Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ruth 3:3

Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: [but] make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.

3. Wash thyself and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee ] as a bride prepares herself for marriage; see Eze 16:9 ff.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Rth 3:3

Wash thyself, therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee.

Washed, anointed, and clothed

Need we explain this washing, anointing, and clothing? Need we point to the only fountain for sin? Need we say that the holy anointing oil, which consecrates the believer in Jesus a priest and king unto God, is His own blessed Spirit? Must we define the raiment to be that robe of Divine and human righteousness combined wherewith each soul is invested which rejects its own filthy rags? (C. F. Hall.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Verse 3. Wash thyself, therefore] She made Ruth put on her best dress, that Boaz might, in the course of the day, be the more attracted by her person, and be the better disposed to receive her as Naomi wished.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Thy raiment, to wit, thy best raiment. All this was done to render herself more amiable in the eyes of Boaz. Object. But Boaz could not see her, the whole business being to be transacted by night.

Answ. First, It was begun in the beginning of the night, as soon as Boaz had supped and composed himself to rest, as appears from Rth 3:4,7, when there was so much light left as might discover her to him. Secondly, There being a solemn feast this evening, as is very probably thought, and the master of the feast having invited his labouring people to it, and Ruth among the rest, it is likely that both she and the rest did put themselves into their best dress upon that occasion, as the manner is even at this day; and so he had opportunity enough to see her.

Make not thyself known unto the man, to wit, not in so familiar a way, as she was appointed to do, so as he might know her, in the sense in which that word is sometimes used.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

Wash thyself, therefore,…. Thy flesh, as Ben Melech, that she might appear clean and neat, and free from all spots, and every thing that might occasion a disagreeable aspect, or an ill scent, and so be acceptable to the man proposed:

and anoint thee; not with aromatic ointments, as great personages, both men and women, used as Aben Ezra notes, but with common oil, Ruth being a poor widow that she might look sleek and smooth:

and put thy raiment upon thee; that is, her best raiment; for it cannot be supposed that she was now without clothes; or else her ornaments as the Targum; her mother-in-law advises her to put off her widow’s weed, the time of mourning for her husband being perhaps at an end, and put on her ornamental dress she used to wear in her own country, and in her husband’s lifetime. Jarchi interprets it of her sabbath day clothes:

and get thee down to the floor; to the threshingfloor where Boaz was winnowing, and which it seems lay lower than the city of Bethlehem:

but make not thyself known unto the man; some understand it, that she should not make herself known to any man, not to any of the servants of Boaz; who, though they knew her before, when in the habit of a gleaner, would not know her now in her best and finest clothes, unless she made herself known to them; but rather Boaz is meant, to whom it was not advisable to make herself known; and who also, for the same reason, though he might see her at supper time, might not know her because of her different dress: and the rather he is particularly intended, since it follows,

until he shall have done eating and drinking; when Naomi thought it would be the fittest time to make herself known unto him in order to gain the point in view, marriage with him.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(3-5) The plan suggested by Naomi seems peculiar, yet some thoughts may give a certain colouring to it. (1) Naomi seems to have believed that Boaz was the nearest kinsman, being ignorant of the yet nearer one (Rth. 3:12). Consequently, according to Israelite law (Deu. 25:5 sqq.), it would be the duty of Boaz to marry Ruth to raise up seed to the dead. (2) The general tone of Naomis character is clearly shown in this book to be that of a God-fearing woman, so that it is certain that, however curious in its external form, there can be nothing counselled here which really is repugnant to Gods law, or shocking to a virtuous man such as Boaz, otherwise Naomi would simply have been most completely frustrating her own purpose. (3) Her knowledge by long intimacy of Ruths character, and doubtless also of that of Boaz by report, would enable her to feel sure that no ill effects could accrue.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

3. Wash anoint raiment Arrange and prepare thy person in the most attractive form, as a bride for her nuptials.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

“ Wash yourself therefore, and anoint yourself, and put your clothes on you, and get you down to the threshing-floor, but do not make yourself known to the man, until he has done eating and drinking.”

Ruth was therefore to wash herself, and anoint herself with oil, and then dress and go down to the threshingfloor. There she must wait patiently and unobserved until Boaz had finished eating and drinking. As mentioned above this eating and drinking would probably be part of the celebrations because the harvest had been safely gathered in. It was not to be interrupted. What Ruth was about to do must not be done publicly.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Rth 3:3. Put thy raiment upon thee, &c. Her best clothes or ornaments, as some of the versions express it. It is not easy to tell at this distance of time, and under this difference of manners, why Naomi advised Ruth to this secret method of proceeding. To some persons, it will seem that it would have been better for her to have claimed publicly the right of redemption from Boaz: but, unquestionably, Naomi, who was a pious woman, had sufficient reasons for her mode of proceeding; and, well satisfied of the honour of Boaz, as well as the modesty of Ruth, she had no apprehensions of any consequences which might impugn the reputation of either.

REFLECTIONS.We have here Naomi’s solicitude to get her daughter comfortably settled, and at rest in the house of her husband, that she might no longer be exposed to the difficulties under which they now struggled. She informed Ruth, that Boaz’s kindred to her, as she apprehended, laid him under an obligation to take his brother’s widow, and raise up seed unto his brother. Note; (1.) It seems safest and best, that the younger widows marry, 1Ti 5:14. (2.) Parents should seek the settlement of their children in marriage, as one great part of their duty respecting them. (3.) The rest of the marriage state consists in union and affection. To have a wandering heart there, is not only to be criminal, but to be wretched.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Rth 3:3 Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: [but] make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.

Ver. 3. Wash thyself therefore. ] A sudore et sordibus, ne male oleres, from wet and filth, that thou smell not amiss, as slothful sluts use to do.

And anoint thee. ] That thou mayest smell well albeit, Optime olet faemina, quae nihil olet, said one; she smelleth best, who smelleth of nothing.

And put thy raiment upon thee. ] Thy very best, that may render thee most amiable. Use all lawful means to ingratiate. Hanc homines decorant quam vestimenta decorant.

And get thee down to the floor. ] Serve God’s providence by demanding marriage of him; which in those days, and in Ruth’s case, was neither unlawful nor immodest. Deu 25:5 Consilium hoc est re legitimum, specie inhonestum, saith Junius here: Naomi’s counsel to Ruth was indeed honest, but seemingly not so. Diodat saith, that albeit the end she aimed at was good; yet it seemeth to be a womanish provision, somewhat less than honest, to bring it to pass: which was notwithstanding tolerated, directed, and blessed by God; as was also that in Gen 27:9 . Some ancients censure it for scandalous and dangerous. One saith a that he doubteth not but all this was done by instinct from God; or else such holy women would never have done and spoken so. Let none be encouraged hereby to enter into God’s ordinance through the devil’s portal, lest they smart and smoke for it.

Until he shall have done eating and drinking. ] This they did more liberally at such times, and thereby were more merrily disposed, and apt to speak more freely.

a Auth, Imperf. Oper.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)