Ruth chapter 2

After reading chapter 2:

*Now we are introduced to Boaz. He is a relative of Naomi's dead husband Elimelech, but we are not told how close a relative. Boaz is also a well respected and affluent man in the community. He owns barley fields and has hired hands.

*Ruth has told Naomi that she is going into the fields to glean barley behind the harvesters.  This would have been a necessity to provide food for Ruth and Naomi, who had little or no economic support. Ruth was gathering grain in one of Boaz's fields when Boaz came home from a trip to Bethlehem. He greeted his workers then asked them who Ruth was. They explained where she came from and said she was a hard worker. Boaz went to Ruth and told her she was welcome to keep working in his fields. Not only that, he told his hired hands not to bother her, and she was free to get water from their water jars. But first he called her "daughter," which is a little creepy if you know what will be happening next. Does it mean he is significantly older than her?

*Ruth is overwhelmed with gratitude and bows down to Boaz, asking why she has found favor with him. He tells her that he has heard about the story of her and Naomi and he is impressed. Then he "blesses" her in Yahweh's name with pretty phrases. She says she wishes to continue to have favor in his eyes. I don't think she needs to worry about that. At lunch, Boaz invites her to join him and the rest of the harvesters. Afterwards, he gives special instructions to his workers to treat her with respect and generously leave grain for her.

*Ruth worked until evening, then threshed the barley she had gathered. She brought the threshed grain to Naomi, along with leftovers from lunch. Naomi asked her where she had worked. When Ruth told Naomi it was in Boaz's fields,  she was glad and said he was one of their "kinsman-redeemers," a close relative.  This does not have to do with marriage rights, but property/land rights, according to Leviticus 25:25. Naomi is probably wanting back the land that her husband sold when they left during the famine. Because she is poor, and Boaz is a relative, he has the "right" to buy back Elimelech's property for her, from whomever Elimelech had sold it.

*When Ruth tells Naomi how well Boaz treated her, Naomi sees opportunity knocking. She tells Ruth to keep working in Boaz's fields. Ruth does so until the barley and wheat harvests are over. This was traditionally seven weeks, after which would be a celebration called The Feast of Weeks, Shavuot, or Pentecost today. Ruth continued to live with Naomi.

*In modern times, the book of Ruth is read during the celebration of Shavuot.