# Ruth 2.8-16 **Book:** [Ruth](/codex/ruth/) · NASB95 ## Immediate context (±2 verses) **ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/)) > 6. And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab: 7. And she said, Let me glean, I pray you, and gather after the reapers among the sheaves. So she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, save that she tarried a little in the house. > > **8. Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither pass from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens. 9. Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn. 10. Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found favor in thy sight, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a foreigner? 11. And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been showed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thy husband; and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people that thou knewest not heretofore. 12. Jehovah recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of Jehovah, the God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to take refuge. 13. Then she said, Let me find favor in thy sight, my lord, for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken kindly unto thy handmaid, though I be not as one of thy handmaidens. 14. And at meal-time Boaz said unto her, Come hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers, and they reached her parched grain, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left thereof. 15. And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not. 16. And also pull out some for her from the bundles, and leave it, and let her glean, and rebuke her not.** > > 17. So she gleaned in the field until even; and she beat out that which she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. 18. And she took it up, and went into the city; and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth and gave to her that which she had left after she was sufficed. (Ruth 2:6-18, ASV) **WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/)) > 6. The servant who was set over the reapers answered, “It is the Moabite lady who came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab. 7. She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ So she came, and has continued even from the morning until now, except that she rested a little in the house.” > > **8. Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Don’t go to glean in another field, and don’t go from here, but stay here close to my maidens. 9. Let your eyes be on the field that they reap, and go after them. Haven’t I commanded the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink from that which the young men have drawn.” 10. Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take knowledge of me, since I am a foreigner?” 11. Boaz answered her, “I have been fully told about all that you have done to your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother, and the land of your birth, and have come to a people that you didn’t know before. 12. May Yahweh repay your work, and a full reward be given to you from Yahweh, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” 13. Then she said, “Let me find favor in your sight, my lord, because you have comforted me, and because you have spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not as one of your servants.” 14. At meal time Boaz said to her, “Come here, and eat some bread, and dip your morsel in the vinegar.” She sat beside the reapers, and they passed her parched grain, and she ate, and was satisfied, and left some of it. 15. When she had risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and don’t reproach her. 16. Also pull out some for her from the bundles, and leave it. Let her glean, and don’t rebuke her.”** > > 17. So she gleaned in the field until evening; and she beat out that which she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. 18. She took it up, and went into the city. Then her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned; and she brought out and gave to her that which she had left after she had enough. (Ruth 2:6-18, WEB) **KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/)) > 6. And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab: 7. And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house. > > **8. Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens: 9. Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn. 10. Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? 11. And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. 12. The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust. 13. Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens. Let me: or, I find friendly: Heb. to the heart 14. And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left. 15. And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not: reproach: Heb. shame her not 16. And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.