Exposition of the Whole Bible

and it was in the days of Boaz, whois called Jbzan the juft, and who was of Bethlebem Judab _ butit is more probable that it wasin the days of Gideon, as before obferved, than in the days of zon: and a certain man of Betblebem-Judab, fo}was called to diftinguifh it from another Bethlebem the tribe of Zebulun, Fofh. xix. 15. which had its name from the fruitfulnefs of the place, and the plenty of bread in it, and yet the famine was hence this man with his family removed from it: and went to fojourn in the country.of Moab, there was plenty; not to dwell there, but to fojourn for a time, until the famine was over: be and bis wife, and bis two fons, the namesof each of them are next given. Mefiah might fpring:

¥.4. And they too them wives of tke women of ‘ Moab, &c.] Not before they were profelyted tc re Fewi/h religion, as dben Ezra thinks, and which é-}{eems plainly to be the cafe of Ruth; at leaft f ae o afterwards, if not before; and alfo of Ors 1n pab, as the fame writer concludes from) ¥.15. though others are of a different opinion, and fome excufe their marriage, and others condemn it as here 5 unlawful, among whom is the Targumif?, who — paraphrafes the words, ‘*‘ and they tranfgrefied where the decree of the Word of the Lord, and took to them ftrange wives of the daughters of Moab;” however it was fo permitted by the Lord, and or-— jdered in providence, that from one of them the and the name of the one was” Orpab; the was married to Chilion; and Aifhech. gathers from hence, that the youngeft was married firft before his brother: and the name of the the judges werelother Ruth; the Targum adds, “ the daughter of. Zg/on, king of Moab,” and that fhe was his daughandjter, or the daughter of his fon, is a notion commonly received with the Fews’, though without any juft foundation; fhe was married ta Mablon, ch.iv. 10. one Philo * aflerts thefe two women to — be own fifters, for what reafon does not appear; andjand a Fewi/h writer* fays they were both daughters fweet,Jof Eglon, king of Moab: and they dwelt there, adbout ten years; that is, Mablom and Chilion, who married thefe women; which is.to be reckoned iv.jeither from the time they came intothe land, or from the time of their marriage; the latter feems to be the cafe from the connexion of the words. | y. 2. And the name of the man was Elimelech,| &c.] Which fignifies my God is king, as he was king over J/rael. In the times of the judges, the government was a theocracy;

raifed up immediately by the Lord, and ruled under him; the Targum ‘calls him a great man, fo ‘Yarchi; and it is very likely he was, efpecially if it be true what is faid in the Fez chronology “, that he was the brother of Salmon, prince of the tribe of Fudch; and it is certain that Boaz the fon of Salmon was a kinfman of his, ch. ii. 1. the name of bis wife Naomi, which fignifies pleafant, very likely a comely perfon, and of a fweet difpofition; a name of the fame fignification with Naamah, the fitter of Tubal Cain, Gen. 22. and according to the Talmudifts fhe was E/imelech’s brother’s daughter; for they fay *, that Elimelech, Salmon, and the kinfman, (fpoken of in this book) and the father of Naomi, were all of them the fons of Nahj/bon, prince of the tribe of Fudah; the fame Farchi obferves on ¥. 22. and the name of bis two fons Mahlon and Chilion; which feem to have their names from weaknefs and confumption, being perhaps weakly and confumptive perfons; and it appears they both died young. It is a tradition of the ews, mentioned’ by Aben Ezra, that thefe are the fame with Yoa/h and Saraph, who are faid to have dominion in Moad,| 1 Chron. iv. 22. which is not likely: Epbrathites of Bethlebem-Fudah; Farchi interprets Ephrathites by men of worth and efteem; and the Zargum is, Epbrathites, great men of Bethlehem-Fudah, but no doubt they were called fo, becaufe Ephratah was one of the names of Bethlehem, Gen. xxxv. 19. Mic. v. 2. fo called from its fruitfulnefs; though Aben Ezra thinks it had its name from Ephratab the wife of Caleb; but it was fo called in the time of Mofes, as in the paffage referred to: and they came into the country of Moab, and continued there; unto their death; all excepting Naomi, who returned when fhe heard the famine was over. y¥. 3. And Elimelech Naomi’s bufband died, &c.} According to Yofepbus*, after he had dwelt in the land ten years, and had married his two fons to Moabitifo women, but, as Alhech obferves, the| text fhews that whilft he was living they were not married to them, but after his death; and it is faid of them only that they dwelt there about ten years; fo that it is moft probable that their father died quickly after he came into the land of Moab: and foe was left and her two fons; in a ftrange land, fhe without a hufband, and they without a fa-Jing y. 5. 4nd Mahlon and Chilion died alfo both of them, &c.] As wellas their father in the land of Moab, after they had lived with their wives in it about ten years; the Targum is, * becaufe they tranfgreffed the decree of the Word of. the Lord, and joined in affinity with ftrange people, - their days were cut off;” or fhortened: and the oman was left of her two fons and her bufband; deprived bath of her hufband and her fons, which was a great affliction, aggravated by her being in a trange country; many are the afflictions of the’ righteous. “8 y.6. Then fhe arofe with ber daughters-in-law that fhe might return from the country of Moab, &c.] After the death of her two fons, and having heard of the ceafing of the famine in J/rael, fhe had a defire to go into her own country, where fhe would have better opportunities of ferving the Lord; and having no heart to ftay in Moab, an idolatrous country, where fhe had loft her huf — band, and her two fons; and therefore prepared for her journey, and fet forward, and her two daugh-. ters-in-law with her, to accompany her fome part of the way; for it does not appear to be theirin- _ tention, at leaft at firft fetting out, to go withher into the land of Canaan; and therefore it is enly faid, that they arofe that fhe might return, &e. for be bad heard in the country of Moab; which was near the land of J/rae/, the borders of it reachin to the falt-fea; the Targum fays, fhe heard. it by: the mouth of an angel, but itis highly probable it was by common fame: that ibe Lord had viftted bis people in giving them bread that he had been kind and gracious to the people of J/rael, by grantthem plenty of provifions; which might be ther. their happy cafe. after Gideon had vanquifhed the.

Midianites. who came yearly; and deftroyed and ftreffés of a widowhbod-eftate « then fue kiffed carried off the fruits of the earth, which had! them caufeda famine’; fee Fudg. vi. 3,4, 5, 6. and viii. order

28. It feems as if the famine had continued 10 years, fee ¥. 4. nor need this be thought incredible, fince there was a famine in Lydia, which lafted 18 years”.;' f ¥.7. Wherefore ‘foe went forth out of the place where foe was, &c.) What part of Moab the had dwelt in, and now removed from, is not faid’; it is calledthe country or fieldof Moab, fhe returned from; ‘hence fomie have thought, that fhe and her hufband, and her fons, did not live in any of the cities of, Moab, but in a field; either becaufe the Moabites would not fuffer them to dwell in their citiesy only allowed them to pitch their tents in their fields; or they chofe to dwell there, that ahey might as much as poffible avoid converfation with them, and be preferved from their idolatry, and other corruptions: and ber two daughters-in-law with her 3 who out of refpect to her, accompanied her fome part of the way, as relations and friends ufually did: and they went on the way to return unto the laud of Fudab; they went along with her to the border of the land of Fudab, in her return thither; for returning can only be faid of her with any propriety, becaufe her two daughters had never been there; that was not the country from whence they came, and therefore could not be faid to return thither. ¥. 8. And Naomi faid to her two daughters-in-law, &c.] When they were come, as it is very probable, to the utmoft limits of the land of Moab, and to the borders of the land of J/rael: go return each unto ber mother’s boufe; the mother’s houfe is mentioned, and not the father’s, not becaufe they -had no father living; for it is certain Ruth had a father as well as a mother, ch. ii. 11. but becaufe mothers are moft affectionate to their daughters, and they moft converfant together; and becaufe women in thofetimes had apartments to themfelves, and who ufed totake their daughters to them when become widows 5 though fuch was the {trong love of thofe young widows to their mother-in-law, that they chofe rather to dwell with her, whilf the lived in Moaé, than with their own mothers: tbe Lord deal kindly with you, asye have dealt with the dead, and with me; that is, with their hufbands, who were dead; as the Targum is, that they refufed to marry men after their death; or rather it refpects their affectionate care of their hufbands, and behaviour towards them when living, as well as the refpect they fhewed to their memory, at and fince their death; and alfo their filial duty to her, both before and fince; and particularly, as the Targum exprefies it, in that they had fed and fupported her.. ¥.9. The Lord grant you, &c.] Some make a fupplement here, the Targum a perfe&t reward, Aben Ezra an huafband; and fo Fofephus fays<, the wifhed them happier marriages, than they had with her fons, who were fo foon taken from them; but a fupplement feems needlefs, for what follows

; in i. of her affeClion for them, and in to part with them; it being ufual then as now for relations and friends to kifs at parting: and they lift up their voice and wept; to think they muft part, and never fee one ‘another more; their paffions_ worked vehemently, and broke out in fobs, and fighs, and tears, and loud crying.

¥. 10, And they faid unto her, &c.| When they had vented themfelves in cries and tears, and had recovered their fpeech: furely we wil! return witB theevunto thy people; to be profelyted, as the Tarsum; not only to dwell with them, but to worfhip with them..

