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Judges 18 - Ruth 2
New English Translation

The Tribe of Dan Finds an Inheritance

18 In those days Israel had no king. And in those days the Danite tribe was looking for a place[a] to settle, because at that time they did not yet have a place to call their own among the tribes of Israel.[b] 2 The Danites sent out from their whole tribe five representatives,[c] capable men[d] from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. They said to them, “Go, explore the land.” They came to the Ephraimite hill country and spent the night at Micah’s house.[e] 3 As they approached[f] Micah’s house, they recognized the accent[g] of the young Levite. So they stopped[h] there and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?”[i] 4 He told them what Micah had done for him, saying,[j] “He hired me, and I became his priest.” 5 They said to him, “Seek a divine oracle for us,[k] so we can know if we will be successful on our mission.”[l] 6 The priest said to them, “Go with confidence.[m] The Lord will be with you on your mission.”[n]

7 So the five men journeyed on[o] and arrived in Laish. They noticed that the people there[p] were living securely, like the Sidonians do,[q] undisturbed and unsuspecting. No conqueror was troubling them in any way.[r] They lived far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone.[s] 8 When the Danites returned to their tribe[t] in Zorah and Eshtaol, their kinsmen[u] asked them, “How did it go?”[v] 9 They said, “Come on, let’s attack them,[w] for[x] we saw their land and it is very good. You seem lethargic,[y] but don’t hesitate[z] to invade and conquer[aa] the land. 10 When you invade,[ab] you will encounter[ac] unsuspecting people. The land is wide![ad] God is handing it over to you—a place that lacks nothing on earth!”[ae]

11 So 600 Danites, fully armed, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol.[af] 12 They went up and camped in Kiriath Jearim in Judah. (To this day that place is called Camp of Dan.[ag] It is west[ah] of Kiriath Jearim.) 13 From there they traveled through the Ephraimite hill country and arrived at Micah’s house. 14 The five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish[ai] said to their kinsmen,[aj] “Do you realize that inside these houses are an ephod, some personal idols, a carved image, and a metal image? Decide now what you want to do.” 15 They stopped[ak] there, went inside the young Levite’s house (which belonged to Micah),[al] and asked him how he was doing.[am] 16 Meanwhile the 600 Danites, fully armed, stood at the entrance to the gate.[an] 17 The five men who had gone to spy out the land broke in and stole[ao] the carved image, the ephod, the personal idols, and the metal image, while the priest was standing at the entrance to the gate with the 600 fully armed men.[ap] 18 When these men broke into Micah’s house and stole[aq] the carved image, the ephod, the personal idols, and the metal image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?” 19 They said to him, “Shut up! Put your hand over your mouth and come with us! You can be our adviser[ar] and priest. Wouldn’t it be better to be a priest for a whole Israelite tribe than for just one man’s family?”[as] 20 The priest was happy. He took the ephod, the personal idols, and the carved image and joined the group.[at]

21 They turned and went on their way, but they walked behind the children, the cattle, and their possessions.[au] 22 After they had gone a good distance from Micah’s house, Micah’s neighbors[av] gathered together and caught up with the Danites. 23 When they called out to the Danites, the Danites[aw] turned around and said to Micah, “Why have you gathered together?” 24 He said, “You stole my gods that I made, as well as this priest, and then went away. What do I have left? How can you have the audacity to say to me, ‘What do you want?’”[ax] 25 The Danites said to him, “Don’t say another word to us, or some very angry men[ay] will attack you, and you and your family will die.”[az] 26 The Danites went on their way; when Micah realized[ba] they were too strong to resist,[bb] he turned around and went home.

27 Now the Danites[bc] took what Micah had made, as well as his priest, and came to Laish, where the people were undisturbed and unsuspecting. They struck them down with the sword and burned the city.[bd] 28 No one came to the rescue because the city[be] was far from Sidon and they had no dealings with anyone.[bf] The city[bg] was in a valley near Beth Rehob. The Danites[bh] rebuilt the city and occupied it. 29 They named it Dan after their ancestor, who was one of Israel’s sons.[bi] But the city’s name used to be Laish. 30 The Danites worshiped[bj] the carved image. Jonathan, descendant[bk] of Gershom, son of Moses,[bl] and his descendants[bm] served as priests for the tribe of Dan until the time of the exile. 31 They worshiped[bn] Micah’s carved image[bo] the whole time God’s authorized shrine[bp] was in Shiloh.

Sodom and Gomorrah Revisited

19 In those days Israel had no king. There was a Levite[bq] living temporarily in the remote region of the Ephraimite hill country. He acquired a concubine[br] from Bethlehem in Judah. 2 However, she[bs] got angry at him[bt] and went home[bu] to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah. When she had been there four months, 3 her husband came[bv] after her, hoping he could convince her to return.[bw] He brought with him his servant[bx] and a pair of donkeys. When she brought him into her father’s house and the girl’s father saw him, he greeted him warmly.[by] 4 His father-in-law, the girl’s father, persuaded him to stay with him for three days, and they ate and drank together, and spent the night there. 5 On the fourth day they woke up early and the Levite got ready to leave.[bz] But the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Have a bite to eat for some energy,[ca] then you can go.” 6 So the two of them sat down and had a meal together.[cb] Then the girl’s father said to the man, “Why not stay another night and have a good time?”[cc] 7 When the man got ready to leave,[cd] his father-in-law convinced him to stay another night.[ce] 8 He woke up early in the morning on the fifth day so he could leave, but the girl’s father said, “Get some energy![cf] Wait until later in the day to leave.”[cg] So they ate a meal together. 9 When the man got ready to leave[ch] with his concubine and his servant,[ci] his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Look! The day is almost over.[cj] Stay another night! Since the day is over,[ck] stay another night here and have a good time. You can get up early tomorrow and start your trip home.”[cl] 10 But the man did not want to stay another night. He left[cm] and traveled as far as[cn] Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). He had with him a pair of saddled donkeys and his concubine.[co]

11 When they got near Jebus, it was getting quite late[cp] and the servant[cq] said to his master, “Come on, let’s stop at[cr] this Jebusite city and spend the night in it.” 12 But his master said to him, “We should not stop at a foreign city where non-Israelites live.[cs] We will travel on to Gibeah.” 13 He said to his servant,[ct] “Come on, we will go into one of the other towns[cu] and spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.” 14 So they traveled on,[cv] and the sun went down when they were near Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin.[cw] 15 They stopped there and decided to spend the night[cx] in Gibeah. They came into the city and sat down in the town square, but no one invited them to spend the night.[cy]

16 But then an old man passed by, returning at the end of the day from his work in the field.[cz] The man was from the Ephraimite hill country; he was living temporarily in Gibeah. (The residents of the town were Benjaminites.)[da] 17 When he looked up and saw the traveler[db] in the town square, the old man said, “Where are you heading? Where do you come from?” 18 The Levite[dc] said to him, “We are traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote region of the Ephraimite hill country. That’s where I’m from. I had business in Bethlehem in Judah, but now I’m heading home.[dd] But no one has invited me into their home. 19 We have enough straw and grain for our donkeys, and there is enough food and wine for me, your female servant,[de] and the young man who is with your servants.[df] We lack nothing.” 20 The old man said, “Everything is just fine.[dg] I will take care of all your needs. But don’t spend the night in the town square.” 21 So he brought him to his house and fed the donkeys. They washed their feet and had a meal.[dh]

