his brother's name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband's brother to me.
  8. Cross References
    Ruth 1:2
    The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there.
    Ruth 1:4 - 5
    These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years.
  9. Cross References
    Ruth 4:5
    Then Boaz said, "The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.
  10. Cross References
    Ruth 4:1
    Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, "Turn aside, friend; sit down here." And he turned aside and sat down.
  11. Cross References
    Genesis 29:31 - 30:24
    When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.
    Genesis 35:16 - 18
    Then they journeyed from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor, and she had hard labor.
  12. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 25:9
    Then his brother's wife shall go up to him in the presence of the elders and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face. And she shall answer and say, 'So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother's house.
  13. Cross References
    Genesis 35:16
    Then they journeyed from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor, and she had hard labor.
    Genesis 35:19
    So Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).
  14. Cross References
    Ruth 4:14
    Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel!
  15. Cross References
    Genesis 38:29
    But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, "What a breach you have made for yourself!" Therefore his name was called Perez.
    1 Chronicles 2:4
    His daughter-in-law Tamar also bore him Perez and Zerah. Judah had five sons in all.
    Matthew 1:3
    And Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram.
  16. Cross References
    1 Samuel 2:20
    Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, "May the Lord give you children by this woman for the petition she asked of the Lord." So then they would return to their home.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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