¥. tt. And Naomi fait, tury again my daughters, 8cc.] Suppofing this refolution of theifs only arofe from a natural affection, and not from any love to the God or people of Jrael; at leaft doubting whether it was’ fo or no, and willing to tty whether any one, or both of them, were really from a principle of religion inclined to go with het; and defirous that they would thoroughly confider’ what they did, left they fhould repent and apoftatize, ahd bring a reproach upon the true religion: why will ye go with me? what reafon’can you give? this fhe faid in order to get out of them, if there was any real inclination in them to the true worfhip and fervice of God; though’ fhe keeps out that from her own guettions put to them as follows, that it might come purely from themfelves: aré there yet’ any more fous in my womb, that they may be your hufbands? is there any ‘likelihood that I fhould ever have any fons to be inftead of hufbands, or really hufbands to you? can it be thought that at my age, fuppofing | had an hufband, or an hufband’s brother to marry me, that there is in me a natural power of conceiving and bearing children’? this therefore can furely be no inducement to you to go along with me; for fome, as Farchi, think the refers to the law of a hufband’s brother marrying his widow, and raifing up feed to him, which was known among the Gentiles before it was given to Urael; fee Gen. xxxviii. 8. Deut. xxv. 5. to which ben Ezra rightly objeéts, that that law refpects a brother by the father’s fide, and not by the mother’s only; to which may be added, that this law was not binding on a brother unborn, but’ on one that was living before the death of his brother; befides if this law had been in her mind, it would rather have furnifhed out’an encouraging reafon for them to go with her, fince there were kinfmen of her fons, to whom they might be married, asone of them afterwards’ was.

¥. 12, Turn again my daughters, go your way, &c.] This fhe repeated ftill to try their affeCtions to her, and efpecially whether there was any real love to the God of J/rael, his people, and worhhip, but ftill proceeds upon the fame topick: for [an too old to have an bufband; and can never think of marrying again on account of age, nor can you furely ever think I fhould, at thefe years I am now arrived to: if I fhould fay I have bope; of matrying, and bearing children; fuppofe that: if f is connected with the wifh, and contains the fum of it: that you may find ret, cach of you: in the houfe of her bufoand, that is, that they might each /hould have a hufband alfo to-night; be married to a man directly, fuppofe that:

of them be blefled with a good hufband, with whom they might live free from brawls and con- and fhould alfo bear not female but male children, allow that; all which are mere fuppofitions, and could they be admitted, would not furnith ouc tentions, as well as from the diftrefling cares of any reafon why you fhould be defirous of going, life, having hufbands to provide all. things neceffary for them, and fo from all the forrows and di-

with me. » ¥.13. Would you tarry for them till they were: grown?

368 R | grown? &c,|] Itis not to be thought that they would tarry till fhe was married and had children, and then till thefe infants were grown up to mens eftate, and be marriageable; for though Tamar tarried for Shelab, yet he was born, and of. fome years of age, tho’ not a grown man, Gen. XXXVIii. 11,14. would ye flay for them from having hufbands? they were young widows, and it was fit they fhould marry again; and it could not be imagined, that they would deny themfelyes having hufbands, in expectation of any fons of her’s: nay, my daughters; 1 am well fatisfied you will never tarry for them, nor deprive yourfelves of fuch a benefit; itis unreafonable to fuppofe.it: for it grieveth me much for your fakes; that fhe could be of no manner of “fervice to them, either to give them hufbands, or to fupport and maintain them, fhould they go with her; or J have exceedingly more bitterne/s than you *; her condition and circumftances were much worfe than theirs; for though they had loft their hufbands, fhe had, loft both hufband and children: or it was more bitter and grievous to her to be feparated from them, than it was for them to be fparated from her; her affection to them was as {trong, or ftronger than theirs to her; or they had friends in their own country that would be kind to them, but as for her, fhe was in deep poverty-and diftrefs, and when fhe came into her own country, knew not that fhe had any friends left to take any notice of her: that the hand of the Lord is gone out againft me; in taking away her hufband and cf H. Ch. h Ve. I14-——I17. bon t de BP og at C2" Se this time, and now apoftatized, fince fhe is faid to go back to her gods; and in this he is; by fome chriftian interpreters *, and not without. reafon: return thou after thy fifter-in-law; this the faid, not that in, good earneft the defired her to— return, at leaft to her former religion, only relates, though not as approving of, the conduét of her fifter, rather as upbraiding it; but to try her fincerity and ftedfaftnefs, when fuch an inftahce and example was before her. eres

¥. 16. And Ruth faid, intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee, Bzc.

Don’t make ufe of any arguments to perfuade me to go back: or do not meet me, or be againft me*; don’t meet me with objections, or be in my way, or an hindrance to me, in going along with thee s don’t be againft it, for to be againft that was to be againft her inclination, defires and lutions, and againft her intereft: for whither goeft I will go let the country fhe was going to, be what it would, though unknown to her, and the fhould never fee her own country any: more: end where thou lodgsft, I will lodge; though in ever fo mean a cottage, or under the open air: Zby people fhall be my people; whom I fhall chufe"to dwell among, and converfe with; whofe religion, laws and cuftoms fhe fhould readily comply with, having heard much of them, their wifdom, goodnefs and piety, of which fhe had a {pecimen and an example in Naomi, and by whom fhe judged of the reft: and thy God my God; not Chemofb, nor Baal- children, and reducing her to a low eftate, penny- /¢or, nor other gods of the Moabites, be they what lefs and friendlefs; fo poor, as it appears, that her daughter-in-law, when come to the land of Ca-| they will, but Zebovgh, the God of Naomi, and of the people of //rae/. So afoul that is truly brought to naan, was obliged to glean for the livelihood of Chrift affectionately loves him, and heartily cleaves them both, as in the next chapter.

y. 14. And. they lift up their voice, and wept again, &c.} Not being able to bear the thought of parting, or that they mutt. be obliged to it: and Orpab kiffed ber mother-in-law, gave her the parting kifs, as the Yews * call it; and which was ufed by other people‘; but not without affection to her, and took her leave of her, as her kifs teftified, fince it muft be fo; and being moved by her reafons, and having a greater inclination to her own country than Rath had; of the kifs at parting, fee Gen. xxxi. 28. 1 Kings xix. 20. but Ruth clave unto ber; hung about her, would not part from her, but cleaved unto her in body and mind; forfaking her own people, and her father’s houfe; neither the thought of them, nor of her natiye country, nor of not having an hufband, or any likelihood of it, nor of poverty and diftrefs, had any manner of influence upon her, but determined fhe was to go and abide with her.

¥.15. And fhe faid, &c.| That is, Naomi to Ruth, after Orpah was gone: behold, thy fifter-inlaw is gone back unto ber people, and ynto ber gods; meaning Orpab, who was the wife of her hufband’s brother, as the word ufed fignifies; fhe was not only on the road turning back to her own coun- unto him, refolves in the ftrength of divine graceto follow him, the Lamb, whitherfoever he goes or direéts; and is defirous to have communion with none but him, and that he alfo would not be as a wayfaring man, that tarries but a nights; his people are the excellent of the earth, whom to converfe with is all his delight and pleafures; and Chrift’s God is his God, and his Father: is his father: and, in a word, he determines to have no other Saviour but him, and to walk in all his commands and ordinances. + y.17. Where thou dieft, will I die, and there will I be buried, &c.| She was determined to abide with her unto death, and not only was ‘defirous to die as fhe did, but where fhe fhould die; in the fame country, ‘cottage and bed, and be laid in the fame grave, in hope of rifing together at the refurrection of the juft; having no regard at all to the fepulchres of her fathers, which people in all - ages and countries have been fond of being laid in, as an honour and happinefs. So with the Greeks and Romans, not only relations, but intimate friends, and fuch as had a ftrong affection for each other, were fometimes buried in the fame grave, as Crates and Polemon', Paris and Gfnome*, and others}; fee Gal. ii. 20. Col. ii. 12. and iii. 1. the Lord do try and people, but to the gods thereof, Baal peor /o, to me, and more alfo, if ought but death part or Priapus, and Chemofb, Numb. xxi. 29. and xxv. 3. from whence Aven Ezra concludes, that fhe had been a profelyte to the true religion, and had renounced the gods of her nation, and retained the fame profeffion whilft her hufband lived, and unto

difcedens ofcula nulla dedi.

thee and me; this.is the form of oath fhe uled for confirmation of what fhe had faid, and to put an end to the debate on this fubje&t; what fhe imprecates upon hertelf is not expreffed, thould 1 otherwife do than what fhe {wears to; pom]

Naomi to fupply it in her Gwn mind, and as what Wie Ris, fit to be named, and the greatelt evil that could be thought to befal a perjured beingjages in Bethlehem formerly, people of rank and. figure, or otherwife there would not have been fuch a concourfe of people upon her coming, and fuch _ rims oe “~~ lenquiries made and queftions put, had fhe been

¥. 18. When foe faw that foe was ftedfaftly minded to go with ber, 8c.) That fhe was flrong in her refolutions, and ftedfaft in her determinations mot to go back to her own country, but to go forward with her; and nothing could move her trom the firm purpofe of her mind, which. was what Naomi wanted to make trial of: then fhe left Speaking unto ber, that is, upon that head of returning home; otherwife, no doubt upon this a clofe, comfortable, religious converfation enfued, which made their journey the more pleafant and formerly a poor woman.

y. 20. And fhe faid, call me not Naomi, call me Méara,) &c.] The one fignifying pro/perity, according to Fofephus™, and the other grief, but -he is not. always happy in his interpretation of He- 4rew words, or to be depended on;_ by this indeed her different ftates are well enough expreffed, and he rightly obferves, that- fhe might more juftly be, called the one than the other; but the words fignify, the one /weet and’ pleafant, and the other. Zditrer, fee Exod. xv. 23. and the reafon the. gives agreeable.. * confirms it: for the almighty hath dealt very bit-