22 They were having a good time,[di] when suddenly[dj] some men of the city, some good-for-nothings,[dk] surrounded the house and kept beating[dl] on the door. They said to the old man who owned the house, “Send out the man who came to visit you so we can take carnal knowledge of him.”[dm] 23 The man who owned the house went outside and said to them, “No, my brothers! Don’t do this wicked thing! After all, this man is a guest in my house. Don’t do such a disgraceful thing! 24 Here are my virgin daughter and my guest’s[dn] concubine. I will send them out and you can abuse them and do to them whatever you like.[do] But don’t do such a disgraceful thing to this man!” 25 The men refused to listen to him, so the Levite[dp] grabbed his concubine and made her go outside.[dq] They raped[dr] her and abused her all night long until morning. They let her go at dawn. 26 The woman arrived back at daybreak and was sprawled out on the doorstep of the house where her master[ds] was staying until it became light.[dt] 27 When her master[du] got up in the morning, opened the doors of the house, and went outside to start on his journey, there was the woman, his concubine, sprawled out on the doorstep of the house with her hands on the threshold. 28 He said to her, “Get up, let’s leave.” But there was no response. He put her on the donkey and went home.[dv] 29 When he got home, he took a knife, grasped his concubine, and carved her up into twelve pieces.[dw] Then he sent the pieces throughout Israel.[dx] 30 Everyone who saw the sight[dy] said, “Nothing like this has happened or been witnessed during the entire time since[dz] the Israelites left the land of Egypt![ea] Take careful note of it! Discuss it and speak!”

Civil War Breaks Out

20 All the Israelites from Dan to Beer Sheba[eb] and from the land of Gilead[ec] left their homes[ed] and assembled together[ee] before the Lord at Mizpah. 2 The leaders[ef] of all the people from all the tribes of Israel took their places in the assembly of God’s people, which numbered[eg] 400,000 sword-wielding foot soldiers. 3 The Benjaminites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah. Then the Israelites said, “Explain how this wicked thing happened!” 4 The Levite,[eh] the husband of the murdered woman, spoke up, “I and my concubine stopped in[ei] Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin[ej] to spend the night. 5 The leaders of Gibeah attacked me and at night surrounded the house where I was staying.[ek] They wanted to kill me; instead they abused my concubine so badly that she died. 6 I took hold of my concubine and carved her up and sent the pieces[el] throughout the territory occupied by Israel,[em] because they committed such an unthinkable atrocity[en] in Israel. 7 All you Israelites,[eo] make a decision here!”[ep]

8 All Israel rose up in unison[eq] and said, “Not one of us will go home![er] Not one of us will return[es] to his house! 9 Now this is what we will do to Gibeah: We will attack the city as the lot dictates.[et] 10 We will take ten of every group of a hundred men from all the tribes of Israel (and a hundred of every group of a thousand, and a thousand of every group of ten thousand) to get supplies for the army.[eu] When they arrive in Gibeah of Benjamin, they will punish them for the atrocity that they committed in Israel.”[ev] 11 So all the men of Israel gathered together at the city as allies.[ew]

12 The tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe[ex] of Benjamin, saying, “How could such a wicked thing take place?[ey] 13 Now, hand over the good-for-nothings[ez] in Gibeah so we can execute them and purge Israel of wickedness.”[fa] But the Benjaminites refused to listen to their Israelite brothers. 14 The Benjaminites came from their cities and assembled at Gibeah[fb] to make war against the Israelites. 15 That day the Benjaminites mustered from their cities 26,000 sword-wielding soldiers, besides 700 well-trained soldiers from Gibeah.[fc] 16 Among this army[fd] were 700 specially trained left-handed soldiers.[fe] Each one could sling a stone and hit even the smallest target.[ff] 17 The men of Israel (not counting Benjamin) had mustered 400,000 sword-wielding soldiers, every one an experienced warrior.[fg]

18 The Israelites went up to Bethel and asked God,[fh] “Who should lead the charge against the Benjaminites?”[fi] The Lord said, “Judah should lead.” 19 The Israelites got up the next morning and moved[fj] against Gibeah. 20 The men of Israel marched out to fight Benjamin; they[fk] arranged their battle lines against Gibeah. 21 The Benjaminites attacked from Gibeah and struck down 22,000 Israelites that day.[fl]

22 The Israelite army[fm] took heart[fn] and once more arranged their battle lines, in the same place where they had taken their positions the day before. 23 The Israelites went up and wept before the Lord until evening. They asked the Lord, “Should we[fo] again march out to fight[fp] the Benjaminites, our brothers?”[fq] The Lord said, “Attack them.”[fr] 24 So the Israelites marched toward[fs] the Benjaminites the next day. 25 The Benjaminites again attacked them from Gibeah and struck down 18,000 sword-wielding Israelite soldiers.[ft]

26 So all the Israelites, the whole army,[fu] went up to[fv] Bethel. They wept and sat there before the Lord; they did not eat anything[fw] that day until evening. They offered up burnt sacrifices and tokens of peace[fx] to the Lord. 27 The Israelites asked the Lord (for the ark of God’s covenant was there in those days; 28 Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, was serving the Lord[fy] in those days), “Should we[fz] once more march out to fight the Benjaminites our brothers,[ga] or should we[gb] quit?” The Lord said, “Attack, for tomorrow I will hand them[gc] over to you.”

29 So Israel hid men in ambush outside Gibeah. 30 The Israelites attacked the Benjaminites the next day;[gd] they took their positions against Gibeah just as they had done before. 31 The Benjaminites attacked[ge] the army, leaving the city unguarded.[gf] They began to strike down their enemy[gg] just as they had done before. On the main roads (one leads to Bethel, the other to Gibeah) and in the field, they struck down[gh] about thirty Israelites. 32 Then the Benjaminites said, “They are defeated just as before.” But the Israelites said, “Let’s retreat[gi] and lure them[gj] away from the city into the main roads.” 33 [gk] All the men of Israel got up from their places and took their positions at Baal Tamar, while the Israelites hiding in ambush jumped out of their places west of Gibeah. 34 Then 10,000 men, well-trained soldiers from all Israel, made a frontal assault against Gibeah; the battle was fierce.[gl] But the Benjaminites did not realize that disaster was at their doorstep.[gm] 35 The Lord annihilated Benjamin before Israel; the Israelites struck down that day 25,100 sword-wielding Benjaminites.[gn] 36 Then the Benjaminites saw they were defeated.

