Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ruth 3:10
And he said, Blessed [be] thou of the LORD, my daughter: [for] thou hast showed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.
10. thou hast shewed more kindness ] At the outset Ruth had shewn her piety towards her mother in law (Rth 2:11); now she shews it towards her husband’s family. She has declined to seek a second marriage outside, and by her action the dead will come by his rights.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Thou hast shewed more kindness … – Literally, Thou hast made thy last kindness better than the first. Her last kindness was her willingness to accept Boaz for her husband, advanced in years as he was.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Rth 3:10-11
Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter . . . I will do to thee all that thou requirest
The first-fruits of grace
The passage before us gives a copious illustration of the first-fruits of grace to the accepted soul.
Jesus welcomes, blesses, and abundantly rewards all who thus come unto Him. First we have Divine approval. Boaz does not reject or repel the lowly suitor at his feet. The difference in their outward conditions was great. Yet he neither chides her boldness, nor reproaches her with sorrow, nor refuses her plea. He listens to her prayer in kindness. He invokes the Divine blessing upon her in her need. And how his whole address to her illustrates the Saviours gracious approval of those who seek Him! When the wearied soul comes to the feet of Jesus this is ever the welcome of approbation which it receives. The Saviour takes immediate notice of the prayer which rises up before Him, and answers it with the kindest encouragement. Boaz next illustrates for us the Divine promises. He meets the full requisition of his suppliant. There is not a want which the Christian feels for which there is not a provision promised in the Word of God. And when we come to ask His mercy, and lay ourselves at His feet in humble dedication to Him, the Saviour takes all our concerns into His own hands, and Himself promises to provide for every need. Another of the first-fruits of grace which we find in this illustration is the bounty of Divine gifts. Boaz not only promises for the future, but he bestows in the present. He will not send Ruth away empty. He fills her vail with as much barley as she could carry to her mother. An abundant supply for the wants of both. He is as generous in the amount of his liberality as he is is delicate and free in the manner of its bestowal. Thus the Saviour richly and freely bestows His gifts of grace upon those who love Him. What sweet peace He pours into the conscience in the assurance of our forgiveness! What clear light He gives to the understanding of His whole method of salvation and scheme of truth! What solidity He bestows upon the judgment in its satisfaction with His plans revealed! What joy He awakens in the heart, in the hope and anticipation of His final glory! How He makes our whole path a path of increasing light and abounding peace! In Him we are never straitened. The more diligently and truly we wait upon Him, the more abundantly will our strength be renewed. He will freely say to us, like Boaz to Ruth, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. Whatever we are ready to receive He is waiting to bestow. But the illustration from the vail of Ruth fails, in the important fact that its measure was fixed, but our capacity to hold increases with our receipts of the Divine bounty. And who shall tell where Gods gracious willingness to bestow shall find its limit? As faith enlarges, and we learn to expect large things, and to attempt large things, so also becomes enlarged the measure of grace which faith receives. The history before us illustrates the Divine fidelity. With what confidence Naomi trusts in the truth and faithfulness of Boaz! The result proved that her confidence was not misplaced. He did complete with entire success the work of protection and mercy which he had undertaken. It is upon such entire fidelity in our gracious Kinsman that we are required to place our trust. Great is His faithfulness. His name is called faithful and true.(S. H. Tyng, D. D.)
Thou art a virtuous woman.
Ruth the virtuous
1. Observe, to begin with one of her humblest virtues, Ruths industry. She accompanies Naomi to the land of Israel; but not to live on public charity or become the humble pensioner of affluent relatives. Reared in the lap of luxury, she has never learned to work; yet in a noble spirit of independence she resolves to earn her bread with her own hands. We have called this a humble virtue, not because we hold it cheap, or do not regret that under the debasing influence of our poor-laws and the self-indulgent spirit of the age, it is dying out of the land. One of the saddest phases of the times is that, for themselves or their parents, thousands now accept and even clamour for public charity who, less than a century ago, would have scorned to touch it. We call it a humble virtue, because, notwithstanding the degeneracy of the age, it still dwells in many a lowly home, stamping those with a true nobility who feel the bread taste sweet their own hands have earned, and, looking forward with a Christians hope to the rest of heaven, are content here to live to work and work to live.
