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The man answered, “If that's the case, I don't want to buy it! That would make problems with the property I already own.[a] You may buy it yourself, because I cannot.”

(A) To make a sale legal in those days, one person would take off a sandal and give it to the other. So after the man had agreed to let Boaz buy the property, he took off one of his sandals and handed it to Boaz.

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Footnotes

  1. 4.6 property … own: This property would then have to be shared with Ruth and her children as well as with his own family.

At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem(A) it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”(B)

(Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption(C) and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal(D) and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions(E) in Israel.)(F)

So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal.(G)

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