The Israelites retreated before[go] Benjamin, because they had confidence in the men they had hidden in ambush outside Gibeah. 37 The men hiding in ambush made a mad dash[gp] to Gibeah. They[gq] attacked[gr] and put the sword to the entire city. 38 The Israelites and the men hiding in ambush had arranged a signal. When the men hiding in ambush[gs] sent up a smoke signal from the city, 39 the Israelites counterattacked.[gt] Benjamin had begun to strike down the Israelites;[gu] they struck down[gv] about thirty men. They said, “There’s no doubt about it! They are totally defeated as in the earlier battle.” 40 But when the signal, a pillar of smoke, began to rise up from the city, the Benjaminites turned around and saw the whole city going up in a cloud of smoke that rose high into the sky.[gw] 41 When the Israelites turned around, the Benjaminites panicked[gx] because they could see that disaster was on their doorstep.[gy] 42 They retreated before the Israelites, taking the road to the wilderness. But the battle overtook[gz] them as men from the surrounding cities struck them down.[ha] 43 They surrounded the Benjaminites, chased them from Nohah,[hb] and annihilated[hc] them all the way to a spot east of Geba.[hd] 44 So 18,000 Benjaminites, all of them capable warriors, fell dead. 45 The rest[he] turned and ran toward the wilderness, heading toward the cliff of Rimmon. But the Israelites[hf] caught[hg] 5,000 of them on the main roads. They stayed right on their heels[hh] all the way to Gidom and struck down 2,000 more. 46 That day 25,000[hi] sword-wielding Benjaminites fell in battle, all of them capable warriors.[hj] 47 But 600 survivors turned and ran away to the wilderness, to the cliff of Rimmon. They stayed there four months. 48 The Israelites returned to the Benjaminite towns[hk] and put the sword to them. They wiped out the cities,[hl] the animals, and everything they could find. They set fire to every city in their path.[hm]

Six Hundred Brides for Six Hundred Brothers

21 The Israelites had taken an oath in Mizpah, saying, “Not one of us will allow his daughter to marry a Benjaminite.” 2 So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, weeping loudly and uncontrollably.[hn] 3 They said, “Why, O Lord God of Israel, has this happened in Israel? An entire[ho] tribe has disappeared from Israel today!”

4 The next morning the people got up early and built an altar there. They offered up burnt sacrifices and tokens of peace.[hp] 5 The Israelites asked, “Who from all the Israelite tribes has not assembled before the Lord?”They had made a solemn oath that whoever did not assemble before the Lord at Mizpah must certainly be executed.[hq] 6 The Israelites regretted what had happened to[hr] their brother Benjamin. They said, “Today we cut off an entire[hs] tribe from Israel! 7 How can we find wives for those who are left?[ht] After all, we took an oath in the Lord’s name not to give them our daughters as wives.” 8 So they asked, “Who from all the Israelite tribes did not assemble before the Lord at Mizpah?” Now it just so happened no one from Jabesh Gilead had come to the gathering.[hu] 9 When they took roll call,[hv] they noticed[hw] none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead were there. 10 So the assembly sent 12,000 capable warriors[hx] against Jabesh Gilead.[hy] They commanded them, “Go and kill with your swords[hz] the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead, including the women and little children. 11 Do this:[ia] Exterminate every male, as well as every woman who has experienced a man’s bed.[ib] But spare the lives of any virgins.” So they did as instructed.[ic] 12 They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead 400 young girls who were virgins who had never been intimate with a man in bed.[id] They brought them back to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.

13 The entire assembly sent messengers to the Benjaminites at the cliff of Rimmon and assured them they would not be harmed.[ie] 14 The Benjaminites returned at that time, and the Israelites[if] gave to them the women they had spared from Jabesh Gilead. But there were not enough to go around.[ig]

15 The people regretted what had happened to[ih] Benjamin because the Lord had weakened[ii] the Israelite tribes. 16 The leaders[ij] of the assembly said, “How can we find wives for those who are left?[ik] After all, the Benjaminite women have been wiped out. 17 The[il] remnant of Benjamin must be preserved. An entire Israelite tribe should not be wiped out.[im] 18 But we can’t allow our daughters to marry them,[in] for the Israelites took an oath, saying, ‘Whoever gives a woman to a Benjaminite will be destroyed.’[io] 19 However, there is an annual festival to the Lord in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel (east of the main road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem) and south of Lebonah.” 20 So they commanded the Benjaminites, “Go hide in the vineyards, 21 and keep your eyes open.[ip] When you see[iq] the daughters of Shiloh coming out to dance in the celebration,[ir] jump out from the vineyards. Each one of you, catch yourself a wife from among the daughters of Shiloh and then go home to the land of Benjamin. 22 When their fathers or brothers come and protest to us,[is] we’ll say to them, ‘Do us a favor and let them be,[it] for we could not get each one a wife through battle.[iu] Don’t worry about breaking your oath![iv] You would only be guilty if you had voluntarily given them wives.’”[iw]

23 The Benjaminites did as instructed.[ix] They abducted 200 of the dancing girls to be their wives.[iy] They went home[iz] to their own territory,[ja] rebuilt their cities, and settled down.[jb] 24 Then the Israelites dispersed from there to their respective tribal and clan territories. Each went from there to his own property.[jc] 25 In those days Israel had no king. Each man did what he considered to be right.[jd]

A Family Tragedy: Famine and Death

1 During the time of the judges,[je] there was a famine in the land of Judah.[jf] So a man from Bethlehem[jg] in Judah went to live as a resident foreigner[jh] in the region of Moab, along with his wife and two sons.[ji] 2 (Now the man’s name was Elimelech,[jj] his wife was Naomi,[jk] and his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion.[jl] They were of the clan of Ephrath[jm] from Bethlehem in Judah.) They entered the region of Moab and settled there.[jn] 3 Sometime later[jo] Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, so she and her two sons were left alone. 4 Both her sons[jp] married[jq] Moabite women. (One was named Orpah and the other Ruth.)[jr] And they continued to live there about ten years. 5 Then Naomi’s two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, also died.[js] So the woman was left all alone—bereaved of her two children[jt] as well as her husband! 6 So she decided to return home from the region of Moab, accompanied by her daughters-in-law,[ju] because while she was living in Moab[jv] she had heard that the Lord had shown concern for[jw] his people, reversing the famine by providing abundant crops.[jx]

Ruth Returns with Naomi

7 Now as she and her two daughters-in-law began to leave the place where she had been living to return to the land of Judah,[jy] 8 Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Listen to me! Each of you should return to your mother’s home.[jz] May the Lord show[ka] you[kb] the same kind of devotion that you have shown to your deceased husbands[kc] and to me.[kd] 9 May the Lord enable each of you to find[ke] security[kf] in the home of a new husband.”[kg] Then she kissed them goodbye, and they wept loudly.[kh] 10 But they said to her, “No![ki] We will[kj] return with you to your people.”

11 But Naomi replied, “Go back home, my daughters! There is no reason for you to return to Judah with me.[kk] I am no longer capable of giving birth to sons who might become your husbands![kl] 12 Go back home, my daughters! For I am too old to get married again.[km] Even if I thought that there was hope that I could get married tonight and conceive sons,[kn] 13 surely you would not want to wait until they were old enough to marry.[ko] Surely you would not remain unmarried all that time![kp] No,[kq] my daughters, you must not return with me.[kr] For my intense suffering[ks] is too much for you to bear.[kt] For the Lord is afflicting me!”[ku]

14 Again they wept loudly.[kv] Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye,[kw] but Ruth[kx] clung tightly to her.[ky] 15 So Naomi[kz] said, “Look, your sister-in-law is returning to her people and to her god.[la] Follow your sister-in-law back home!” 16 But Ruth replied,

“Stop urging me to abandon you![lb]
For wherever you go, I will go.
Wherever you live, I will live.
Your people will become my people,
and your God will become my God.
17 Wherever you die, I will die—and there I will be buried.
May the Lord punish me severely if I do not keep my promise![lc]
Only death will be able to separate me from you!”[ld]

18 When Naomi[le] realized that Ruth[lf] was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to dissuade her.[lg] 19 So the two of them[lh] journeyed together until they arrived in Bethlehem.