2. Observe next her humility. On losing their fortune some retain in a silly pride what but aggravates the loss, rankling like a thorn in a bleeding wound. An empty sack cannot stand erect; yet they inflict misery on themselves, and not seldom wrong on others, by the mean and even dishonest things they de to keep up appearances. Deeming some honest but humble work beneath their dignity, they buy what they cannot pay for, or borrow what they cannot return. Ashamed to work, they are not ashamed to live on the fruits of others industry rather than their own. There is something inexpressibly mean in this; and worse than mean. It argues a spirit of rebellion against Him and His providence who setteth up one and putteth down another. How different from this un-Christian and rebellious spirit the humility of Ruth! How beautiful it is! Willing to engage in any honest work, however humble, she bends like a reed to the blast, bows her gentle head meekly before the majesty of heaven, and, meeting her trials like a Christian heroine, drinks off the cup mingled and presented by her Fathers hand.
3. Observe her affection to Naomi. It wrings Ruths heart to part with sister, mother, and country; but it would break it to part with Naomi. She cannot do it. The ship may sink; but, mailing her colours to the mast, she will sink or swim with it. Death only shall apart them: nor death–the last favour her lips shall ask, that they lay her in Naomis grave. Nobly did Ruth redeem the pledges of this affecting scene. She teaches us, by what she was to Naomi, what we are to be to Christ; how we should cleave to Him–how we should love Him–with what devotion of heart and body, of soul, strength, mind and spirit we should serve Him, and gladly spend and be spent for Him–saying, as we take up our cross to follow the lover and Redeemer of our souls, Where Thou goest,etc. (T. Guthrie, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 10. In the latter end than at the beginning] It is not easy to find out what Boaz means. Perhaps chesed, which we translate kindness, means piety; as if he had said: Thou hast given great proof of thy piety in this latter instance, when thou hast avoided the young, and those of thy own age, to associate thyself with an elderly man, merely for the purpose of having the Divine injunction fulfilled, viz., that the brother, or next akin, might take the wife of the deceased, and raise a family to him who had died childless, that his name might not become extinct in Israel: this latter act is a greater proof of thy piety and sincerity than any thing that could be inferred from thy becoming a proselyte.
Whether poor or rich.] So it appears from this that it was not to mend her condition in life that Ruth endeavoured to get Boaz for her husband, for she might have had a rich young man, but she preferred the building up the house of her deceased husband. See above.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Thou hast showed more kindness; both to thy deceased husband, the continuance of whose name and memory thou preferrest before the satisfaction of thy own lust; and to thy mother-in-law, whose commands thou hast punctually obeyed, even with thy own hazard in so doubtful an enterprise.
Thou followedst not young men, to seek thy marriage either here, or in thy own country, as thou wouldst have done if thou hadst not preferred obedience to Gods command, before the pleasing of thyself.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And he said, blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter,…. Instead of calling her an immodest woman for laying herself down at his feet, and a bold impudent woman, she being poor, to ask marriage of him; and instead of being angry with her, and chiding and reproving her for disturbing and frightening him in the night, he blesses her, and pray’s to God to bless her, and prosper her in what she had engaged, and in a kind and loving manner calls her his daughter:
for thou hast showed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning; that is, to her husband’s family; she had shown much love to her husband living and dying, and to her mother-in-law, in leaving her country and kindred to come with her into a strange country, and in labour to support her, as she had done, all which was great kindness; to which the Targum adds, her being proselyted; but the kindness she now showed exceeded all the former, in that she was desirous, according to the law of God, to build up her husband’s family, to marry the next near kinsman, even though an old man, to raise up seed to the name and memory of her husband:
inasmuch as thou followedst not the young men, whether poor or rich; the phrase of following young men is not to be understood of committing fornication with them, as the Targum explains it, but of marriage to them: she shunned their company and conversation, and did not put herself in the way of being caressed and addressed by them, and refused everything of that sort; and did not choose to follow any young man, rich or poor, as a bride follows her husband when married to him. Now Boaz mentions this as an instance of her virtue, and of her great respect to her husband’s family, that a woman of such amiable qualities, virtuous, young, and beautiful, who doubtless might have been married to a young man in her own country, or in Israel, but chose to marry the nearest of kin in her husband’s family, to perpetuate his name and memory; the Jews say t Boaz was now eighty years of age, and Ruth forty.