¥. 19. So they two went until they came to Beth- Jebem, &c.| Went on their way direétly till they came to it, without lingering or ftaying by the way, at leaft not unneceffarily, and not for any time; and they kept together, though Ruth was a younger woman, and could have gone fafter, ~yet fhe kept company with her ancient mother, and was no doubt very much edified and inftruéted by her pious converfation; and it feems that they were alone, only they two;

when they were come to Bethlehem; had entered the city, and were feen by fome that formerly had known Naomi, or at leaft to whom fhe made|empty;, herfelf known; that all the city was moved about them; the news of their arrival was foon fpread throughout the place, and the whole city rang of it; fo the Septuagint verfion, all the city founded; it was all the talk every where, it was in every body’s mouth, that Naomi, who had been fo long out of the land, and thought to be dead, and it was not expected fhe would ever return more, was now come; and this drew a great concourfe of ple in a tumultuous manner, as the word fignifies, to fee her; and as it may denote a corporal motion of them, fo the inward moving and working of their paffions about her; fome having pity and compaffion on her to fee fuch a change in her perfon and circumftances; others treating her with {corn and contempt, and upbraiding her for leaving her native place, and not content to fhare the common affliction of her people, intimating that] fhe was rightly treated for going out of the land at fuch ‘a time into a {trange country; and others were glad to fee their old neighbour again, who had always behaved well among them; {fo the Syriac and Arabic verfions, all the city rejoiced; many no doubt knew her not, and would be afking queftions about her, and others anfwering them, which is commonly the cafe of a croud of people on fuch an occafion: and they faid, is this Naomi? that is, the women of the place faid fo, for the word is feminine; and perhaps they were chiefly women that gathered about her, and put this queftion *a way of admiration; is this Naomi that was fol beautiful, and ufed to look fo pleafant and comely, and ndw fo wrinkled and forrowful! who ufed to terly with me, had wrote bitter things againft her, brought bitter afflictions on her, which were very difagreeable to the flefh, as the lofs of her hufband, her children, and her fubftance; fee Lam. iii. 15, 19..

y.21. I went out full, &c.]| Of my hufband and children, as the Targum; of children-and riches, as Aven Ezra and Farchi; wherefore fome Fewifh writers blame her and her hufband for going abroad for as they had nojat fuch a time, and afcribe it to a covetous difpofition, and an unwillingnefs to relieve the poor that came to them in their-diftrefs, and therefore got out of the way of them, on account of which they and it came to pafs,;were punifhed, fo Farchi on y. 1.. fee Fudg. ii. 15. but this is faid without any juft caufe or reafon that appears: and the Lord hath brought me home again deprived of her hufband, children and fub- {tance; fhe acknowledges the hand of God in it, and feems not to murmur at it, but to fubmit to it quietly, and bear it patiently: why then call ye me Naomi; when there is nothing pleafant and agreeable in me, nor in my circumiftances: /eezng the. Almighty hath teftified againft me, and the Almighty, hath afflied me? had bore witnefs that that was: not a name fuitable for her; or that fhe had finned, peo-jand had not done what was well-pleafing in his fight, as appeared by his afflicting her;_ fhe feemed therefore to be humbled under a fenfe of fin, and. to confider afflictions as coming from the Lord on account of it, and fubmitted to his fovereign will; the affliction fhe means, was the lofs of her hufband, children and fubftance;' fee 7ob x.17. and xvi. 8.

camels nor affes to ride on, but were obliged to travel on foot, fo they had no fervants to wait upon them, and affift them in their journey, fuch were their mean circumftances:

y. 22. So Naomi returned, &c.| Aben, Ezra thinks, this is to be underftood of her returning at another time; but it is only an obfervation of the writer of this hiftory, to excite the attention of the reader to this remarkable event, and particularly to what follows: and Ruth the Moabite/s_ her daughter-in-law with her, which returned out of the country of Moab; to Bethlehem, the birth-place of the Meffiah, and who was to fpring from her a Gentile; and which, that it might be the more carefully remarked, fhe is called a Moabite/s, and faid to return out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barleyharveft; which began on the fecond day of the in)feaft of unleavened bread, on the /ixteenth of Ni- /an, which anfwers to part of our March, and pert of April, when they offered the fheaf of the firftfruits to the Lord, and then, and not till then, might they begin their harveft, fee Lev. xxiii. 10, drefs fo well, and now in fo mean an habit! that ufed to be attended with maidens to wait on her, and now alone! for, as Aen Ezra obferves, this 14. and the notes there: hence the Targum here is, ‘* they came to Bethlebem at the beginning of the day of the paffover, and on that day the children fhews that Elimelech and Naomi were great perfon- ° ef J/rael began to reap the wave-fheaf, which was of barley.” So the Egyptians and Phenicians, near neighbours of the ews, went about cutting down their barley, as foon as the cuckow was heard, which, was the fame time of the year; hence the: comedian * calls that bird the king of Fgypt and, Phenicia. This circumftance is obferved for the fake of the following account in the next chapter. “

EE this chapter we have an account of Ruth’s gleaning corn in the fields of Bogz; a relation of Naomi, y. 1—3. and of Boaz coming to his reapers, whom he faluted in a very kind manner; barley-harveft, ard as yet it was not over, nor perhaps for fome time after this; and knowing and. confidering the circumftances they were in, and unwilling to live an idle life, and ready to do any and obferving a woman gleaning after them, enquired of them who fhe was, and they informed him, y. 4—9. upon which he addreffed himfelf to her, and gave her leave to glean in his field, and defired her to go no where elfe, and’ bid her eat and drink with his fervants, ¥. 8—14. and gave direétions to his fefvants to let her glean, and to let fall fome of the handfuls on purpofe, that fhe migbt gather them up, ¥..15—17. and then an account is given of her returning to her motherin-law with her gleanings, to whom fhe related where fhe had gleaned, who was owner of the field, and what he had faid to her, upon which Naomi gave her her advice, ¥. 18—23.

cient mother-in-law; which was very commend-_ able, and fhewed her to be an induftrious, virtu-. ous woman: fhe addreffed her, and. faid: Jet me where, nor do any thing without her advice and confent; fo dutiful and obedient was fhe to her, and fo high an opinion had fhe of her wifdom and. goodnefs; fhe defired to go to the field which belonged to Bethlebem, which feems to have been an open. field, not enclofed, where each inhabitant had his part, as Boaz, ¥. 3. though Farcht interprets it of one of the fields of the men of the city; hither fhe afked leave to go, not with any. ill intent, nor was fhe in any danger of being ex-. pofed, fince it being harveft-time the field was full of people: her end in going thither is expreffed in the next claufe, and glean ears of corn after him, y. 1. And Naomi bad a kinfman of her bufband’s, &c.] That was her kinfman by her hufband’s fide, who now lived at Bethlebem; and yet it does not appear, that Naomi made any application to him for affiftance in her circumftances, tho’ well known to her, as the word ufed fignifies; which might arife from her modefty, and being loth to be troublefome to him, efpecially as he was a relation, not of her own family, but of her hufband’s; but what is more ftrange, that this kinfman had taken no notice of her, nor fent to her, who yet was a very generous and liberal man, and had knowledge of her coming, for he had heard of the character of Ruth, ¥. 11,12. but perhaps he was not acquainted with their indigent circumftances: a mighty man of wealth, a man of great wealth and riches, and of great power and authority, which riches give and raife a man to, and alfo of great virtue and honour, all which the word for wealth fignifies; to which may be added the paraphrafe the Targunujt gives, that he was mighty ears of corne between the ears of corn bound up. into fheaves, and there pick up the loofe ears that. were dropt and left. This fhe propofed to do with the leave of the. owner of the field, or of the reapers, whom fhe followed; fhe might be ignorant that it was allowed by the law of God, that widows and ftrangers might glean in the field, - Lev. xix. 9, 10: Deut. xxiv. 19. or if fhe had been acquainted with it by Naomi, which is not improbable, fuch was her modefty and humility, that fhe did not chufe to make ufe of this privilege without leave; left, as Farchi fays, fhe fhould be chid or reproved, and it is certain fhe did intreat the favour to glean, ¥. 7. and fhe [aid unto ber, go, my daughter; which fhews the neceffitous circumftances Naomi was in; though perhaps the might give this leave and direction under an impulfe in the law; in the fcriptures, in the word of God, a truly religious man, which completes his character: of the family of Elimelech, the hufband of of the Spirit of God, in order to bring about an event of the greateft moment and importance, whereby fhe beeame the anceftor of our bleffed Lord.

Naomi; tome fay that his father was Elimelech’s brother, fee the note on y. 2. and his name was Boaz, which fignifies, iz bim is frrength, ftrength of riches, power, virtue and grace; it is the name of one of the pillars in Solomon’s temple, fo called from its ftrength. This man is commonly faid by the Fews to be the fame with Jbzan, a judge of Trael, Fudg. xii. 8. fee the note on ¥. 1. he was the grandfon of Nab/hon, prince of the tribe of Fudab, who firft offered at the dedication of the altar, Numb, vii. 12. his father’s name was Sa/mon, and his mother was Rabad, the harlot of Fericha, Matt.i. 5. A particular account is given of this man, becaufe he, with Ruth, makes the principal part of the following hiftory.