Naomi and Ruth Arrive in Bethlehem

When they entered[li] Bethlehem, the whole village was excited about their arrival.[lj] The women of the village said,[lk] “Can this be Naomi?”[ll] 20 But she replied[lm] to them,[ln] “Don’t call me ‘Naomi’![lo] Call me ‘Mara’[lp] because the Sovereign One[lq] has treated me very harshly.[lr] 21 I left here full,[ls] but the Lord has caused me to return empty-handed.[lt] Why do you call me ‘Naomi,’ seeing that[lu] the Lord has opposed me,[lv] and the Sovereign One[lw] has caused me to suffer?”[lx] 22 So Naomi returned, accompanied by her Moabite daughter-in-law Ruth, who came back with her from the region of Moab.[ly] (Now they[lz] arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.)[ma]

Ruth Works in the Field of Boaz

2 Now Naomi[mb] had a relative[mc] on her husband’s side of the family named Boaz. He was a wealthy, prominent man from the clan of Elimelech.[md] 2 One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go[me] to the fields so I can gather[mf] grain behind whoever permits me to do so.”[mg] Naomi[mh] replied, “You may go, my daughter.” 3 So Ruth[mi] went and gathered grain in the fields[mj] behind the harvesters. Now she just happened to end up[mk] in the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.

Boaz and Ruth Meet

4 Now at that very moment,[ml] Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted[mm] the harvesters, “May the Lord be with you!” They replied,[mn] “May the Lord bless you!” 5 Boaz asked[mo] his servant[mp] in charge of the harvesters, “To whom does this young woman belong?”[mq] 6 The servant in charge of the harvesters replied, “She’s the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the region of Moab. 7 She asked,[mr] ‘May I follow the harvesters and gather grain[ms] among the bundles?’[mt] Since she arrived she has been working hard[mu] from this morning until now[mv]—except for[mw] sitting[mx] in the resting hut[my] a short time.”[mz]

8 So Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen carefully,[na] my dear![nb] Do not leave to gather grain in another field. You need not[nc] go beyond the limits of this field. You may go along beside[nd] my female workers.[ne] 9 Take note of[nf] the field where the men[ng] are harvesting and follow behind with the female workers.[nh] I will tell the men[ni] to leave you alone.[nj] When you are thirsty, you may go to[nk] the water jars[nl] and drink some of the water[nm] the servants draw.”[nn]

10 Ruth[no] knelt before him with her forehead to the ground[np] and said to him, “Why are you so kind[nq] and so attentive to me,[nr] even though[ns] I am a foreigner?”[nt] 11 Boaz replied to her,[nu] “I have been given a full report of[nv] all that you have done for your mother-in-law following the death of your husband—how you left[nw] your father and your mother, as well as your homeland, and came to live among people you did not know previously.[nx] 12 May the Lord reward your efforts![ny] May your acts of kindness be repaid fully[nz] by the Lord God of Israel, from whom you have sought protection.”[oa] 13 She said, “You really are being kind to me,[ob] sir,[oc] for you have reassured[od] and encouraged[oe] me, your servant,[of] even though I will[og] never be like[oh] one of your servants.”[oi]

14 Later during the mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and have[oj] some food! Dip your bread[ok] in the vinegar.” So she sat down beside the harvesters. Then he handed[ol] her some roasted grain. She ate until she was full and saved the rest.[om] 15 When she got up to gather grain, Boaz told[on] his male servants, “Let her gather grain even among[oo] the bundles. Don’t chase her off![op] 16 Make sure you pull out[oq] ears of grain for her and drop them so she can gather them up. Don’t tell her not to!”[or] 17 So she gathered grain in the field until evening. When she threshed[os] what she had gathered, it came to about thirty pounds[ot] of barley.

Ruth Returns to Naomi

18 She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw[ou] how much grain[ov] she had gathered. Then Ruth[ow] gave her the roasted grain she had saved from mealtime.[ox] 19 Her mother-in-law asked her,[oy] “Where did you gather grain today? Where did you work? May the one who took notice of you be rewarded!”[oz] So Ruth[pa] told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked. She said, “The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz.” 20 Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be rewarded by the Lord because he[pb] has shown loyalty to the living on behalf of the dead!”[pc] Then Naomi said to her, “This man is a close relative of ours; he is our guardian.”[pd] 21 Ruth the Moabite replied, “He even[pe] told me, ‘You may go along beside my servants[pf] until they have finished gathering all my harvest!’”[pg] 22 Naomi then said to her daughter-in-law Ruth, “It is good, my daughter, that you should go out to work with his female servants.[ph] That way you will not be harmed, which could happen in another field.”[pi] 23 So Ruth[pj] worked beside[pk] Boaz’s female servants, gathering grain until the end of the barley harvest as well as the wheat harvest.[pl] After that she stayed home with her mother-in-law.[pm]

