# Ruth 4.8 **Book:** [Ruth](/codex/ruth/) · NASB95 ## Immediate context (±2 verses) **ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/)) > 6. And the near kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: take thou my right of redemption on thee; for I cannot redeem it. 7. Now this was the custom in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: a man drew off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel. > > **8. So the near kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thyself. And he drew off his shoe.** > > 9. And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi. 10. Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day. (Ruth 4:6-10, ASV) **WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/)) > 6. The near kinsman said, “I can’t redeem it for myself, lest I endanger my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption for yourself; for I can’t redeem it.” 7. Now this was the custom in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: a man took off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the way of legalizing transactions in Israel. > > **8. So the near kinsman said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” then he took off his shoe.** > > 9. Boaz said to the elders, and to all the people, “You are witnesses today, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi. 10. Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, I have purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers, and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses today.” (Ruth 4:6-10, WEB) **KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/)) > 6. And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it. 7. Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel. > > **8. Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe.** > > 9. And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi. 10. Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day. (Ruth 4:6-10, KJV) **YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/)) > 6. And the redeemer saith, 'I am not able to redeem [it] for myself, lest I destroy mine inheritance; redeem for thyself, thou, my right of redemption, for I am not able to redeem.' 7. And this [is] formerly in Israel for redemption and for changing, to establish anything: a man hath drawn off his sandal, and given [it] to his neighbour, and this [is] the testimony in Israel. > > **8. And the redeemer saith to Boaz, 'Buy [it] for thyself,' and draweth off his sandal.** > > 9. And Boaz saith to the elders, and [to] all the people, 'Witnesses [are] ye to-day that I have bought all that [is] to Elimelech, and all that [is] to Chilion and Mahlon, from the hand of Naomi; 10. and also Ruth the Moabitess, wife of Mahlon, I have bought to myself for a wife, to raise up the name of the dead over his inheritance; and the name of the dead is not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place; witnesses ye [are] to-day.' (Ruth 4:6-10, YLT) ## Setting - **Speaker:** the near kinsman, in direct speech, with the narrator's report of his act - **Audience:** Boaz, before the elders at the gate (Ruth 4:2) - **Location:** the gate of Beth-lehem - **Time period:** the days when the judges judged (Ruth 1:1), the day after the night at the threshing-floor (3:18) ## Theological reading "So the near kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thyself. And he drew off his shoe." The narrator has just paused to explain the gesture for later readers: "Now this was the custom in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging ... a man drew off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel" (4:7). The aside shows the book was written down after the custom had fallen out of use. The gesture resembles, but is not the same as, the ceremony in [Deuteronomy 25:9](/codex/deuteronomy-25-9/), where a widow refused by her brother-in-law "shall ... loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face," and his house is called "The house of him that hath his shoe loosed" (25:10). Here the man removes his own shoe, there is no spitting and no public shame, and the act confirms a transfer of rights. The near kinsman was not a brother, and the text treats his refusal as a lawful handing-over, not a disgrace. With the shoe the right of redemption passes to Boaz, before witnesses. Everything that follows, the purchase, the marriage, and the son, rests on this transfer being done openly and by the community's own rules. ## 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._ - [H1350 - goel](/codex/h1350-goel/), *goel*, Strong's H1350 ## Quoted in **Lexicon:** - [G0629 - apolytrosis](/codex/g0629-apolytrosis/), via [Ruth 4.1-12](/codex/ruth-4-1-12/) - [H1350 - goel](/codex/h1350-goel/), via [Ruth 4.1-12](/codex/ruth-4-1-12/) ## 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.