¥. 2. And Ruth the Moabite/s faid to Naomi, &c.] After they had been fome little time at Bethlehem, and not long; for they came at the beginning. of fhe went out of the houfe where fhe was, and out of the city, and came into the field; though, according to the Midrafh®, fhe marked the ways a9 fhe went, before fhe entered into the field, and then came back to the city to obferve the marks and figns fhe made, that fhe might not, miftake the way, and might know how to come back again: and gleaned in the field after the reapers; when they had cut down and bound up the corn, what fell and was left, fhe picked up, having firft afked leave fo to do: and ber hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech; the providence of God fo ordering and directing it; for though it was hap and chance to her, amd what fome people call goodluck, it was according to the purpofe, and by the providence and_direction of God, that fhe came thing for the fupport of her life, and of her an- - now go to the field; fhe did not chufe to go any.

in whofe fight I fhall find grace, or in or among the heii. 4-8. RA OT TD) AK 37h to the reapers in that part of che field; neat kinfman of her father-inelaw was owner and afked leave of them to glean and follow them. ¥ 4. And bebold, Booz came from Bethlebem, &c.] Into the field, to fee how his workmen went on, and performed their fervice, and to encourage them in it by his prefence, and by his courteous language and behaviour, and to fee what provifions were wanting, that he might take care and Boaz, a'accourit of Ruth, arid he# condué, fince the hadof,jbeen in the field: J pray you, let me glean, and gather after the reapers among the foeaves; for though by the law of Jrael the had a right; a8 a poor widow and ftranger to glean, yet as the owner of thé field, and his fervants, by his appointment, under him, might have power. of fixing the time when fuch might glean, and of judging who were the proper perfons to be admitted, Ruth in her great give orders for the fending of them, it being now near noon, as it may be fuppofed; and though*he was a man of gteat wealth, he did not think it below him to, go into his field, and look after his fervants, which was highly commendable in him, and which fhowed his diligence and induftry, as well-as his humility. So a king in Homer «is reprefented as among his reapers, with his {ceptre in his hand, and chearful. Plimy' relates it, as a faying of the ancients, that the eye of the mafter is the moft fruitful thing in the field; and Ari fotle * reports, that a Perfan being afked what fattened a horfe moft? replied, the eye of the mafter;

modefty and mecknefs did not chufe to enter on this wotk without leave: /o fhe came; into the field and gleaned, having obtained leave: und bath continued even from the morning until now; had been very diligent and induftrious in gathering up the loofé ears of corn among the fheaves, as fhe fol+ lowed the reapers cutting down and binding up the corn in fheaves; the began pretty early in the morning, and had ftuck clofe to ic till that time, which may be fuppofed to be about noon, or pretty near it, for as yet it was not meal-time, ¥. 14. The Septuagint verfion is theréfore very wrong; which reads ‘¢ from the morning until the evening,” for and an 4frican being afked, what was the beft dung for land? anfwered, the fteps of his matter: and faid unto the reapers, the Lord be with you, to give them health, and ftrength, and induftry in their work; the Targum is, ‘* may the Word of the Lord be your help:” and they anfwered him, the Lord blefs you; with a good harveft, and goodjand weather to gather it in; and though thefe falutations were of a civil kind, yet they breathe the true fpirit of fincere afd undiffembled piety, and fhew the fenfe that both mafter and fervants had of the providence of God attending the civil affairs of life, without whofe help, affiftance, and bleffing, nothing fucceeds well. fhade of it, as Abendana,

¥. 5. Then faid Boaz unto his fervant that was fet over the reapers, &c.) To direct them their work, what part each was to do, and to fee that they did it well; to take care for provifions for them, and to pay them their wages when their! y. work was done, ‘Fofephus ‘calls him aleoxouos, that had the cam of the field, and all things relative to it; the Fews » fay, he was fet over two and forty perfons, whom he had the command of: who/e damfel is this? to whom does fhe belong? of what family is the? whofe. daughter is fhe? or whofe wife? for he thought, as 4ben Ezra notes, that fhe was another man’s wife; the Targum is, of what nation is fhe? perhaps her drefs might be fomewhat different from that of the J/raeliti/b wothat was not yet come, fee.¥.17. but fhe tarried a little in the boufe; not that fhe went home to the city, and ftayed a little in the houfe of Naomi her mother, and then returned again, for fhe went not home until the evening, ¥. 17, 18. but the meaning of the fervant is, that fhe had been conftant diligent in gleaning all the morning, only a very little time that fhe was in the houfe, which was in the field; either a farm-houfe of Boaz adjoining to the field; or rather a cottage or booths as 4ben Ezra interprets it, which was in the field, whither the reapers betook themfelves when they ate their meals; or to fhelter themfelves under the from the heat of the fun at noon-day; and here Ruth fet herfelf down a while for a little reft, and eafe, and refrefhment; and fome think fhe was here when Boaz eame, and therefore took the more notice of her. 8. Then faid Boaz unto Ruth, &c.) Having heard what the fervant faid concerning her, he turned himfelf to her, and addreffed her in the following manner: bearef thou not, my daughter? meaning not what the fervant had faid, but hereby exciting her to hearken to what he was about to fay to her, Noldius takes the particle to fignify befeeching and intreating, and renders the words, bear, I pray thee, my daughter. Some from hence conclude, that Boaz was a man in years, and Rath much younger than he, and therefore calls her his men, daughter: go mot to glean in another field, neither y. 6. And the fervant that was fet over the reapers, anfwered and faid, &&c,| Who had taken a great deal of notice of Ruth, and had converfed with her, and fo was capable of giving anfwers to his mafter’s queftion; if is the Moabitifh damfel that came back with Naomi, out of the country of Moab, perhaps he had not got knowledge of her name, and therefore only defcribes her by the country from whence fhe came; and by her coming from thence along with Naomi,when fhe returned from Moad,with whofe name Boaz was well acquainted, and of whofe return he had been informed; and perhaps had feen her in perfon, and even Ruth alfo, tho’ he might have forgot her; the Targum makes the fervant to add, that fhe was become a profelygo from hence; which fhe might be inclined to, left fhe fhould be thought to be too troublefome to be always in one man’s field; but Boaz taking a liking to her, and willing to do her fome favour, chofe the fhould not go elfewhere: but abide bere faft \by my maidens; not maidens that gleaned alfo as fhe did, poor maidens he permitted to glean; or that gleaned for the poor, and much lefs that gleaned for him; a perfon fo rich and liberal as he was, would never employ fuch for his advantage, and to the detriment of the poor; nor would it be admitted of, it being contrary to the law as it fhould feem, and certain it is to the later traditions of the elders; for it is faid*, ‘* a man may not hire a workman on this condition, that his fon seis. fhould glean after him; he who does not fuffer y¥.7. And fhe faid, &c.]. Thefe are the words af the fervant continyed, who goes on with the poor to glean, or who fuffers one and not anthejother, or who helps any one of them, robs the

- p. “ee ’ *, sym ROKR PA Chit. %. 914, _ poor!” Bat thefe maidens were fuch, who either gathered the handfuls, cur and laid down by the teapers, and bound them up in fheaves, or elfe they’ alfo reaped, as ‘it feems from the following verfe; ahd it was very probably cuftomary in times for women to'reap, as it is now with us. oy. g. Let thine eyes be upon the field that they do reap, and go thow after them, &c.) And gather up the loofe ears of corn dropt and left by them: Lave I not charged the young men, that they foall not touch thee? do her no Kurt, or offer any incivility or rudenefs to her, or even play any wanton tricks with her, as is too common with young perfons in the fields at harveft-time. This charge he now gave in her hearing, or however fuggefts that he would, and therefore fhe might depend upon it fhe thould have no moleftation nor any affront given her: and when thou art athirft, as at fuch a,feafon of the year, and in the field at fuch work, and in thofe hot countries was frequently the cafe: go unto the vefféls and drink of that which the young men have drawn; which they had fetched ftom wells and fountains in or near the city, and had put into bottles, pitchers, ce. for the ufe of the reapers and gatherers; we read of the well of Bethlebem, 2 Sam. xxiii. 15. now fhe is ordered to go to thefe veffels, and drink when fhe pleafed, without afking leave of any; and Booz no doubt gave it in charge to his young men, not to hinple which thou kneweft not heretofore; but by hear-— fay, and what fhe Jéarned of them from her hufband and mother-in-law, even the people of Tfrael; to whom fhe was come to bea profelyte, and dwell thofe among them, "as the Varun.” One Oe

¥.12. The Lord recompenfe thy work, &c.] The’ Targum adds, in this world; meaning the kind of-" fices fhe had performed, and the good fervice fhe had done to her mother-in-law; nor is God unrighteous to forget the work and labour of love, which is fhewn by children to their parents; and though fuch works are not in themfelves meritorious of any bleffing from God here or hereafter, yet he is pleafed of his own grace to recompenfe them, and return the good into their bofom mani-. fold, it being acceptable in his fight: and @ full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Ijrael, the Targum adds, in the world to come; which is called the reward of the inheritance, Co/. iii. 24. a reward not of debt, but of grace; and that will be a full one indeed, fulnefs of joy, peace and happinefs, an abundance of good things not to conceived of, fee 2 Fohn 8. under whofe wings thou art come to ¢ru; whom fhe profeffed to be her God, and whom fhe determined to ferve and worfhip; whofe’. grace and favour fhe expected, and to whofe care and protection fhe committed herfelf: the allufion is either to fowls, which cover their young with their wings, and thereby keep them warm and com~ der her.. fortable, and fhelter and protect them, fee P/: xxxvi.

v.10. Then foe fell on her face, and bowed herelf to the ground, &c.} In great humility, and under a deep fenfe of the favour done her, and as fhewing the greateft refpeét, in a civil manner, fhe was capable of: and faid unto him, why have I found grace in thine eyes; how is it that one fo tean and unworthy, fhould have fuch favour fhown? that thou fhouldeff take knowledge of me;, take fuch notice of her, fhew fuch affection to her, [ and beftow fuch kindnefs on. her: /eeing Jam a ftranger 2 not a citizen of Bethlebem, nor indeed one of the commonwealth of Jrae/; but, as the Targum, ** of a ftrange people, of the daughters of Moab, and of a people who were not fit and worthy to enter into the congregation of the Lord.”