Footnotes

  1. Judges 18:1 tn Heb “an inheritance.”
  2. Judges 18:1 tn Heb “because there had not fallen to them by that day in the midst of the tribes of Israel an inheritance.”
  3. Judges 18:2 tn Heb “The Danites sent from their tribe five men, from their borders.”
  4. Judges 18:2 tn Heb “men, sons of strength.”
  5. Judges 18:2 tn Heb “They came to the Ephraimite hill country, to Micah’s house, and spent the night there.”
  6. Judges 18:3 tn Or “When they were near.”
  7. Judges 18:3 tn Heb “voice.” This probably means that “his speech was Judahite [i.e., southern] like their own, not Israelite [i.e., northern]” (R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 263).
  8. Judges 18:3 tn Heb “turned aside.”
  9. Judges 18:3 tn Heb “What [is there] to you here?”
  10. Judges 18:4 tn Heb “He said to them, ‘Such and such Micah has done for me.’” Though the statement is introduced and presented, at least in part, as a direct quotation (note especially “for me”), the phrase “such and such” appears to be the narrator’s condensed version of what the Levite really said.
  11. Judges 18:5 tn Heb “Ask God.”
  12. Judges 18:5 tn Heb “so we can know if our way on which we are going will be successful.”
  13. Judges 18:6 tn Heb “in peace.”
  14. Judges 18:6 tn Heb “In front of the Lord is your way in which you are going.”
  15. Judges 18:7 tn Or “went.”
  16. Judges 18:7 tn Heb “who were in its midst.”
  17. Judges 18:7 tn Heb “according to the custom of the Sidonians.”
  18. Judges 18:7 tn Heb “and there was no one humiliating anything in the land, one taking possession [by] force.”
  19. Judges 18:7 tc Heb “and a thing there was not to them with men.” Codex Alexandrinus (A) of the LXX and Symmachus read “Syria” here rather than the MT’s “men.” This reading presupposes a Hebrew Vorlage אֲרָם (ʾaram, “Aram,” i.e., Arameans) rather than the MT reading אָדָם (ʾadam). This reading is possibly to be preferred over the MT.
  20. Judges 18:8 tn Heb “They came to their brothers.”
  21. Judges 18:8 tn Heb “brothers.”
  22. Judges 18:8 tn Heb “What you?”
  23. Judges 18:9 tn Heb “Arise, and let us go up against them.”
  24. Judges 18:9 tc Codex Alexandrinus (A) of the LXX adds “we entered and walked around in the land as far as Laish and.”
  25. Judges 18:9 tn Heb “But you are inactive.”
  26. Judges 18:9 tn Or “be lazy.”
  27. Judges 18:9 tn Heb “to go”; “to enter”; “to possess.”
  28. Judges 18:10 tn Heb “When you enter.”
  29. Judges 18:10 tn Heb “you will come to.”
  30. Judges 18:10 tn Heb “broad of hands,” an idiom meaning “wide on both sides.”
  31. Judges 18:10 tn Heb “a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth.”
  32. Judges 18:11 tn Heb “They journeyed from there, from the tribe of the Danites, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, 600 men, equipped with weapons of war.”
  33. Judges 18:12 tn Or “Mahaneh Dan”; the Hebrew term “Mahaneh” means “camp [of].” Many English versions retain the transliterated Hebrew expression, but cf. CEV “Dan’s Camp.”
  34. Judges 18:12 tn Heb “behind.”
  35. Judges 18:14 tc Codex Alexandrinus (A) of the LXX lacks the phrase “of Laish.”
  36. Judges 18:14 tn Heb “brothers.”
  37. Judges 18:15 tn Heb “turned aside.”
  38. Judges 18:15 tn Heb “Micah’s house.”
  39. Judges 18:15 tn Heb “they asked him concerning peace.”
  40. Judges 18:16 tn Heb “And the 600 men, equipped with the weapons of war…from the sons of Dan.”
  41. Judges 18:17 tn Heb “went up, went in there, took.”
  42. Judges 18:17 tn Heb “600 men, equipped with the weapons of war.”
  43. Judges 18:18 tn Heb “These went into Micah’s house and took.”
  44. Judges 18:19 tn See the note on the word “adviser” in 17:10.
  45. Judges 18:19 tn Heb “Is it better for you to be priest for the house of one man or for you to be priest for a tribe, for a clan in Israel?”
  46. Judges 18:20 tn Heb “and went into the midst of the people.”
  47. Judges 18:21 tn Heb “They turned and went and put the children, the cattle, and the possessions in front of them.”
  48. Judges 18:22 tn Heb “the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house.”
  49. Judges 18:23 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Danites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  50. Judges 18:24 tn Heb “What is this you say to me, ‘What to you?’”
  51. Judges 18:25 tn Heb “bitter in spirit.” This phrase is used in 2 Sam 17:8 of David and his warriors, who are compared to a bear robbed of her cubs.
  52. Judges 18:25 tn Heb “and you will gather up your life and the life of your house.”
  53. Judges 18:26 tn Heb “saw.”
  54. Judges 18:26 tn Heb “they were stronger than he.”
  55. Judges 18:27 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Danites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  56. Judges 18:27 tn The Hebrew adds “with fire.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons, because it is redundant in English.
  57. Judges 18:28 tn Heb “it.” The Hebrew pronoun is feminine singular here, referring to the “city” (a grammatically feminine singular noun) mentioned in v. 27.
  58. Judges 18:28 tn Heb “and a thing there was not to them with men.”
  59. Judges 18:28 tn Heb “it.” The Hebrew pronoun is feminine singular here, referring to the “city” (a grammatically feminine singular noun) mentioned in v. 27.
  60. Judges 18:28 tn Heb “They”; the referent (the Danites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  61. Judges 18:29 tn Heb “They called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who had been born to Israel.”
  62. Judges 18:30 tn Heb “erected for themselves.”
  63. Judges 18:30 tn Heb “son.”
  64. Judges 18:30 tc Several ancient textual witnesses, including some LXX mss and the Vulgate, support the reading “Moses” (מֹשֶׁה, mosheh) here. Many Hebrew mss have a nun (נ) suspended above the name between the first two letters (מנשׁה), suggesting the name Manasseh (מְנַשֶּׁה, menasheh). This is probably a scribal attempt to protect Moses’ reputation. For discussion, see G. F. Moore, Judges (ICC), 401-2.
  65. Judges 18:30 tn Heb “sons.”
  66. Judges 18:31 tn Heb “they set up for themselves.”
  67. Judges 18:31 tn Heb “the carved image that Micah had made.”
  68. Judges 18:31 tn Heb “the house of God.”
  69. Judges 19:1 tn Heb “a man, a Levite.”
  70. Judges 19:1 sn See the note on the word “concubine” in 8:31.
  71. Judges 19:2 tn Heb “and his concubine.” The pronoun (“she”) has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  72. Judges 19:2 tn Or “was unfaithful to him.” Many have understood the Hebrew verb וַתִּזְנֶה (vattizneh) as being from זָנָה (zanah, “to be a prostitute”), but it may be derived from a root meaning “to be angry; to hate” attested in Akkadian (see HALOT 275 s.v. II זנה).
  73. Judges 19:2 tn Heb “went from him.”
  74. Judges 19:3 tn Heb “arose and came.”
  75. Judges 19:3 tn Heb “to speak to her heart to bring her back.”
  76. Judges 19:3 tn Or “young man.”
  77. Judges 19:3 tn Heb “he was happy to meet him.”
  78. Judges 19:5 tn Heb “and he arose to go.”
  79. Judges 19:5 tn Heb “Sustain your heart [with] a bit of food.”
  80. Judges 19:6 tn Heb “And they sat and ate, the two of them together, and they drank.”
  81. Judges 19:6 tn Heb “Be willing and spend the night so that your heart might be good.”
  82. Judges 19:7 tn Heb “and the man arose to go.”
  83. Judges 19:7 tn Heb “his father-in-law persuaded him and he again spent the night there.”
  84. Judges 19:8 tn Heb “Sustain your heart.” He is once more inviting him to stay for a meal.
  85. Judges 19:8 tn Heb “Wait until the declining of the day.”
  86. Judges 19:9 tn Heb “the man arose to go.”
  87. Judges 19:9 tn Or “young man.”
  88. Judges 19:9 tn Heb “the day is sinking to become evening.”
  89. Judges 19:9 tn Or “declining.”
  90. Judges 19:9 tn Heb “for your way and go to your tent.”
  91. Judges 19:10 tn Heb “and he arose and went.”
