^2:2One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go⁴ to the fields so I can gather⁵ grain behind whoever permits me to do so.”⁶ Naomi⁷ replied, “You may go, my daughter.” ^2:3So Ruth⁸ went and gathered grain in the fields⁹ behind the harvesters. Now she just happened to end up¹⁰ in the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.

Boaz and Ruth Meet

^2:4Now at that very moment,¹¹ Boaz arrived from Bethlehem¹² and greeted¹³ the harvesters, “May the Lord be with you!” They replied,¹⁴ “May the Lord bless you!” ^2:5Boaz asked¹⁵ his servant¹⁶ in charge of the harvesters, “To whom does this young woman belong?”¹⁷^2:6The servant in charge of the harvesters replied, “She’s the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the region of Moab. ^2:7She asked,¹⁸ ‘May I follow the harvesters and gather¹⁹ grain among the bundles?’²⁰ Since she arrived she has been working hard²¹ from this morning until now²²—except for²³ sitting²⁴ in the resting hut²⁵ a short time.”²⁶

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Footnotes

4 The cohortative here (“Let me go”) expresses Ruth’s request. Note Naomi’s response, in which she gives Ruth permission to go to the field.
5 Following the preceding cohortative, the cohortative with vav conjunctive indicates purpose/result.
6 Heb “anyone in whose eyes I may find favor” (, similar). The expression אֶמְצָא־חֵן בְּעֵינָיו (’emtsa’-khen bé’enayv, “to find favor in the eyes of [someone]”) appears in Ruth 2:2, 10, 13. It is most often used when a subordinate or servant requests permission for something from a superior ( 336 חֵן). Ruth will play the role of the subordinate servant, seeking permission from a landowner, who then could show benevolence by granting her request to glean in his field behind the harvest workers.
7 Heb “she”; the referent (Naomi) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
8 Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
9 Heb “and she went and entered [a field] and gleaned in the field behind the harvesters.” Cf. , , “the reapers”; “the workers.”
10 The text is written from Ruth’s limited perspective. As far as she was concerned, she randomly picked a spot in the field. But God was providentially at work and led her to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who, as a near relative of Elimelech, was a potential benefactor.
11 Heb “and look”; , “Just then.” The narrator invites the audience into the story, describing Boaz’s arrival as if it were witnessed by the audience.
12 For location see ; ; ; .
13 Heb “said to.” Context indicates that the following expression is a greeting, the first thing Boaz says to his workers.
14 Heb “said to him.” For stylistic reasons “replied” is used in the present translation.
15 Heb “said to.” Since what follows is a question, “asked” is appropriate in this context.
16 Heb “young man.” Cf. “overseer”; , “foreman.”
17 In this patriarchal culture Ruth would “belong” to either her father (if unmarried) or her husband (if married).
18 Heb “said.” What follows is a question, so “asked” is used in the translation.
19 On the use of the perfect with vav consecutive after the cohortative, see §32.2.2b.
20 Heb “May I glean and gather among the bundles behind the harvesters?” Others translate, “May I glean and gather [grain] in bundles behind the harvesters?” (cf. ; see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [], ). For discussion of the terminology and process of harvesting, see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 59–61.
21 Heb “and she came and she has persisted.” The construction וַתָּבוֹא וַתַעֲמוֹד (vattavo’ vata’amod) forms a dependent temporal sequence: “since she came, she has persisted.” Because עָמַד (’amad, “to stand, remain, persist”; 764 עָמַד; עמד) has a broad range of meanings, וַתַעֲמוֹד has been understood in various ways: (1) Ruth had stood all morning waiting to receive permission from Boaz to glean in his field: “she has stood (here waiting)”; (2) Ruth had remained in the field all morning: “she has remained here” (, , ); and (3) Ruth had worked hard all morning: “she has worked steadily” (), “she has been working” (, ), “she has been on her feet (all morning)” (, , ). For discussion, see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (), .
22 Heb “and she came and she stood, from then, the morning, and until now, this, her sitting [in] the house a little.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is awkward and the meaning uncertain. For discussion see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (), .
23 Heb “except this.” The function and meaning of the demonstrative adjective זֶה (zeh, “this”) is difficult: (1) accentuation joins זֶה with שִׁבְתָּהּ (shivtah, “this her sitting”), suggesting that זֶה שִׁבְתָּהּ functions as subject complement (see 261 זֶה 2.a and Josh 9:12). (2) Others suggest that זֶה functions as an emphasizing adverb of time (“just now”; 261 4.h) and connect it with עַתָּה (’attah, “now”) to form the idiom עַתָּה זֶה (zeh ’attah, “now, just now”; 261 4.h; §136.d; see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [], ). The entire line is translated variously: “until now, (+ save ) that she tarried a little in the house”; “she has been sitting in the house for a little while”; “except for a short rest in the shelter”; “she has rested but little in the hut”; “her sitting (= resting) in the house (has only been) for a moment.” A paraphrase would be: “She came and has kept at it (= gleaning) from this morning until now, except for this: She has been sitting in the hut only a little while.” The clause as a whole is an exceptive clause: “except for this.…”
24 The vocalizes consonantal שבתה as שִׁבְתָּהּ (shivtah, “her sitting”; Qal infinitive construct from יָשַׁב (yashav), “to sit” + 3rd person feminine singular suffix), apparently taking the 3rd person feminine singular suffix as a subjective genitive: “she sat [in the hut only a little while]” (so , , , , , , , ). On the other hand, κατέπαυσεν (“she rested”) reflects the vocalization שָׁבְתָה (shavtah, “she rested”; Qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular from שָׁבַת (shavat), “to rest”): “she rested [in the hut only a little while]” (so , , , , , ). The reading is more difficult and is therefore probably original. Heb “and she came and she stood, from then, the morning, and until now, this, her sitting [in] the house a little.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is awkward here and the meaning uncertain. F. W. Bush (Ruth, Esther [], ) takes עָמַד (’amad, “to stand”) in the sense “to stay, remain,” connects זֶה (zeh, “this”) with the preceding עַתָּה (’attah, “now”) as an emphasizing adverb of time (“just now”), and emends שִׁבְתָּהּ הַבַּיִת (shivtah habbayit, “her sitting [in] the house”) to שָׁבְתָה (shavtah, “she rested”), omitting הַבַּיִת (habbayit) as dittographic. Another option is to translate, “She came and has stood here from this morning until now. She’s been sitting in the house for a short time.” According to this view the servant has made Ruth wait to get permission from Boaz. It is difficult, however, to envision a “house” being in the barley field.
25 Several English versions (, , , , , ) suggest deleting הַבַּיִת (habbayit, lit. “the house”) due to dittography with בתה in שִׁבְתָּהּ (shivtah) which precedes; however, several ancient textual witnesses support the (medieval Hebrew manuscripts, , ). The reading ἐν τῷ ἀργῷ (en tō argō, “in the field”) probably does not represent an alternate Hebrew textual tradition, but merely the translator’s attempt to smooth out a difficult Hebrew text. “[in] the house.” The noun הַבַּיִת (lit. “the house”) functions as an adverbial accusative of location, and probably refers to a “hut, shelter,” providing shade for workers in the field, such as those still used by harvesters in modern Israel (H. A. Hoffner, 2:111–15). This kind of structure is probably referred to using different terms in Isaiah 1:8, “like a shelter (כְּסֻכָּה, késukkah) in a vineyard, like a hut (כִּמְלוּנָה, kimlunah) in a field of melons.” Some translations render הַבַּיִת (habbayit) literally as “the house” (, , ), while others nuance it as “the shelter” (, , , ).
26 Heb “a little while.” The adjective מְעָט (me’at) functions in a temporal sense (“a little while”; e.g., Job 24:24) or a comparative sense (“a little bit”); see 589–90 The foreman’s point is that Ruth was a hard worker who only rested a short time.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech. And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!” And they answered, “The Lord bless you.” Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” And the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, “She is the young Moabite woman, who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.’ So she came, and she has continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.”

Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek.

Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, “The Lord be with you!”

“The Lord bless you!” they answered.

Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, “Who does that young woman belong to?”

The overseer replied, “She is the Moabite who came back from Moab with Naomi. She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.’ She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Ruth the Moabitess asked Naomi, “Will you let me go into the fields and gather fallen grain behind someone with whom I find favor?”

Naomi answered her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” So Ruth left and entered the field to gather grain behind the harvesters. She happened to be in the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from Elimelech’s family.

Later, when Boaz arrived from Bethlehem, he said to the harvesters, “The Lord be with you.”

“The Lord bless you,” they replied.

Boaz asked his servant who was in charge of the harvesters, “Whose young woman is this?”

The servant answered, “She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the territory of Moab. She asked, ‘Will you let me gather fallen grain among the bundles behind the harvesters?’ She came and has been on her feet since early morning, except that she rested a little in the shelter.”

NLTNew Living Translation

One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind enough to let me do it.”

Naomi replied, “All right, my daughter, go ahead.” So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech.

While she was there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. “The Lord be with you!” he said.

“The Lord bless you!” the harvesters replied.

Then Boaz asked his foreman, “Who is that young woman over there? Who does she belong to?”

And the foreman replied, “She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Naomi. She asked me this morning if she could gather grain behind the harvesters. She has been hard at work ever since, except for a few minutes’ rest in the shelter.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Please let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after someone in whose eyes I may find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” So she went and came and gleaned in the field behind the reapers. And she happened by chance upon the tract of field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech. And look, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, “May Yahweh be with you.” And they said to him, “May Yahweh bless you.” And Boaz said to his servant in charge of the reapers, “To whom does this young woman belong?” And the servant in charge of the reapers said, “She is a Moabite girl returning with Naomi from the countryside of Moab. And she said, ‘Please let me glean and let me gather among the sheaves behind the reapers.’ So she came and remained from the morning up to now. She is sitting for a little while in the house.”

KJV 1900King James Version

And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter. And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech. And, behold, Boaz came from Beth-lehem, and said unto the reapers, The Lord be with you. And they answered him, The Lord bless thee. Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this? And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab: And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house.

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