t Midrash Ruth, fol. 31. 4. & 34. 2.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Boaz praised her conduct: “ Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter (see Rth 2:20); thou hast made thy later love better than the earlier, that thou hast not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. ” Ruth’s earlier or first love was the love she had shown to her deceased husband and her mother-in-law (comp. Rth 2:11, where Boaz praises this love); the later love she had shown in the fact, that as a young widow she had not sought to win the affections of young men, as young women generally do, that she might have a youthful husband, but had turned trustfully to the older man, that he might find a successor to her deceased husband, through a marriage with him, in accordance with family custom (vid., Rth 4:10). “ And now, ” added Boaz (Rth 3:11), “ my daughter, fear not; for all that thou sayest I will do to thee: for the whole gate of my people (i.e., all my city, the whole population of Bethlehem, who go in and out at the gate: see Gen 34:24; Deu 17:2) knoweth that thou art a virtuous woman.” Consequently Boaz saw nothing wrong in the fact that Ruth had come to him, but regarded her request that he would marry her as redeemer as perfectly natural and right, and was ready to carry out her wish as soon as the circumstances would legally allow it. He promised her this (vv. 12, 13), saying, “ And now truly I am a redeemer; but there is a nearer redeemer than I. Stay here this night (or as it reads at the end of v. 13, ‘lie till the morning’), and in the morning, if he will redeem thee, well, let him redeem; but if it does not please him to redeem thee, I will redeem thee, as truly as Jehovah liveth. ” ( Kethibh, v. 12), after a strong assurance, as after the formula used in an oath, “ God do so to me, ” etc., 2Sa 3:35; 2Sa 15:21 ( Kethibh), and 2Ki 5:20, is to be explained from the use of this particle in the sense of nisi, except that, = only: “only I am redeemer,” equivalent to, assuredly I am redeemer (cf. Ewald, 356, b.). Consequently there is no reason whatever for removing the from the text, as the Masorites have done (in the Keri).
(Note: What the maju sc ., in signifies, is uncertain. According to the smaller Masora, it was only found among the eastern (i.e., Palestinian) Jews. Consequently Hiller (in his Arcanum Keri et Ctibh, p. 163) conjectures that they used it to point out a various reading, viz., that should be the reading here. But this is hardly correct.)
Ruth was to lie till morning, because she could not easily return to the city in the dark at midnight; but, as is shown in Rth 3:14, she did not stay till actual daybreak, but “ before one could know another, she rose up, and he said (i.e., as Boaz had said), It must not be known that the woman came to the threshing-floor. ” For this would have injured the reputation not only of Ruth, but also of Boaz himself.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(10) Blessed be thou of the Lord.This answer of Boazs is in itself a sufficient proof of the view he took of her conduct, and of the integrity of his own. We note, too, that this blessing follows immediately on the avowal of her name. His own feelings had already been attuned to due honour and respect for Ruth; he is prepared not only to discharge the duty of next of kin, but to do it in no perfunctory spirit, but with a sincere loyal affection. The Targum on Rth. 3:15 supposes that to Ruth, the distant ancestress of the Saviour, was vouchsafed the knowledge, as in its fulness to the Virgin hereafter, of the birth of the Messiah through her. Origen compares Ruth to the Gentile Church, the engrafted wild olive.
Thou hast shewed . . . .Literally, thou hast done well thy latter kindness above the former.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
10. More kindness in the latter end , kindness, is often used in the sense of piety, moral and religious goodness. Such is the meaning here, and the passage should be read, Thou hast made thy latter act of piety better than the former. Her former act of piety was her devotion to the memory of her deceased husband and to her mother in law, and her forsaking of father and mother and native land to become a proselyte to the Hebrew faith. Her latter piety was shown, as Boaz proceeds to state, in her not following after young men to seek to win a youthful husband; but, in strict observance of the laws and customs of the Hebrew people, by coming and claiming him as her kinsman.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘ And he said, “Blessed be you of YHWH, my daughter. You have shown more kindness (love) in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as you did not follow young men, whether poor or rich.”
