Ruth 3:13-15

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. Ruth 3:13 tn Heb “if he redeems you”; NIV “if he wants to redeem”; NRSV “if he will act as next-of-kin for you.” The verb גֹּאֵל (goʾel) here refers generally to fulfilling his responsibilities as a guardian of the family interests. In this case it specifically entails marrying Ruth.
2. Ruth 3:13 tn Or “good” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “well and good.”
3. Ruth 3:13 tn Heb “let him redeem” (so NIV); NLT “then let him marry you.”
4. Ruth 3:13 tn Heb “but if he does not want to redeem you, then I will redeem you, I, [as] the Lord lives” (NASB similar).
5. Ruth 3:13 sn Sleep here. Perhaps Boaz tells her to remain at the threshing floor because he is afraid she might be hurt wandering back home in the dark. See Song 5:7 and R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 218.
6. Ruth 3:14 tc The consonantal text (Kethib) has the singular מַרְגְּלָתוֹ (marg^elato, “his leg”), while the marginal reading (Qere) has the plural מַרְגְּלוֹתָיו (marg^elotayv, “his legs”). tn Heb “[at] his legs.” See the note on the word “legs” in v. 4.
7. Ruth 3:14 tn Heb “and she arose before a man could recognize his companion”; NRSV “before one person could recognize another”; CEV “before daylight.”
8. Ruth 3:14 tn Heb “and he said” (so KJV, NASB, NIV). Some translate “he thought [to himself]” (cf. NCV).
9. Ruth 3:14 tn Heb “let it not be known that the woman came [to] the threshing floor” (NASB similar). The article on הָאִשָּׁה (haʾishah, “the woman”) is probably dittographic (note the final he on the preceding verb בָּאָה [baʾah, “she came”]).
10. Ruth 3:15 tn Or “cloak” (so NAB, NRSV, NLT); CEV “cape.” The Hebrew noun occurs only here and in Isa 3:22.
11. Ruth 3:15 tn Heb “which [is] upon you”; NIV, NRSV “you are wearing.”
12. Ruth 3:15 tn Heb “and she gripped it tightly and he measured out six of barley and placed upon her.” The unit of measure is not indicated in the Hebrew text, although it would probably have been clear to the original hearers of the account. Six ephahs, the equivalent of 180-300 pounds, is clearly too heavy, especially if carried in a garment. Six omers (an omer being a tenth of an ephah) seems too little, since this would have amounted to six-tenths of an ephah, less than Ruth had gleaned in a single day (cf. 2:17). Thus a seah (one third of an ephah) may be in view here; six seahs would amount to two ephahs, about 60 pounds (27 kg). See R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 222, and F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 178.
13. Ruth 3:15 tn The phrase “into the shawl” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
14. Ruth 3:15 tc The MT preserves the third person masculine singular form וַיָּבֹא (vayyavoʾ, “then he went”; cf. ASV, NAB, NIV, NCV, NRSV, NLT), while many medieval mss (supported by the Syriac and Vulgate) have the third person feminine singular form וַתָּבֹא (vattavoʾ, “then she went”; cf. KJV, NASB, TEV).