  92. Judges 19:10 tn Heb “to the front of.”
  93. Judges 19:10 tc Some ancient witnesses add “and his servant.”
  94. Judges 19:11 tn Heb “and the day was descending greatly.”
  95. Judges 19:11 tn Or “young man.”
  96. Judges 19:11 tn Heb “turn aside” (also in the following verse).
  97. Judges 19:12 tn Heb “[in] which not any of the sons of Israel [are] here.”
  98. Judges 19:13 tn Or “young man.”
  99. Judges 19:13 tn Heb “we will enter one of the places.”
  100. Judges 19:14 tn Heb “and they passed by and went.”
  101. Judges 19:14 tn Heb “which belongs to Benjamin.”
  102. Judges 19:15 tn Heb “they turned aside there to enter to spend the night.”
  103. Judges 19:15 tn Heb “and he entered and sat down, and there was no one receiving them into the house to spend the night.”
  104. Judges 19:16 tn Heb “And look, an old man was coming from his work, from the field in the evening.”
  105. Judges 19:16 tn Heb “And the men of the place were Benjaminites.”
  106. Judges 19:17 tn Heb “the man, the traveler.”
  107. Judges 19:18 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Levite) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  108. Judges 19:18 tn Heb “I went to Bethlehem in Judah, but [to] the house of the Lord I am going.” The Hebrew text has “house of the Lord,” which might refer to the shrine at Shiloh. The LXX reads “to my house.”
  109. Judges 19:19 tn By calling his concubine the old man’s “female servant,” the Levite emphasizes their dependence on him for shelter.
  110. Judges 19:19 tc Some Hebrew mss and ancient witnesses read the singular, “your servant,” which would refer to the Levite. If one retains the plural, then both the Levite and his wife are in view. In either case the pronominal suffix emphasizes their dependence on the old man for shelter.
  111. Judges 19:20 tn Heb “Peace to you.”
  112. Judges 19:21 tn Heb “ate and drank.”
  113. Judges 19:22 tn Heb “they were making their heart good.”
  114. Judges 19:22 tn Heb “and look.”
  115. Judges 19:22 tn Heb “the men of the city, men, the sons of wickedness.” The phrases are in apposition; the last phrase specifies what type of men they were. It is not certain if all the men of the city are in view, or just a group of troublemakers. In 20:5 the town leaders are implicated in the crime, suggesting that all the men of the city were involved. If so, the implication is that the entire male population of the town were good-for-nothings.
  116. Judges 19:22 tn The Hitpael verb form appears to have an iterative force here, indicating repeated action.
  117. Judges 19:22 tn Heb “know.” The expression יָדַע (yadaʿ) “to know” is a euphemism for sexual relations. Elsewhere NET employs the English euphemism “be intimate with” for this use of יָדַע (yadaʿ), but uses a different euphemism here because of the perverse overtones of force in this context. Their intent is to molest him, but their rhetoric tries to minimize their wickedness.
  118. Judges 19:24 tn Heb “his”; the referent (the visiting Levite) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  119. Judges 19:24 tn Heb “what is good in your eyes.”
  120. Judges 19:25 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Levite) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  121. Judges 19:25 tn Heb “and he caused [her] to go outside to them.”
  122. Judges 19:25 tn Heb “knew,” in the sexual sense.
  123. Judges 19:26 tn The Hebrew term here translated “master,” is plural. The plural indicates degree here and emphasizes the Levite’s absolute sovereignty over the woman.
  124. Judges 19:26 tn Heb “The woman came at the turning of the morning and fell at the door of the house of the man where her master was until the light.”
  125. Judges 19:27 tn The Hebrew term here translated “master,” is plural. The plural indicates degree here and emphasizes the Levite’s absolute sovereignty over the woman.
  126. Judges 19:28 tn Heb “And the man took her on the donkey and arose and went to his place.”
  127. Judges 19:29 tn Heb “he carved her up by her bones into twelve pieces.”
  128. Judges 19:29 tn Heb “and he sent her through all the territory of Israel.”
  129. Judges 19:30 tn The words “the sight” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  130. Judges 19:30 tn Heb “from the day.”
  131. Judges 19:30 tc Codex Alexandrinus (A) of the (original) LXX has the following additional words: “And he instructed the men whom he sent out, ‘Thus you will say to every male Israelite: “There has never been anything like this from the day the Israelites left Egypt till the present day.”’”
  132. Judges 20:1 sn Dan was located in the far north of the country, while Beer Sheba was located in the far south. This encompassed all the territory of the land of Canaan occupied by the Israelites.
  133. Judges 20:1 sn The land of Gilead was on the eastern side of the Jordan River.
  134. Judges 20:1 tn Heb “went out.”
  135. Judges 20:1 tn Heb “and the assembly was convened as one man.”
  136. Judges 20:2 tn Heb “the cornerstones”; or “the supports.” The word is used of leaders in only three other texts—1 Sam 14:38; Isa 19:13; Zech 10:4.
  137. Judges 20:2 tn The words “which numbered” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  138. Judges 20:4 tn Heb “The man, the Levite.”
  139. Judges 20:4 tn Heb “came to.”
  140. Judges 20:4 tn Heb “which belongs to Benjamin.”
  141. Judges 20:5 tn Heb “arose against me and surrounded against me the house at night.”
  142. Judges 20:6 tn Heb “her”; the referent is more naturally stated in English as “the pieces.”
  143. Judges 20:6 tn Heb “throughout all the territory of the inheritance of Israel.”
  144. Judges 20:6 tn Heb “a wicked and disgraceful [thing].”
  145. Judges 20:7 tn Heb “Look, all of you sons of Israel.”
  146. Judges 20:7 tn Heb “give for yourselves a word and advice here.”
  147. Judges 20:8 tn Heb “as one man.”
  148. Judges 20:8 tn Heb “to his tent.”
  149. Judges 20:8 tn Or “turn aside.”
  150. Judges 20:9 tn Heb “against her by lot.” The verb “we will go up” (נַעֲלֶה, naʿaleh) has probably been accidentally omitted before “against her” (עָלֶיהָ, ʿaleha).sn As the lot dictates. The Israelite soldiers intended to cast lots to determine which tribe would lead the battle charge (see v. 18).
  151. Judges 20:10 tn Or “people.”
  152. Judges 20:10 tn Heb “to do at their arrival in Geba of Benjamin according to all the disgraceful [thing] which he [collective = “Benjamin”] did in Israel.” Here “Geba” must be an error for “Gibeah.”
  153. Judges 20:11 tn Heb “gathered at the city as one man, united.”
  154. Judges 20:12 tc The MT reads the plural, but surely the singular (which is supported by the LXX and Vulgate) is preferable here.
  155. Judges 20:12 tn Heb “What is this wicked thing which happened among you?”
  156. Judges 20:13 tn Heb “the men, sons of wickedness.”
  157. Judges 20:13 tn Heb “and burn away wickedness from Israel.”
  158. Judges 20:14 tn Heb “assembled from the cities at Gibeah.”
  159. Judges 20:15 tn Heb “besides from the ones living in Gibeah they mustered 700 choice men.”
  160. Judges 20:16 tn Heb “And from all this people.”
  161. Judges 20:16 tn Heb “700 choice men, bound/restricted in the right hand.” On the significance of the idiom, “bound/restricted in the right hand,” see the translator’s note on 3:15.
  162. Judges 20:16 tn “at a single hair and not miss.”
  163. Judges 20:17 tn Heb “a man of war.”
  164. Judges 20:18 tn Heb “They arose and went up to Bethel and asked God, and the Israelites said.”
  165. Judges 20:18 tn Heb “Who should go up for us first for battle against the sons of Benjamin?”
  166. Judges 20:19 tn Heb “encamped.”
  167. Judges 20:20 tn Heb “the men of Israel.” The noun phrase has been replaced by the pronoun (“they”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  168. Judges 20:21 tn Heb “The sons of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and they struck down in Israel that day 22,000 men to the ground.”