** > > 17. So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley. 18. And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed. (Ruth 2:6-18, KJV) **YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/)) > 6. And the young man who is set over the reapers answereth and saith, 'A young woman, Moabitess, she [is], who came back with Naomi from the fields of Moab, 7. and she saith, Let me glean, I pray thee, and I have gathered among the sheaves after the reapers; and she cometh and remaineth since the morning and till now; she sat in the house a little. > > **8. And Boaz saith unto Ruth, 'Hast thou not heard, my daughter? go not to glean in another field, and also, pass not over from this, and thus thou dost cleave to my young women: 9. thine eyes [are] on the field which they reap, and thou hast gone after them; have not I charged the young men not to touch thee? when thou art athirst then thou hast gone unto the vessels, and hast drunk from that which the young men draw.' 10. And she falleth on her face, and boweth herself to the earth, and saith unto him, 'Wherefore have I found grace in thine eyes, to discern me, and I a stranger?' 11. And Boaz answereth and saith to her, 'It hath thoroughly been declared to me all that thou hast done with thy mother-in-law, after the death of thy husband, and thou dost leave thy father, and thy mother, and the land of thy birth, and dost come in unto a people which thou hast not known heretofore. 12. Jehovah doth recompense thy work, and thy reward is complete from Jehovah, God of Israel, under whose wings thou hast come to take refuge.' 13. And she saith, 'Let me find grace in thine eyes, my lord, because thou hast comforted me, and because thou hast spoken unto the heart of thy maid-servant, and I, I am not as one of thy maid-servants.' 14. And Boaz saith to her, 'At meal-time come nigh hither, and thou hast eaten of the bread, and dipped thy morsel in the vinegar.' And she sitteth at the side of the reapers, and he reacheth to her roasted corn, and she eateth, and is satisfied, and leaveth. 15. And she riseth to glean, and Boaz chargeth his young men, saying, 'Even between the sheaves she doth glean, and ye do not cause her to blush; 16. and also ye do surely cast to her of the handfuls, and have left, and she hath gleaned, and ye do not push against her.'** > > 17. And she gleaneth in the field till the evening, and beateth out that which she hath gleaned, and it is about an ephah of barley; 18. and she taketh [it] up, and goeth into the city, and her mother-in-law seeth that which she hath gleaned, and she bringeth out and giveth to her that which she left from her satiety. (Ruth 2:6-18, YLT) ## Setting - **Speaker:** Boaz and Ruth in conversation; in verses 15-16 Boaz speaks to his young men - **Audience:** Ruth, then the reapers - **Location:** Boaz's field near Beth-lehem (Ruth 2:3) - **Time period:** the period of the judges (Ruth 1:1), during the harvest that began "in the beginning of barley harvest" (1:22) ## Theological reading Boaz's first words to Ruth are protection: "Go not to glean in another field," "abide here fast by my maidens," and "have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee?" (2:8-9). The KJV's "abide" there is Strong's H1692, the verb used when Ruth "clave" to Naomi (1:14). Ruth falls on her face and asks why she has found favor, "seeing I am a foreigner" (2:10). Boaz answers by naming her loyalty to Naomi (2:11) and praying that God will reward her, "under whose wings thou art come to take refuge" (2:12). Ruth responds that he has "comforted me" and has "spoken kindly unto thy handmaid" (2:13); for "friendly" the KJV margin reads "to the heart." The section ends with deeds. Boaz seats her with the reapers and gives her parched grain until "she did eat, and was sufficed, and left thereof" (2:14), then tells the young men, "Let her glean even among the sheaves" and "pull out some for her from the bundles" (2:15-16). The law said to leave gleanings for the poor and the sojourner (Leviticus 19:9-10); Boaz exceeds it, which foreshadows how he will act as redeemer in chapter 4. ## Key words _Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._ - [H2580 - chen](/codex/h2580-chen/), *chen*, Strong's H2580 - [H5162 - nacham](/codex/h5162-nacham/), *nacham*, Strong's H5162 - [H4194 - mavet](/codex/h4194-mavet/), *mavet*, Strong's H4194 - [H0113 - adon](/codex/h0113-adon/), *adon*, Strong's H0113 - [H3820 - lev](/codex/h3820-lev/), *lev*, Strong's H3820 - [H0259 - echad](/codex/h0259-echad/), *echad*, Strong's H0259 ## Quoted in **Arguments and defeaters:** - [Isaiah 53 Is About Israel Objection Defeater](/codex/isaiah-53-is-about-israel-objection-defeater/), via [Ruth 2.14](/codex/ruth-2-14/) - [Rabbinic Sources Attest a Suffering Messiah Argument](/codex/rabbinic-sources-attest-a-suffering-messiah-argument/), via [Ruth 2.14](/codex/ruth-2-14/) **Lexicon:** - [H2580 - chen](/codex/h2580-chen/), via [Ruth 2.10](/codex/ruth-2-10/), [Ruth 2.13](/codex/ruth-2-13/) ## Notes _Your annotations._ ## Why these four translations ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance. The four: - **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition. - **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English. - **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base. - **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff. See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.