¥. 11. And Boaz anfwered and faid unto her, &c.] Alfbech thinks, that he lift up his voice that all that ftood by might hear: it hath fully been fhewed me; either by Naomi, or rather by fome perfons of Boaz’s acquaintance, that had-converfed with Naomi, and related to Boaz what paffed between them, by which he was fully informed of the following things mentioned by him; though the above writer fuppofes, that it was fhewed him by the Holy Ghoft: a// that. thou haft done to thy mother-in-law fince the death of thine hufband, how that inftead of going home to her father and mother, fhe continued with hers" how tenderly fhe ufed her; what ftrong expreffions of love fhe had made unto her; what care fhe had taken of her, and how fhe had fed and nourifhed her, as the Targum, and now was gleaning for her fupport, as well as her own: aad how thou haf left thy father and mother; in a literal fenfe, to go along with her mother-in-law, to affift her in her journey, and fee her fafe to the end it; and in a figurative fenfe her idol-gods, as in Fer. ii. 27. fo the Midrafh’: and the land of thy nativity; the land of Moab, where fhe was born, and where her kindred, relations and friends lived, dear and engaging toher.: and art come unto a peo- 7. and lvii.1. or to the wings of the cherubim overfhadowing the mercy-feat, Exod. xxv. 20. and the phrafe is now adopted by the Fews to exprefs pro- {elytifm; and fo the Targum here, * thou art come to be profelyted, and to be hid under the wings of the Shekinah of his glory,” or his glorious She- &inab. int y.13. Then fhe faid, let me find favour in thy. fght, my lord, &c.] Or rather, fince fhe had found favour in his fight already: the words are to be confidered, not as a wifh for it, but as acknowledging it, and expreffing her faith and confidence, that fhe fhould for time to come find favour in his fight, and have other inftances of it; for fo the words may be rendered, J fhall find favour”, for which the gives the following reafons: for that ¢0u baft comforted me, and for that thou baft fpoken friendly unto thine handmaid; had {poke in her commendation, and wifhed her all happinefs here and hereafter; faid kind and comfortable words to her, to her very heart, as in Jf. xl. 2. which were chearing, refrefhing, and reviving to her: though I be wot like unto one of thine handmaidens, not worth to be one of them, or to be ranked with them, being meaner than the meaneft of them, a poor widow, and a Moabitifob woman: the Septuagint and Syriac verfions leave out the negative particle, and read, J foall be as one of thine handmaids. ~

¥.14. And Boaz faid, at meal-time come thou bie ther, &c.] This looks as if fhe was now in the booth, or houfe in the field, where the reapers ufed to retire to eat their food, or reft themfelves, or take fhelter from the heat of the fun. This meal was very likely dinner, the time of which was not of yet come, but would foon, and to which Boaz invited Ruth: and eat of the bread; his fervants did, that is, partake of the provifions they thould have; bread being put for all. So Homer + {peaks of a large ox flain for fuch a meal for the reapers, befides the polenta afterwards mentioned, which the womer prepared, and who-ufés the fame word for it the Septuagint does here: todip thy mor fel in the vinegar; which was ufed becaufe ‘of the heat of feafon, as *farchi and Aben Exra remark, for cooling and refrefhment;° and’ fuch' viftues Piiny’ afcribes to vinegar, as being refrefhing’ t6 the fpirits, binding and‘bracing the nerves; ‘and very cotroborating and ftrengthening; ‘and'it iscat this day ufedin Italy, it is faid, in harvett-time, »when' it is where: they alfo\ ule’ wine mixed with vinegar water, as Lavater {ays *3) and who froma learned phyfician)* obferves, ‘that reapers, inftead of wine, ‘ufelvinegar mixed with a great deal of water, which they call showfhold-wine, allayed with water $. to which ifoiland bread be put, it makes'a-coolitig meal, good for workmen’and travellers in the’heat of the fun’; andithe Zargawealls it pottage boiled in vinegar. The Romans had ‘an embamma, or fauce, made.of vinegar; in which they dipped food *; and)Theocritus * makes mention of vinegar as ufed by reapers: in the Syriac verfion it is bread dipped in. milk.;:and in the Arabic verfion milk poured upon itso: The Midrajh © gives an‘ allegorical fenfe of thefe words, and applies them to the Meffiah and his kingdom,' and interprets ‘the of the bread of the kingdom, and the vinegar of the chaftifements and afflictions of the Meffiah; as it is faid; bewas wounded for our tranfgreffions, &c. Jf. liii. 5. which, by the way, is a conceffion the prophecy in that chapter relates to him: and foe fat befide the reapers 3 the women-reapers; fhe did not fiv-dlong with ‘them, or in the midft them, in. the row with:them, as ranking with them, bution onesfide of ‘them, which was an‘inftance of her great. modefty:\ and: be reached ber parched thejlows, fee 2 Sam. xvii. 28:' and fhe did eat, dnd was /uficed, and left; the had *fuch a plentiful® fhare given her, that fhe had more’ than fhe could ‘eat, and was’ obliged to Jeavefome, and which %t feems fhe carried home to her mother-in-law, yi-r8. » y.15. And when fhe was rifen up to glean, &c.) hot; After’ fhe shad ate fufficiently, and:eitefhed *her® andjfelf, fhe rofe up from her {cat to go into the field and glean again; whicli fhows her induftry * Boaz commanded bis young men’ the reapers, or who gathered the'handfuls, and bound them up in fheaves: /aying, let ber glean even -among the foeaves', this fhe had requefted of the: reapers when the ‘firft came into the field, ‘and it was| granted her, ¥. 7. but:this, as it was granted by Boaz himfelf, fo was ftill a greater‘favour; and thére is fome difference in the theirjexpreffion, for it may be rendered here, among tho/e /heaves*, pointing to a ‘particular fpot where might be the beft ears of corn, and’ where more of them. had fallen: and reproach ‘her not, as, not with her being a poor woman, a widow, a Moadi- ‘7/4 woman, fo neither with being a thief, or takbreadjing fuch corn fhe fhould not, or gleaning ‘where fhe ought ‘not... el

¥. 16.-And let fall fome of the handfuls on pur pofe for ber, &c.] That is, when they ‘iad reapthat Jed an handful, inftead of laying it. inits’ proper order, to be taken up by thofe that gathered after them, or: by themfelves, in order to be bound’up oflin fheaves, fcatter it about, or let it fall where they reaped it: aad leave them, that fhe may glean them, and rebuke ber not, for'taking them, as if fhe did a wrong thing. ao y.17. So fhe gleaned in the field until even, &c.] This parched corn feems to be the|An inftance of her great ‘diligence and induftry at- corn; either Boaz himfelf, or he that was fet over the: reapers.

new barley they were' reaping, which they fried in a pan and ate. Galen fays', the parched corn which is beft, is made of new barley moderately dried and parched;:and that it was the cuftom of fome to drink the fame with new fweet wine, or wine mixed with honey, in the fummer-time, before they went into the bath, who fay they feel themfelves by this: drink freed from thirft. — But this feems to be a kind of food; whatiis fometimes called polenta, which is barley-flour dried at the fire, and fried after: it hath been foaking in water one tending to this mean employment conftantly from morning to night: and beat out that fhe bad gleaned; fhe did not bind up her‘gleaniags in a bundle,’ and carry:it home-on her héad, as gleaners with us do, but the beat it- out with a ftaff in the field, where fhe eleaned it, and winnowed it, very probably in the threfhing-floor of Boaz; by which means, what fhe had gleaned was brought into a leffer compats, and was a lighter burden to carry home: and it was an epbab of barley; or three feahs of barley, as the Targum; which, according to bifhop’ Cuméer- night; fo Lavater fays, they dry the barley, having been foaked one night in water, the next day they dry it, and then grind it in mills; fome-drefs. new barley beaten out of green ears, and make it whilft moift into balls, and being cleanfed, grind it; and thus drefied with twenty pound of barley, they three pound of lintfeed, half a pound of coriander feed, and of -falt, all being dried before, are mingled in a mill; and if to be kept, are. put into new earthern veffels with the meal and bran: but a later writer * takes this kali, rendered parched corn, not to be any one certain fpecies, but fomething'made of corn and.pulfe, as lentiles, beans, Fe. and efpecially fried or parched vetches, of all which together was this kali or pulfe; andhe refutes the notion of fome, -who take it to be coffee, fince that has only been in wife fince the beginning of the 16th century, and at firft in Arabia and is not of the kind of pulfe, but is the fruit of /and ', was fix gallons, ‘and three pints, and three folid inches: an omer is faid to be the-tenth part of an ephah, and made into bread, was as much as a man could eat in-one day, Exod. xvi. 16, 36. fo that Ruth got enough in one day for herfelf, putjand her mother-in-law, which would laft five days at leaft. This was a great deal for one woman to pick up, ear by ear, in one day; and muft be accounted for, not only by her diligence and induftry, but by the favour fhown her by the reapers, under the direction of Boaz,’ who fuffered her to glean among the fheaves, and let fall handfuls for her to pick up. | y..18- And fhe took it up, &c:] The ephah of barley, into her arms,’ or on her fhoulders: and went into the city; the city of Bethlehem: and ber mother-in-law faw what fhe had gleaned; the fet it down before her, and fhe looked at it with admialration, that fhe fhould glean fo much in one day ‘ and foe brought forth, not Naomi, as Jofepbus * reprefents it, who underftood, it, as.if the brought forth foe. food, her neighbours had brought her, part of which fhe kept for Ruth,. though he takes it in the other fenfe alfo; but the meaning) is, that Ruth brought forth out of a ferip, as the Targwm adds; befides the ephah, of barley fhe fet, before her, fhe brought fome victuals.out of a bag: and gave tober, that foe bad.referved after foe was iced; not.that fhe, cat of the barley, and her mother-in-Jaw alfo; and then the gave her the'reft to lay up.againft another time, as fome interpret it; but the remainder of the food which «Boaz, gave her at.dinner-time, which fhe could not eat, #..14. fhe referved for her.mother, and now-gave it. 1er.;,an inftance of that. piety commended, by. the apottle, 4 Zim. v. 4. 4;