  169. Judges 20:22 tn Heb “The people, the men of Israel.”
  170. Judges 20:22 tn Or “encouraged one another.”
  171. Judges 20:23 tn Heb “I” (collective singular).
  172. Judges 20:23 tn Heb “approach for battle.”
  173. Judges 20:23 tn Heb “my brother” (collective singular).
  174. Judges 20:23 tn Heb “Go up against him” (collective singular).
  175. Judges 20:24 tn Heb “drew near to.”
  176. Judges 20:25 tn Heb “And Benjamin went out to meet them from Gibeah the second day, and they again struck down among the sons of Israel 18,000 men to the ground, all of these were wielding the sword.”
  177. Judges 20:26 tn Heb “and all the people.”
  178. Judges 20:26 tn Heb “went up and came [to].”
  179. Judges 20:26 tn Traditionally, “fasted.”
  180. Judges 20:26 tn Or “peace offerings.”
  181. Judges 20:28 tn Heb “standing before him.”
  182. Judges 20:28 tn Heb “I” (collective singular).
  183. Judges 20:28 tn Heb “my brother” (collective singular).
  184. Judges 20:28 tn Heb “I” (collective singular).
  185. Judges 20:28 tn Heb “him” (collective singular).
  186. Judges 20:30 tn Heb “the third day.”
  187. Judges 20:31 tn Heb “went out to meet.”
  188. Judges 20:31 tn Heb “and they were drawn away from the city.”
  189. Judges 20:31 tn Heb “from the army wounded ones.”
  190. Judges 20:31 tn The words “they struck down” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  191. Judges 20:32 tn Or “run away.”
  192. Judges 20:32 tn Heb “him” (collective singular).
  193. Judges 20:33 sn Verses 33-36a give a condensed account of the battle from this point on, while vv. 36b-48 offer a more detailed version of how the ambush contributed to Gibeah’s defeat.
  194. Judges 20:34 tn Heb “heavy”; or “severe.”
  195. Judges 20:34 tn Heb “And they did not know that touching against them was disaster.”
  196. Judges 20:35 tn Heb “And the sons of Israel struck down in Benjamin that day 25,100 men, all of these wielding the sword.”
  197. Judges 20:36 tn Heb “gave place to.”
  198. Judges 20:37 tn Heb “hurried and put off [their hiding place].”
  199. Judges 20:37 tn Heb “the men hiding in ambush.”
  200. Judges 20:37 tn Or “deployed.” The verb normally means “to lead” or “to draw.”
  201. Judges 20:38 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the men hiding in ambush) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  202. Judges 20:39 tn Heb “turned in the battle.”
  203. Judges 20:39 tn Heb “And Benjamin began to strike down wounded ones among the men of Israel.”
  204. Judges 20:39 tn The words “they struck down” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  205. Judges 20:40 tn Heb “Benjamin turned after him and, look, the whole city went up toward the sky.”
  206. Judges 20:41 tn Or “were terrified.”
  207. Judges 20:41 tn Heb “disaster touched against them.”
  208. Judges 20:42 tn Heb “clung to”; or “stuck close.”
  209. Judges 20:42 tn Heb “and those from the cities were striking them down in their midst.”
  210. Judges 20:43 tc The translation assumes the reading מִנּוֹחָה (minnokhah, “from Nohah”; cf. 1 Chr 8:2) rather than the MT’s מְנוּחָה (menukhah, “resting place”).
  211. Judges 20:43 tn Heb “tread down, walk on.”
  212. Judges 20:43 tc Heb “unto the opposite of Gibeah toward the east.” Gibeah cannot be correct here, since the Benjaminites retreated from there toward the desert and Rimmon (see v. 45). A slight emendation yields the reading “Geba.”
  213. Judges 20:45 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the rest [of the Benjaminites]) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  214. Judges 20:45 tn Heb “and they”; the referent (the Israelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  215. Judges 20:45 tn Heb “gleaned.” The word is an agricultural term which pictures Israelites picking off the Benjaminites as easily as one picks grapes from the vine.
  216. Judges 20:45 tn Heb “stuck close after them.”
  217. Judges 20:46 sn The number given here (25,000 sword-wielding Benjaminites) is an approximate figure; v. 35 gives the more exact number (25,100). According to v. 15, the Benjaminite army numbered 26,700 (26,000 + 700). The figures in vv. 35 (rounded in vv. 44-46) and 47 add up to 25,700. What happened to the other 1,000 men? The most reasonable explanation is that they were killed during the first two days of fighting. G. F. Moore (Judges [ICC], 429) and C. F. Burney (Judges, 475) reject this proposal, arguing that the narrator is too precise and concerned about details to omit such a fact. However, the account of the first two days’ fighting emphasizes Israel’s humiliating defeat. To speak of Benjaminite casualties would diminish the literary effect. In vv. 35, 44-47 the narrator’s emphasis is the devastating defeat that Benjamin experienced on this final day of battle. To mention the earlier days’ casualties at this point is irrelevant to his literary purpose. He allows readers who happen to be concerned with such details to draw conclusions for themselves.
  218. Judges 20:46 tn Heb “So all the ones who fell from Benjamin were 25,000 men, wielding the sword, in that day, all of these men of strength.
  219. Judges 20:48 tn Heb “to the sons of Benjamin.”
  220. Judges 20:48 tc The translation is based on the reading מֵעִיר מְתִים (meʿir metim, “from a city of men,” i.e., “an inhabited city”), rather than the reading מֵעִיר מְתֹם (meʿir metom, “from a city of soundness”) found in the Leningrad Codex (L).
  221. Judges 20:48 tn Heb “Also all the cities that were found they set on fire.”
  222. Judges 21:2 tn Heb “and they lifted up their voice[s] and wept with great weeping.” Both the cognate accusative בְּכִי (bekhi, “weeping”) and the attributive adjective גָדוֹל (gadol, “great”) emphasize their degree of sorrow.
  223. Judges 21:3 tn Heb “one.”
  224. Judges 21:4 tn Or “peace offerings.”
  225. Judges 21:5 tn Heb “A great oath there was concerning the one who did not go up before the Lord at Mizpah, saying, ‘He must surely be put to death.’”
  226. Judges 21:6 tn Or “felt sorry for.”
  227. Judges 21:6 tn Heb “cut off one.”
  228. Judges 21:7 tn Heb “What should we do for them, for the remaining ones, concerning wives?”
  229. Judges 21:8 tn Heb “Look, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh Gilead to the assembly.”
  230. Judges 21:9 tn Or “when the people were mustered.”
  231. Judges 21:9 tn Heb “and look.”
  232. Judges 21:10 tn Heb “men, sons of strength.”
  233. Judges 21:10 tn Heb “there.”
  234. Judges 21:10 tn Heb “the edge of the sword.”
  235. Judges 21:11 tn Heb “And this is the thing that you will do.”
  236. Judges 21:11 tn Heb “a knower of the bed of a male.” The verb יָדָע (yadaʿ) “to know,” “be intimate with,” is used as a euphemism for sexual relations.
  237. Judges 21:11 tc Some Greek witnesses (notably Codex Vaticanus [B]) add the words, “‘But the virgins you should keep alive.’ And they did so.” These additional words, which probably represent the original Hebrew text, can be retroverted: וְאֶת־הַבְּתוּלוֹת תְּחַיּוּ וַיַּעֲשׂוּ כֵן (veʾet habbetulot tekhayyu vayyaʿasu khen). It is likely that a scribe’s eye jumped from the ו (vav) on וְאֶת (veʾet) to the initial vav of v. 11, accidentally leaving out the intervening letters. The present translation is based on this reconstruction.
  238. Judges 21:12 tn Heb “who were not knowers of a man by the bed of a male.” The verb יָדַע (yadaʿ) “to know,” or “to be intimate with,” acts as a euphemism for sexual relations, which is further clarified by reference to a man’s bed.
  239. Judges 21:13 tn Heb “And all the assembly sent and spoke to the sons of Benjamin who were at the cliff of Rimmon and they proclaimed to them peace.”
  240. Judges 21:14 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Israelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  241. Judges 21:14 tn Heb “but they did not find for them enough.”
