Ruth Chapter 3 (Original 1611 KJV Bible)

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CHAP. III.

1 By Naomi her instruction, 5 Ruth lieth at Boaz his feete. 8 Boaz acknowledgeth the right of a kinseman. 14 He sendeth her away with sixe measures of barley.

¹ Then Naomi her mother in law said vnto her, My daughter, shal I not seeke rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?

² And now is not Boaz of our kinred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshing floore.

³ Wash thy selfe therefore, and annoint thee, and put thy raiment vpon thee, and get thee downe to the floore: but make not thy selfe knowen vnto the man, vntill hee shall haue done eating and drinking.

⁴ And it shall be when hee lieth downe, that thou shalt marke the place where hee shall lie, and thou shalt goe in, and vncouer his feete, and lay thee downe, and he will tell thee what thou shalt doe.⁴

⁵ And shee said vnto her, All that thou sayest vnto me, I will doe.

⁶ ¶ And she went downe vnto the floore, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her.

⁷ And when Boaz had eaten and drunke, and his heart was merrie, hee went to lie downe at the ende of the heape of corne: and she came softly, and vncouered his feet, and laid her downe.

⁸ ¶ And it came to passe at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himselfe: and behold, a woman lay at his feete.⁸

⁹ And hee said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt ouer thine handmaid, for thou art a neare kinseman.⁹

Boaz talketh with Ruths kinsman.

¹⁰ And hee said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindnesse in the latter ende, then at the beginning, in as much as thou followedst not yong men, whether poore, or rich.

¹¹ And now my daughter, feare not, I will doe to thee all that thou requirest: for all the citie of my people doeth know, that thou art a vertuous woman.¹¹

¹² And now it is true, that I am thy neare kinseman: howbeit there is a kinseman nearer then I.

¹³ Tary this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if hee will performe vnto thee the part of a kinseman, well, let him doe the kinsemans part; but if hee will not doe the part of a kinseman to thee, then will I doe the part of a kinseman to thee, as the Lord liueth: lie downe vntill the morning.

¹⁴ ¶ And shee lay at his feete vntill the morning: and she rose vp before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be knowen, that a woman came into the floore.

¹⁵ Also he said, Bring the vaile that thou hast vpon thee, and holde it. And when she helde it, he measured sixe measures of barley, and laide it on her: and he went into the citie.¹⁵

¹⁶ And when shee came to her mother in law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? and she tolde her all that the man had done to her.

¹⁷ And she said, These sixe measures of barley gaue he me, for he said to me, Go not emptie vnto thy mother in law.

¹⁸ Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, vntill thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, vntil he haue finished the thing this day.

View Wesley's Notes for Ruth Chapter 3

3:1 Rest - A life of rest, and comfort, and safety, under the care of a good husband.

3:2 Threshing - floor - Which was in a place covered at the top, but open elsewhere, whither Ruth might easily come. And this work of winnowing corn was usually ended with a feast.

3:3 Raiment - Thy best raiment. Known - In so familiar a way, as thou mayest do hereafter.

3:4 Uncover his feet - Remove the clothes that were upon his feet; thereby to awaken him. Will tell thee - What course thou shalt take to obtain that marriage which belongs unto thee.

3:8 At midnight - He did not discover her sooner.

3:9 Spread thy Skirt - That is, take me to be thy wife, and perform the duty of an husband to me.

3:10 Shewed kindness - 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. Followedst not - To seek thy marriage here, or in thy own country, as thou wouldst have done if thou hadst not preferred obedience to God's command, before pleasing thyself.

3:13 Perform, &c. - Take thee to wife, to raise up seed to his brother. Bishop Hall sums up the matter thus. Boaz, instead of touching her as a wanton, blesseth her as a father, encourages her as a friend, promises her as a kinsman, rewards her as a patron, and sends her away laden with hopes and gifts, no less chast, but more happy than she came. O admirable temperance, worthy the progenitor of him, in whose lips and heart there was no guile!

3:14 Let it not, &c. - He takes care to preserve not only his conscience towards God, but his reputation, and hers also, among men.

3:15 Veil - Or, the apron.

3:16 Who art thou? - This is not a question of doubting, but of wonder, as if she had said, Art thou in very deed my daughter? I can hardly believe it. How camest thou hither in this manner, and thus early?

Ruth Chapter 3 Sidenote References (from Original 1611 KJV Bible):

⁴ Or, lift vp the clothes that are on his feete.
⁸ Or, tooke holde on.
⁹ Or, one that hath right to redeeme.
¹¹ Heb. gate.
¹⁵ Or, sheete, or, apron.

* Courtesy of Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of Pennsylvania

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