¥. 20. And Naomi faid unto ber dqughter-in law, bleffed be he of the Lord, &c.| Or the: Lord. blefs him with all kind of bleffings, temporal.and fpiritual and as. he has blefled- him, already, may he be bleffled more and more: who bath not left off his kindnefs to. the living, and to the dead, he had been kind to Elimelech and to his fons, who; were now dead, and he continued his kindnefs to the relicts of them, Naowi. and Rath, who. were living, and was kind to, them for therfake»of the dead; and fhewing kindnefs to them, expreffed his refpeét to the memory of the dead: aad Naomi faid unto. her; continued her fpeech to her, and added to what fhe had faid: she man is near of kin unto us; a near relation of.ours, meaning by her hufband’s fide:, yea, one of our next kinfmen; the neareft we have, there was. but one nearer than he: the word, for kinfman here,is Gee/; a.redeemer; for to-fach, who were in the degree of kindred, as Boaz was, and he that was ftafer ftill chanshe,towhem; belonged the right of redemption, and, therefore — were called by the name of Goe/, a redeemer, as Bea Melech obferves;: they had a right to avenge the blood.of the flain, to-redeem their houfes and — pofleffions; if fold:or mortgaged, andtheit perfons ~ by marrying them,:andvraifing up feed) tora defuf- ceafed brothery-orskinfman. Ciel af IPDS ogs24.dnd Ruth the Moabite/s foid, he faid unto ~ me.a//a, <&c.) Befides: the favours he has fhown me already, he hasigiven me»reafon to ex i. for) he has, givemimesthis ftrit order: show foalt 4eep fot oy my young men, until ‘they bave ended all tomy baxvets both: barley-harveft and wheat-harvett; his will was, that: fhevkept following>them, and’ gleaned after them, as:long.as-both harvefts lafted. Vhe. Septuagint verfion» is, with my maidens,-and which.agrees, with’ ¥. 8. where the order of Boaz is.exprefled, and with thesinftruétions of Naomi in the nextiverfe, who-fo underftood it; but if we fappofedjunderftand it of young men here,: there is no contradictions, for both young’ men’ and ‘maidens wrought together in the fame field; either in te hadjing, or bingingup; fochat if the kept faft by the | one, fhe alfo would do:the dame by thevother.’* %.. ¥. 220\And Naomi faid unto Ruthher daughter= glean- in-law, 8ec.] Obferving the charge Boaz had given f her, fhe, thought, fit tov advife her uponat: it is good, my: daughter, that thou go out with bismaidens; — that.is, go outin the-morning with ‘them, Yet) out from Bethlebem when they «went to work, and fo continue; with them:alliethe -day: that \they meet shee notin any. other field the meaning is, either that.men might not meet\her in anothen field alone, or, ruth wpon her! at: once and unawares; and reproach her, or beat her, or indeed force her; or injelfe that the fervants of Boaz might:not: meet her, or fee,her in another field, and report it to their matter, who would be offended at her, and take it menias.a flight of his: kindnefs: to: her; which latter feems-rather to be the-fenfe.. » Or...%. 236 Sa jhe kept aft by the maidens of ‘Boaz to stheiglean, &c.] Accepting the kindnefs of Boaz, ‘and attending to the advice of her mother-in-law, as well as ufing all diligence to get a livelihood for her mother and herfelf; in-which fhe was’ a won derful inftance: of dutiful affection; humility and induftry: and fo fhe continued unto the\end of bar ley-harvefts and of wheat-barveft; which latter began at pentecoft, as the former did at the paffover; and, according to the Midrafh', from the beginning. of the one, to the end of the other, were three months; tho’ it may be, they were gathered in fooner: indeed from the paflover to penrecoft were feven weeks, which was. the difference between the beginning of one: harveft, and the beginning of the other: and dwelt. with her mother-in-law; which is to be underftood either of her coming home at night, after fhe had been gleaning all day, and lodging with her mother-in-law, which was her conftanr cuftom during both harvefts; or that after the| harvefts were ended, fhe continued to dwell — with her mother-in-law; which feems'to be added for the fake of carryingyom the hiftory in the following chapter. 5 bande 139 Seth: ie.. nha» 24 y¥.19. And her mother in-law faid unto, ber, where haft thou gleaned to-day? &c,|.. In what part of the field of Bethlehem 2, or on whofe land, that the “had gleaned fo;much? not that the fufpected that fhe had got it in an illicit, manner, but. fhe had. been direéted -by the providence of God/ to a {pot of ground where there was good gleaning;,or that fhe had, met with fome hand, that dropped ears of corn plentifully in, her) favour: and.where wroughteft thou? which isthe fame queftion repeated in other words, and fhews, that ing is. a work, and. a hard work:too,:¢lofely followed, to be ftooping and,picking. up ears; of, corn a whole. day together:.dleffed be be that.did, take knowledge of thee; the knew by the: quantity of corn); fhe. brought home,..that. fhe muft have had kindnefs, fhewn. her by, fome. body; and efpecially fhe knew it by the food fhe brought home,,and therefore.pronounced. ‘the; man, blefled, or wifhed him. happinefs, before fhe knew who he was\; tho’ perhaps the might guefs,at-him, or conje@ure her. mind. who. it was,that had taken notice of her: and fhe fhewed, her.mother-in-law, with wham foe. had wrought; that is, with whole reapers, and. maidens fhe had wrought, whom:the followed in gleaning, they working in one fort.of work, and fhe in another, yet in the fame field: man’s name with whom I wrought to-day is Boaz; that is,.in- whofe field, and with whofe fervants, fhe wrought; for Boaz-wrought not himfelf, unlefs this can be underftood of her eating and drinking with him; but the other fenfe is bett.

12.704 SAlOOD Wot G; Iie: ie; =. “EN this chapter we have a propofal of Naomi to “LL. Ruth, with advice and directions to get Boaz for her hufband, y. 1—5: Ruth’s obedience to the inftructions fhe gave her, vv. 5—7. the notice Boaz took of her, and the converiation that ‘paffed between: them, °y. 8-~13. the difmniffion of her in the morning to her mother-in-law with a gift, to _ -whom fhe returned, andacquainted her with what had paffed, ¥. 14—18. “Yas Ben Melech, that fhe unufual for great perfonabes, owners of farms and fields, to attend and overlook fuch fervice. © Pliny? reports, that Sextus Pomponius, father of the prator, and prince of the hither Spain, prefided over the winnowing of his reapers; fo Gideon, another judge of Yael, was found threfhing wheat, Fudg. vi. 11, é, y.°3. Wafh thy/elf therefore, &c.] Thy flefh, might appear clean and

¢ aude, eh es neat, and free from all fpots, and every thing that

¥. 1. Then Naomi her mother-in-law faid unto ber, &ee.] ‘After theharvefts were over, and fo leaning likewife; when Naomi and Ruth were together alone in their apartment, the mother ad- ‘drefléd the-daughter after this manner: my daughter, fball I not feek for thee, that it may be well with thee? that-is, in the houfe of an hufband, as in| ch. i. 9. her meaning is, to feek out for ‘band for her, that fhe might have an houfe of her own to ‘reft in, and a’hufband to provide for her; that fo fhe might be free from fuch toil and labour fhe had been lately exercifed in, and enjoy much eafe and comfort, ‘and all outward happi-jon nefs and profperity in'a marriage ftate with a good hufband. Thissinterrdgation carries in it the force ef a ftrong affirmation, may’ fugeeft that judged it to be her duty, and that fhe was determined to feck out fuch a’ reft for her; and the Targum makes her way of fpeaking ftronger ftill,| for that is, “* by an oath I will not reft, until the time that I have fought a reft for thee.”

that the threfhing-floors fhould be xwew sv eae, in a place expofed to wind; and fo Varro" obferves, the floor fhould be in the higher part of the field, that the wind might blow through it; *to this man: ner of winnowing Virg:/ * has refpect. Nor was it might occafion a difagreeable afpect, or an ill fcent, and fo be acceptable to the man propofed: and anoint thee, not with aromatic ointments, as great perfonages, both men and women ufed, as Aben Ezra notes, but with common oil, Ruth being a poor widow, that fhe might look fleek and mooth; and put thy raiment upon thee; that is, an~huf-jher beft raiment; for it can’t be fuppofed that fhe was now without clothes; or elfe her ornaments, as the Targum; her mother-in-law advifes her to put off ‘hér widow’s weed, the time of mourning tor her hufband being perhaps at an end, and put her ornamental drefs fhe ufed to wear’ in her own country, and in her hufband’s life-time. ‘Jarchi ‘interprets it of her fabbath-day clothes: and fthelger thee down to the floor; to the threfhing-floor where Boaz was winnowing, and which it feems lay lower'than the city of Bethlehem: but make not thye/f known unto the man, fome underftand it, that fhe fhould not make. herfelf known to any mafy not to any of the fetvants of Boaz; who, though they knew her before, when in the habit of a eleaner, would not know her now inher beft and fineft clothes, unlefs fhe made herfelf known to them; but rather Boaz is meant, to whom it was not advifeable to make herfelf known; and who alfo, for the fame reafon, though he might fee her at fupper-time, might not know her, becaufe her different drefs: and the rather he is particularly intended, fince it follows, until he fhall have done eating and drinking 5 when Naomi thought it would be the fitteft time to make herfelf known unto him, in order to gain the point in view, marriage with him.

