Passage

Ruth 4.9

Book: Ruth · NASB95

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV

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.

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. 11. And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. Jehovah make the woman that is come into thy house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Beth-lehem: (Ruth 4:7-11, ASV)

WEB

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.

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.” 11. All the people who were in the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May Yahweh make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and like Leah, which both built the house of Israel; and treat you worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Bethlehem. (Ruth 4:7-11, WEB)

KJV

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.

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. 11. And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem: ^{do thou: or, get thee riches, or, power} ^{be famous: Heb. proclaim thy name} (Ruth 4:7-11, KJV)

YLT

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;

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.' 11. And all the people who [are] in the gate say, also the elders, 'Witnesses! Jehovah make the woman who is coming in unto thy house as Rachel and as Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and do thou virtuously in Ephrathah, and proclaim the Name in Beth-Lehem; (Ruth 4:7-11, YLT)

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Setting

Speaker: Boaz, in direct speech
Audience: "the elders, and ... all the people" at the gate (Ruth 4:9)
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

"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." What began in secret at the threshing-floor, "Let it not be known" (3:14), is finished in public. Boaz calls the whole town to witness, and the formula frames his declaration at both ends, "ye are witnesses this day" (4:9, 4:10). The people answer, "We are witnesses" (4:11).

The names of the dead are spoken again for the first time since chapter 1. Elimelech, Mahlon and Chilion died in Moab (1:3, 1:5) and have not been named since. Boaz names them in the act that keeps their names from being "cut off from among his brethren" (4:10). Only now does the reader learn which son Ruth had married: "Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon" (4:10).

The purchase is made "of the hand of Naomi." The widow who came home with nothing turns out to hold the family's land rights, and the redemption passes through her. The legal act answers the concern of the law, that a man's "name be not blotted out of Israel" (Deuteronomy 25:6).

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.

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Quoted in

Lexicon:

G0629 - apolytrosis, via Ruth 4.1-12
H1350 - goel, via 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 (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
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 for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.