70 Heb “she beat out” (so , , , ). Ruth probably used a stick to separate the kernels of grain from the husks. See O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 63.
71 Heb “there was an ephah.” An ephah was a dry measure, equivalent to one-tenth of a homer (see אֵיפָה). An ephah was equivalent to a “bath,” a liquid measure. Jars labeled “bath” found at archaeological sites in Israel could contain approximately 5.8 gallons, or one-half to two-thirds of a bushel. Thus an ephah of barley would have weighed about 29 to 30 pounds (just over 13 kg). See R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (), . This was a huge amount of barley for one woman to gather in a single day. It testifies both to Ruth’s industry and to Boaz’s generosity.

In other versions

So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.

So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah.

So Ruth gathered grain in the field until evening. She beat out what she had gathered, and it was about twenty-six quarts of barley.

So Ruth gathered barley there all day, and when she beat out the grain that evening, it filled an entire basket.

So she gleaned in the field until the evening and she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.

So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.

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