Boaz was moved that such a presentable young woman should be willing to become his wife. It is apparent that he had to some extent fallen in love with her, for he felt only able to express his gratitude that she should have chosen him rather than a younger man, ‘whether rich or poor’. He for one clearly believed that she would have had good marriage prospects. Thus he blesses her in the Name of YHWH, for showing him even more kindness than she had before when she had gleaned in his fields and had spoken so graciously to him. He undoubtedly saw her being willing to marry him as a great kindness. It augured well for the future. Some see the ‘love — at the beginning’ as referring to the previous love shown to her former husband, a young man, and her mother-in-law, compare Rth 2:11.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Boaz Promises Favorable Action
v. 10. And he said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter; for thou hast showed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich. v. 11. And now, my daughter, fear not, v. 12. And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman; howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I, v. 13. Tarry this night, v. 14. And she lay at his feet until the morning; and she rose up before one could know another, v. 15. Also he said, Bring the veil, v. 16. And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? v. 17. And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother-in-law, v. 18. Then said she,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Rth 3:10. He said, Blessed be thou of the Lord Nothing can be more honourable than the testimony which Boaz gives in this and the next verse to the character of Ruth; which, while it removes all suspicions from her reputation, at the same time proves that Boaz acted upon principle, and was a man of true discernment and real piety.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: for thou hast showed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich. (11) And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman. (12) And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I. (13) Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman’s part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the LORD liveth: lie down until the morning.
The generosity and greatness of mind in Boaz, to condescend to the situation of this poor creature, is not more to be admired in the history, than the obedience also which he thereby manifested to the law of God. Boaz knew that the law of God had made provision for such cases; and as such, he took no shelter under the disparity of circumstances, but declared himself ready to do the kinsman’s part, if him that was nearer of kin, and therefore had a prior claim, refused to do it. And though, no doubt, the first and principal motive which operated upon the mind of Boaz in this concern, was obedience to the divine law, yet he very graciously remarked to Ruth, that her attachment to the family and house of Israel, in leaving all the relations of Moab, and the gods of the place, since her husband’s death, were such evidences of her virtue, that this weighed much upon his mind, and was well received by all the city of his people. These are very interesting points, simply considered as an history, and deserve to be noticed. But when the Reader hath paid all due attention to them on this account, I would call upon him to remark with me, those far more important points, which strike us in the passage, considered in their spiritual signification. When a poor cast-off sinner is brought by the Holy Ghost into an acquaintance with the Lord Jesus, hath beard of his grace, and lies down at his feet, desiring to be covered with the skirt of his mantle, the Son of God takes immediate notice of the poor creature, and as he knows all his state and circumstances, intimates for the poor creature’s encouragement, that he is not a stranger either to his wants or desires; and promiseth, in the assurance of the covenant-engagements of his Father, that he will perform the Kinsman-Redeemer’s part. Perhaps the nearer kinsman here alluded to 1 might mean the angels, which in one sense, considered in the scale of creature existence, might be said to be nearer. But of these there could be no help, for the Lord Jesus is introduced by the prophet, as saying, I looked and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold; therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me, and my fury it upheld me. Isa 63:5 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Rth 3:10 And he said, Blessed [be] thou of the LORD, my daughter: [for] thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.
Ver. 10. And he said, Blessed be thou, &c. ] He did not reproach her, for coming in that manner, and at that time of night, as a light housewife; nor harbour any evil suspicion of her, as unfit to make an honest man’s wife; but considering her former behavior, which was commendable, Rth 3:11 and her present kindness to the living and to the dead, he candidly interpreteth what she had done, and calling her “daughter,” comforteth and commendeth her, as here.
Blessed be thou.
My daughter.
For thou hast showed more kindness in the latter end.
Inasmuch as thou followedst not young men.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Blessed: Rth 2:4, Rth 2:20, 1Co 13:4, 1Co 13:5
at the beginning: Rth 1:8
Reciprocal: Gen 14:18 – the most Gen 14:19 – Blessed be Gen 24:31 – thou Jdg 17:2 – Blessed 1Sa 15:13 – Blessed 2Sa 2:5 – Blessed
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Rth 3:10. More kindness in the latter end than in the beginning Both to thy deceased husband, the continuance of whose name and memory thou seekest, and to thy mother-in-law, whose commands thou hast punctually obeyed. The former kindness which Ruth had shown to the family of Boaz was in her love and fidelity to her husband, and her affectionate regard to her mother-in-law. But Boaz here commends her willingness to marry him, who was advanced in years, in order to raise up seed to her departed husband, as the greatest instance of love that she had given; inasmuch as she had not followed young men Either among the Israelites, or in her own country, as he intimates she would have done if she had not preferred obedience to Gods command, before pleasing herself.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
3:10 And he said, Blessed [be] thou of the LORD, my daughter: [for] thou hast {d} shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.
(d) You showed yourself repeatedly to be more virtuous.