that they could sleep with him in his ignorance, Naomi assumes that Boaz is himself capable of deciding how the night should be spent. Admittedly Ruth is descended from Lot’s eldest daughter, but she does not have to behave like her ancestress down to the last detail.100 Even so, it is debatable how free Boaz is to make decisions. The instructions to Ruth to wash and perfume herself are naturally to make her irresistible. This is how the bride prepares herself to meet the bridegroom (cf. Ezek. 16:8–9;