Ruth Chapter 3

At a Glance

  • Ruth 3 intensifies the unfolding drama of Ruth and Boaz’s potential redemption romance.
  • Historical & Literary Context.
  • Ruth 3 sits within the Book of Ruth’s compact, tightly plotted arc.
  • - Courage within covenant boundaries: Ruth’s bold move is tempered by ritual propriety and respect for the law.
  • - Redemption within the kinship system: The near kinsman-redeemer mechanism dramatizes how God uses human institutions to secure welfare.

RUTH 3

Chapter Overview

Ruth 3 intensifies the unfolding drama of Ruth and Boaz’s potential redemption romance. Naomi, seeing Boaz as a near kinsman-redeemer, devises a plan to secure Ruth’s future. She instructs Ruth to prepare herself, bathe, anoint, and present herself at the threshing floor when Boaz has eaten and lies down to rest. The strategic moment is delicate: Ruth is to uncover Boaz’s feet and lay at him, signaling a request for protection and a kinsman-redeemer’s duty. Ruth agrees and executes the plan, approaching with reverent boldness. At midnight, Boaz awakens to find Ruth at his feet; she requests him to spread his cloak over her, symbolically asking him to enact the redeeming act. Boaz commends Ruth’s virtue and acknowledges the possibility of a nearer kinsman who must first fulfill the duty. He promises to act and, if the nearer relative declines, to perform the redemption himself. The chapter heightens tension around legal protocols and social norms while elevating Ruth’s courage, Naomi’s cunning, and Boaz’s integrity. The scene is intimate, morally charged, and saturated with faith in God’s providential timing to secure Ruth’s place in the lineage that leads to King David.

Historical & Literary Context

Ruth 3 sits within the Book of Ruth’s compact, tightly plotted arc. The threshing-floor setting is culturally charged, reflecting a customary moment for a transformation in social status and familial obligation. The kinsman-redeemer motif, rooted in Levitical law, is introduced with suspense: a constrained, legally bounded plan that must respect the near kinsman’s rights. The genre remains a compassionate, intimate narrative that foregrounds personal virtue, communal etiquette, and the cunning interplay between human agency and divine timing. Ruth’s audacious approach to Boaz at the threshing floor embodies the tension between bold action and reverent piety, a hallmark of the book’s moral psychology.

Key Themes

- Courage within covenant boundaries: Ruth’s bold move is tempered by ritual propriety and respect for the law.

- Redemption within the kinship system: The near kinsman-redeemer mechanism dramatizes how God uses human institutions to secure welfare.

- Integrity and praise: Boaz’s gracious response and Ruth’s virtuous reputation anchor the narrative in moral excellence.

- God’s timing and providence: The unfolding plan rests on a sequence of favorable moments that align with God’s redemptive trajectory.

- Humble agency and communal good: Naomi’s strategic influence demonstrates how faithful ancestors navigate social structures for the greater good.

Modern Application

Ruth 3 speaks to contemporary readers about bold, ethical initiative within the boundaries of community norms and law. It can inspire believers to act with courageous faith when pursuing long-term good, while honoring human dignity and due process. The chapter also offers a lens on mentorship and intergenerational partnership: Naomi’s guidance and Ruth’s faithful execution show how wisdom and courage can combine to secure a just outcome. It prompts reflection on the balance between assertive action and reverence for process in leadership decisions, especially when vulnerable individuals depend on responsible stewardship. The text invites modern readers to celebrate redeeming possibilities—how God can transform precarious situations into blessings through faithful, prudent steps.

Cross-References: Ruth 4 (final redemption and lineage), Leviticus 25 (kinsman-redeemer), Deuteronomy 7 (covenant community norms), Matthew 1 (genealogy of Jesus), Psalm 37 (trust in God’s timing).

Recommended Personas: Ruth (courageous faith), Boaz (redeemer with integrity), Naomi (wise strategist), Jesus (fulfillment of redemption), Paul (theology of providence and vocation).

Chapter Text

1

Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?

2

And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor.

3

Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.

4

And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.

5

And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.

6

And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her.

7

And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.

8

And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.

9

And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.

10

And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.

11

And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.

12

And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.

13

Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman’s part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the LORD liveth: lie down until the morning.

14

And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor.

15

Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and she went into the city.

16

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

17

And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law.

18

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

Discuss This Chapter with Biblical Personas

Explore Ruth Chapter 3 with Biblical figures who can provide unique perspectives grounded in Scripture.

Ask Apostle PaulAsk MosesAsk King DavidAsk Jesus Christ
← Ruth 2Ruth 4 →