¥. 2. And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with| ‘whofe maidens thou waft? 8c.) He was, and her queftion fyppofes and concludes it, and which fhe obferves, that Ruth might take notice of it, and encouragement from it; ‘and the rather, fince fhe had been admitted into the company and converfation of his maidens; and which was more, tho’ not mentioned, into the company and converfa-jof tion of himfelf, and whom Rath knew full well; and who being, as aomi thought, the next neat kinfman, and obliged by the law in Deut. xxv. 5. to marry Ruth, with which view his relation is mentioned: bebold, be winnoweth barley to-night in the threfhing-floor; which afforded a fit opportunity of meeting with him, being at night, and out of the city, from his own houfe, and alone, and after a feaft for his reapers and threfhers of corn, as feems from ¥. 7. as it was ufual to have threfhingfloors in an open place without the city, fo to winnow at them, whereby the chaff was more eafily fepatated from the corn, and that in the evening, when in thofe countries there were the ftrongeft| breezes of wind to carry it off;

y. 4. Aud it fhall be when be lieth down, &c.] On the threfhing-floor, under the open air, in order to get fleep, and take reft: that thou hall mark the place where he fhall lie; the fpot he fhall lie on, and the direction in which he fhall lie, whether eaft, weft, &c. that when the light thall be taken away, and the darknefs of the night come'on, fhe might pretty eafily find the place where he lay: and thou ha/t go in and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; hence the Targum go into the threfhing-floor, or to the place where he lay down, and gently lay afide the covering upon his feet, whether a blanket, or rug, or his own long clothes, with which his feet were wrapt, and then lay herfelf down at his feet; this feems to be advifed'to, in order to give him a hint, that there hence Hefod ™ advifes,)was fomebody at his feet. This may feem to us to be ftrange advice, and not confiftent with the character of pious and virtuous women, which they /both bore, and with that modefty they otherwife feem to be pofféfled of; to clear this, let it be obferved, that this man was, as Naomi thought, thé here has it, “* behold, he is winnowing the barleyfloor with the wind, which is in the night.” For before the invention and ufe of fans in winnowing, it was only done by the wind carrying off the chaff, as the oxen trod the corn, for it was done in the threfhing-floor, as here:

% aoe r ot | dentate “ie ct D Re OTOP Chili. ¥g—o. as to cover them by day; nor was it thought mean and unworthy of perfons of note to fleep in fuch a. plate, and in {uch a manner as this’, And it might be chofen for coolnefs in thofe hot countries. Jercki- thinks it was. to. preferve, his corn from thieves; though it might be, becanfe,it be ah ere the. feftival was over,. and too late to. go,hor noe next kinfinan; and fo in right of the law in Deut. xxv. 5: was the hufband of Ruth, and therefore might take fuch a freedom with him as fhe did; and it feems by the fame law, as if the woman was to tnake the demand of marriage, which, may ferve to reconcile the carriage of Ruth to her character: befides, ‘what things in one age, and in one nation, are reckoned immédeft, ‘are not fo accounted jin another age, and in another, nation; add_to, this the age and gravity of Boaz; and the well,known virtue of Ruth to Naomi, fhe might think herfelf quite fafe in the advice fhe: gave;- and yet after all, it muft be owned, it is fomewhat difficult to account for her fimplicity and wifdom in it; fince fhe could not ‘be fure that fin and folly would not be! committed, confidering the infirmity of human and befides he was ready for his bufinefs. the n morning: and foe came foftly s wich Moe aiSt PEs as Farchi, making as little ible. or fecretly, asthe Targum, that.no, one might fee her, and have knowledge of whatuhe did: ahd uncovered his feet; turned up the fkire. of the garment that was upon his feet, or removed whatever ‘covering was.Jaid.on them:.@ad Jlaid,her down; not.on the fide of him, which would haye nature; or that. fuch a behaviour in Rath would not alienate the affection of Boaz from her, and caufe him to confider her as a light and loofe woman, and unfit to be his wife: and he will tell thee what thou foalt do; being a judge of /rael, and expert.in the law,-he would inform her whether he was the next kinfman, and had the right of redemption or not, and what methods muft be taken, and what rites ufed in order to her marriage with him, or another perfon. _ ¥. 5. And fhe faid unto her, &c.] Having the higheft opinion of her piety and prudence, and being confident fhe would neyer advife her to what was.CcOntrary to true religion and virtue: afl that thou fayeft unto me 1 will do; obferve every inftruction and direction fhe.gave.her, and attend ftridtly to every circumftance pointed out to her, as fhe did; the word for unto me, is one of thofe inftances the Ma/ora oblerves, is not written but-read; the letters of the word are not in the text, only the vowel points, the reafon of which cannot well be faid; what the Midra/b* gives, can never f{atisfy., my

¥.6. And fhe went down unto the floor, &c. | From the city of Bethlebem, from her mother-inlaw’s houfe there, to the threfhing-floor of Boaz, which was at fome diftance from it, and. lower: and did according to all that her mother-in-law bade her; both before fhe went, and after; fhe wafhed and anointed herfelf, and put on her beft clothes before fhe went down, and when fhe was there took care not to make herfelf known to any, efpecially to Boaz, and marked the place where he lay down after he had fupped.

x. 7. And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, an his heart was merry, &c.]. Having eat and drank freely, though not to excefs; and innocent mirth was always allowed in the time of harveft, and of the vintage, and of gathering the fruits of the earth, fee Fudg. ix. 27. J/. ix. 3. or bis heart was good; he was in a good frame and difpofition of mind, praifing God for his goodnefs to him, and to his. people; fo the Targum, ‘* and his heart was good, and he bleffed the name of the Lord who had received his prayer, and removed the famine from the land of J/rael:” he went to hie down at the heap of corn; in the threfhing-floor, which had either been threfhed out, or lay in fheaves to be threfhed out: however, it feems probable, that he had laid himfelf down on fome of the ftraw of the cotn threfhed out, with his clothes on, covering his feet with the lower part of his garment; it being ufual in thofe countries to wear long garments, which ferved to fleep in by nights, as well feemed immodeft, but, at hhis.feet, perhaps, acrofs them.;;) ip SRO ba. Tay ¥. 8. And it came to.pa/s at midnight, &c.| So long Boaz flept without. knowledge.of any perfon being at his feet, and fo long Ruth had Jain there; but awaking, and perceiving fomething,at his feet, which prefled them,)it made him look about and feel, and, fo affected him, that the man was afraid; though, a iman, and a man of {pirit, |heywas afraid, a panic feized him, not knowing butiit might be a ipectre, a fpirit, or a demon, as farchi, and fuch an. inftance we have in hiftory * of, an apparition, which feemed to. put off clothes, and place itlelf in a bed where a man. lay, @c.. and turned bimfelf;.to, fee who it was: and bebold, a woman lay at his feet; which he knew, by, putting hts hand upon her head, as, Zarchi thinks, and fo knew her by her head-drefs or vail; or rather by her voice, as Aben Ezra,.and who fuppofes. the moon might fhine,, and he might be able to difcern fhe had no beard,, as well as alfo difcover her by her clothes. pceastheee y. g. And he faid, who art thou? ‘&c. ] He fpoke quick and fhort, as one difpleafed, or however furprized and frightened, juft. coming out of fleep, and. in the night: aud Jhe anfwered, J am Ruth thine bandmaid, that had gleaned in his fields with his maidens, and with whom he had converfed there, and knew her by name: /pread therefore thy fRirt,.over. thy handmaid, which feems to account for the reafon of her uncovering his feet, or turning up.the fkirt of his garment that, was upon them; not through wantonneis and immodefty, but to direct him, when opportunity offered, to {pread ic over her as a token of his taking her in marriage, and of her being under his care and. protection, and of her fubjection to him; fo the Targum, <* let thy name be called upon me to take me for a wife.” Whether the cuftom, now ufed with. the. Jews at marriage, for a man to caft the fkirt of his Talizh, or outward garment, over the head of his {poufe, and cover it, was in ufe fo early, is queftionable; and yet fomething like it feems to have been done, as this phrafe intimates, and to which there is an allufion in Ezek. xvi. 8.. So Farchi, ** fpread the fkirt of thy garments to. cover me with thy T@Zth, and this is expreffive of marriage;” and ben Ezra fays, it intimates taking her to him for wife; though as the word fignifies a wing, the allufion may be to the wings of birds fpread over their young, to cherifh and protect them, which are acts to be done by a man to his wife: for shou art a nearkinfman; ~ as fhe had been informed by Naomi, to whom the right of redemption of her hufband’s eftate belong- — ed, up feed to his kinfman, her former hufband.

y. 10. And be faid, bleffed be thou of the Lord, my daughter, res Inftead of calling her an immodeft woman fot laying herfelf down at his feet, and a bold impudent woman, fhe being poor, to afk marriage of him; and inftead of being angry

‘with her, and chiding and reproving her for difturbing and frightening him in the night, he bleffes her, and prays to God to blefs her, and profper her in what fhe had engaged, and in a kind and loving manner calls her his daughter: for thou baft fhewed more kindnefs in the latter end, than at the beginning 5 that is, to her hufband’s family; fhe had fhown much love to her hufband livingand dying, and to her mother-in-law, in leaving her country and kindred to come with her into a ftrange country, and in labour to fupport her, as fhe had done, all which was great kindnefs; to which the Targum adds, her being profelyted; but the kindnefs fhe now fhewed, exceeded all the former, in that fhe was defirous, according to the law of God, to build up her hufband’s family, to marry the next near kinfman, even though an old man, to raife up feed to the name and memory of her hufband: ina/- much as thou followedft not the young men, whether poor or rich the phrafe of following young men is not to be underftood of committing fornication with them, as the Targum explains it, but of marriage to them;- fhe fhunned their company and converfation, and did not put herfelf in the way of being carefled and addreffed by them, and refufed every thing of that fort, and did not chufe to follow any young man, rich or poor, as a bride follows her hufband when married to him. Now Boaz mentions this as an inftance of her virtue, and of her great refpect.to her hufband’s family, that a woman of fuch amiable qualities, virtuous, young and beautiful, who doubtlefs might have been married to a young man in her own country, or in J/rael, but chofe to marry the neareft of kin in her hufband’s family, to perpetuate his name and memory; the Fews fay‘, Boaz was now 80 years of age, and Ruth 4o.

y. 11. And now, my daughter, fear not, &c.] Either of being forced and defiled, to which fhe had expofed herfelf by lying down at a man’s feet, or of being reproached as an immodeft woman for fo doing, or of being defpifed as a poor woman, and of not fucceeding in her fuit and enterprize: and I will do to thee all that thou require, which could be done according to the law of God, and without injury to another perfon after mentioned: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art @ virtuous woman; or righteous, as the Targum; a good woman poffeffed of grace and virtue, having every agreeable qualification to recommend to the marriage-ftate; and therefore fhould they come to the knowledge of the ftep taken to obtain it, will never reproach thee for it, nor blame me for marrying a perfon, though poor, of fuch an excellent charaéter, which by her conduct and behaviour was univerfally eftablifhed. It is in the original text, all the gate of my people’; meaning either all the people that pafs through the gate of the city, that is, all the inhabitants of it, or the whole court of judicature, the elders of the city that fit in judgment there, as was ufual in gates of cities, fee ed, and on whom it lay to marry her, and raife

Aa aa ch. iv. t; 9. So the Targum, “ it is manifeft bé- fore all that fit in the gate of the great Sanhedrim of my people, that thou art a righteous woman.”

¥. t2. And new it is true, that I dm thy near kinfinan, &c.) Her hufband ard he being brothers’ fons, fo own coufins: bowdert, there is a kinfman nenrer than 1; who was, the Jews fay”, the bfother of her hufband’s father, and fo his uncle; which was anearer relation than an own coulin.

¥.13. Tarry this day, &c.] Or lodge here tonight, where fhe was; this he faid not from any ill defign upon her, but for het own fafety and honour; that fhe might not be expofed to danger or difgrace; by returning home at fuch an unfeafonable time of night. The firft letter in the word for tarry is larger than ufual in the Hebrew text; which may be done to raife the attention of the reader, to obferve it as a thing very fingular, that a widow fhould lodge with a man without any diminution of her chaftity; fo Buxtorf* fays; that hereby attention is noted, even the honefty of Boaz ordering Ruth to lodge without a man, and wait until a nearer kinfnan, according to the law, fhould come, and promifing that on failure thereof he would be the lawful redeemer; but Dr. Lightfoot’ obferves, that as there is a fpecial mark over a word in the ftory of Zo#’s eldeft daughter lying with her father, Gen. xix. 34. and a fpecial mark on this word here, in the ftory of Ruth going to Boaz his bed, feems to relate one to the other, and both together to point at the great providente of God in bringing light out of darknefs, Ruth, a mother of Chrift, out of the inceft of Lot: and it all be in the morning, that if he will perforin unto thee the part of a kinfman, well, let bim do the kinfman’s part; by marrying Ruth, and redeeming. her hufband’s eftate, which if he did, it would be all very well and right according to law; and it would be very well for Ruth, as Aben Ezra and Abendana interpret it; feeing, as they obferve, that kinfman was a’ very refpectable man, a man of great efteem and worth, a man of wealth and authority, and fhe would be well matched to him, Some think, as the fame writers obferve, that the word Tob, tranflated wel], is the name of the kinfman, the fame with Todias; fo R. Fofbuab fays*, that Sa/mon (who was the father of Boaz), and Elimelech (the father of Ruth’s hufband), and Tod (this near kinfman) were brethren: but if be twill not do the part of a kinfman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinfman to thee, as the Lord liveth; that is, he {wore he would marry her, and redeem the inheritance, if the other would not; for the phrafe, as the Lord liveth, is the form of an oath, it is {wearing by the living God; fo the Targum, «I fay with an oath before the Lord, that as I have fpoken unto thee, fo will I do:” le down until the morning; and take fome fleep and reft, and be at eafe in mind, depending upon the performance of what I have promifed.

yy. 14. And fhe lay at his feet until the morning; &c.] In the fame place where fhe firft laid herfelf down: and fhe rofe up before one could know another; becaufe of the darknefs, as the Targum, it not being yet break of day: and be faid, let it not be known that a woman came into the floor; to whom he {poke thefe words is not faid, perhaps to Ruth, whom ore ee as tidle may and chaftity, yet it became them to be caretul of be rendered, what orhows, inttead of; ind the them, or hinder the nearer, kinfman, from doing his part, who might refufe upon hearing that Boaz and Ruth. had been together; or this..was faid to his young.men, as the Targum. adds, charging them to Jet,no one know.of it; which is not fo likely: it is the fenfe of fome.Zewih writers +,.that Boaz {aid this in this, heart, in. an, ejaculatory’

prayer to.God, entreating that affair. might be a fecret, that.it..might, not be known that a woman fhe had? how had things gone with jhes fhe married or no?, or rather, had the got,apromife it? orwas it likely that fhe fhould be married 2 which. the anfwer agrees x aid fhe told ber-allthatabe man had, done. to her,\what kindnefs he-had fhown her,..what promifes he had.made to her, phatyeither — hey, or a, nearer’ kinfmanjywould. marry her, and redeem her, hufband’s eftate...o).004 sorbose

~¥aa7, And foe faid, theje fix. meakaressof, barley had been in.the floor that.night, left the name of gavebe me, 8cc.) -. Which. the. laid dows before -

God. fhould be blafphemed, and he and Ruth, be wrongfully, reproached.) 0.0 | patie ‘y.15.. Alo be faid, &c.] Which feems. to confirm the firft fenfe, that what he had faid before was to Ruth, befide which he alfo faid to her what follows; bring the vail,which thou baft upon thee, and pold it; by which. it..appears, that, he rofe alfo thus early, fince he.ordered her. to bring her vail to him, aad hold it with.both.her hands, whilft he filled, itfrom the heap. of corn: this: vail,was either, what.fhe wore.on her head, as women ufed to do, ‘ora coverlet fhe brought with her to cover -herfelf, with, when. fhe lay. down; the Septuagint renders it. a girdle, that is, an apron fhe tied or girt about her; which is as likely as any,thing: and when fhe held it, be meafured fix. meafures, of barley, what thefe meafures' were, is not exprefied; the Jarguim is fix feahs or buthels, as the Vulgate Latin verfion; but that.is too much, and more than a woman could carry; unlefs we fuppofe, with the Targum, that fhe had ftrength from the Lord to.carry it, and was extraordinarily affifted by him in -it,..which is not very probable; rather. fix omers, an omer being the tenth part of an,ephah, and fo was a.quantity fhe might be able to carry: aud. laid it upon ker; upon her fhoulder, or, put it on her head, it being no doubt as. much as fhe,could well bear, and which required fome affiftance to help her up with it: and fhe went into the city; of Bethlebem, with her burden; or rather be went; for the word is mafculine, and to be. underftood of Boaz, who accompanied her to the city, left fhe fhould. meet with any that fhould abufe her; and fo the Targum expreffes it, ‘* Boaz went into the city.”. ¥. 16. And when fhe came to her mother-in law,

HIS chapter relates, how an offer. was made to the the neareft kinfman of Ruth to re- her,. which was a proof of.his kindnefg to, hers that fhe;was acceptable to,him, and had well ped 5 of thefe fix,.meatares,, fee, ¥..15., whi are allegorically interpreted, of fix. ble fhould be beftowed upon her, as, then /pirit ifs dom, underflanding, Sc. as, UY: Xis) 2 10, farebis or of fix perfons that fhould {pring from, her; sas David,, Daniel, and his companions, and the king Meffiah,. asthe Targum: for be faid unto me,.gor empty unto thy mother-tn-lew, whichsas it cxprefled a regard to Naoms, \and.a. compaffionate, concern for hey fupport, fo’ would. give-her aflurance of the

Hfuccels, Ruth met withs fhe,wouldirelate, to her. 4

W118. Then faid fhe, fit fill, my daughters See} perfon, be eafy about it, take no other flepsiin it, wait the iflue of it: wstil thou know bow- the mat ter will fall, not that fhe thought itewas achance matter, a.fortuitous.and contingent event with refpect to. God 5, for all decrees. come from heaven, as Aves Ezrg onthe text fays, and particularly marriages are deereed in heaven, and come about according to fuch decrees 5 fothe Targum, ‘*fit, my danghs ter, with’ me in the houfe, until the time thou fhall. know how it is decreed from heaven.:” forsthe man will not be at reft, until be have finifhed the thing this day 5 which the concluded, partly from his known integrity and faithfulnefs, diligence andyint duftry, and partly from his affection to Ruth, and. — her intereft in ic; for fhe perceived the had got his heart, both by what he had, faid to -her, and by the prefent, he had fent by her, and the was fatife fied he would not be eafy until he knew whetl he fhould have her or no. arpa, PR LO? bod