  242. Judges 21:15 tn Or “felt sorry for.”
  243. Judges 21:15 tn Heb “had made a gaping hole in.” The narrator uses imagery that compares Israel to a wall that has been breached.
  244. Judges 21:16 tn Or “elders.”
  245. Judges 21:16 tn Heb “What should we do for the remaining ones concerning wives?”
  246. Judges 21:17 tn The Hebrew text has “and they said” at the beginning of the verse. For stylistic reasons the translation treats v. 17 as a continuation of the remarks of the leaders in v. 16.
  247. Judges 21:17 tn Heb “An inheritance for the remnant belonging to Benjamin, and a tribe from Israel will not be wiped away.” The first statement lacks a verb. Some prefer to emend the text to read, “How can an inheritance remain for the remnant of Benjamin?”
  248. Judges 21:18 tn Heb “But we are not able to give to them wives from our daughters.”
  249. Judges 21:18 tn Heb “is cursed.”
  250. Judges 21:21 tn Heb “and look.”
  251. Judges 21:21 tn Heb “and look, when.”
  252. Judges 21:21 tn Heb “in the dances.”
  253. Judges 21:22 tc The (original) LXX and Vulgate read “to you.”
  254. Judges 21:22 tn The words “and let them be” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  255. Judges 21:22 tn Heb “for we did not take each his wife in battle.”sn Through battle. This probably refers to the battle against Jabesh Gilead, which only produced 400 of the 600 wives needed.
  256. Judges 21:22 tn This sentence is not in the Hebrew text. It is supplied in the translation to clarify the logic of the statement.
  257. Judges 21:22 tc Heb “You did not give to them, now you are guilty.” The MT as it stands makes little sense. It is preferable to emend לֹא (loʾ, “not”) to לוּא (luʾ, “if”). This particle introduces a purely hypothetical condition, “If you had given to them [but you didn’t].” See G. F. Moore, Judges (ICC), 453-54.
  258. Judges 21:23 tn Heb “did so.”
  259. Judges 21:23 tn Heb “And they took wives according to their number from the dancing girls whom they abducted.”
  260. Judges 21:23 tn Heb “went and returned.”
  261. Judges 21:23 tn Heb “inheritance.”
  262. Judges 21:23 tn Heb “and lived in them.”
  263. Judges 21:24 tn Heb “his inheritance.”
  264. Judges 21:25 tn Heb “Each was doing what was right in his [own] eyes.”sn Each man did what he considered to be right. The Book of Judges closes with this note, which summarizes the situation of the Israelite tribes during this period.
  265. Ruth 1:1 tn Heb “in the days of the judging of the judges.” The LXX simply reads “when the judges judged,” and Syriac has “in the days of the judges.” Cf. NASB “in the days when the judges governed (ruled NRSV).”sn Many interpreters, reading this statement in the light of the Book of Judges which describes a morally corrupt period, assume that the narrator is painting a dark backdrop against which Ruth’s exemplary character and actions will shine even more brightly. However, others read this statement in the light of the book’s concluding epilogue which traces the full significance of the story to the time of David, the chosen king of Judah (4:18-22).
  266. Ruth 1:1 tn Heb “in the land.” The phrase “of Judah” is supplied in the translation to clarify the referent.
  267. Ruth 1:1 sn The name Bethlehem (בֵּית לֶחֶם, bet lekhem) is from “house, place” (בֵּית) and “bread, food” (לֶחֶם), so the name literally means “House of Bread” or “Place of Food.” Perhaps there is irony here: One would not expect a severe famine in such a location. This would not necessarily indicate that Bethlehem was under divine discipline, but merely that the famine was very severe, explaining the reason for the family’s departure.
  268. Ruth 1:1 tn Or “to live temporarily.” The verb גּוּר (gur, “sojourn”) may refer to (1) temporary dwelling in a location (Deut 18:6; Judg 17:7) or (2) permanent dwelling in a location (Judg 5:17; Ps 33:8). When used of a foreign land, it can refer to (1) temporary dwelling as a visiting foreigner (Gen 12:10; 20:1; 21:34; 2 Kgs 8:1-2; Jer 44:14) or (2) permanent dwelling as a resident foreigner (Gen 47:4; Exod 6:4; Num 15:14; Deut 26:5; 2 Sam 4:3; Jer 49:18, 33; 50:40; Ezek 47:22-23). Although Naomi eventually returned to Judah, there is some ambiguity whether or not Elimelech intended the move to make them permanent resident foreigners. Cf. NASB “to sojourn” and NIV “to live for a while,” both of which imply the move was temporary, while “to live” (NCV, NRSV, NLT) is more neutral about the permanence of the relocation.sn Some interpreters view Elimelech’s departure from Judah to sojourn in Moab as lack of faith in the covenant God of Israel to provide for his family’s needs in the land of promise; therefore his death is consequently viewed as divine judgment. Others note that God never prohibited his people from seeking food in a foreign land during times of famine but actually sent his people to a foreign land during a famine in Canaan on at least one occasion as an act of deliverance (Gen 37-50). In this case, Elimelech’s sojourn to Moab was an understandable act by a man concerned for the survival of his family, perhaps even under divine approval, so their death in Moab was simply a tragedy, a bad thing that happened to a godly person.
  269. Ruth 1:1 tn Heb “he and his wife and his two sons.” The LXX omits “two.”
  270. Ruth 1:2 sn The name “Elimelech” literally means “My God [is] king.” The narrator’s explicit identification of his name seems to cast him in a positive light.
  271. Ruth 1:2 tn Heb “and the name of his wife [was] Naomi.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.sn The name Naomi (נָעֳמִי, noʿomi) is from the adjective נֹעַם (noʿam, “pleasant, lovely”) and literally means “my pleasant one” or “my lovely one.” Her name will become the subject of a wordplay in 1:20-21 when she laments that she is no longer “pleasant” but “bitter” because of the loss of her husband and two sons.
  272. Ruth 1:2 tn Heb “and the name[s] of his two sons [were] Mahlon and Kilion.”sn The name Mahlon (מַחְלוֹן, makhlon) is from חָלָה (khalah, “to be weak, sick”) and Kilion (כִּלְיוֹן, kilyon) is from כָּלָה (kalah, “to be frail”). The rate of infant mortality was so high during the Iron Age that parents typically did not name children until they survived infancy and were weaned. Naomi and Elimelech might have named their two sons Mahlon and Kilion to reflect their weak condition in infancy due to famine—which eventually prompted the move to Moab where food was abundant.
  273. Ruth 1:2 tn Heb “[They were] Ephrathites.” Ephrathah is a small village (Ps 132:6) in the vicinity of Bethlehem (Gen 35:16), so close in proximity that it is often identified with the larger town of Bethlehem (Gen 35:19; 48:7; Ruth 4:11; Mic 5:2 [MT 5:1]; HALOT 81 s.v. אֶפְרָתָה); see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 64. The designation “Ephrathites” might indicate that they were residents of Ephrathah. However, the adjectival form אֶפְרָתִים (ephratim, “Ephrathites”) used here elsewhere refers to someone from the clan of Ephrath (cf. 1 Chr 4:4) which lived in the region of Bethlehem: “Now David was the son of an Ephrathite from Bethlehem in Judah whose name was Jesse” (1 Sam 17:12; cf. Mic 5:2 [MT 5:1]). So it is more likely that the virtually identical expression here—“Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah”—refers to the clan of Ephrath in Bethlehem (see R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth [NICOT], 91).
  274. Ruth 1:2 tn Heb “and were there”; KJV “continued there”; NRSV “remained there”; TEV “were living there.”
  275. Ruth 1:3 tn Heb “And Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died.” The vav (ו) functions in a consecutive sense (“then”), but the time-frame is not explicitly stated.
  276. Ruth 1:4 tn Heb “they.” The verb is third person masculine plural referring to Naomi’s sons, as the translation indicates.
  277. Ruth 1:4 tn Heb “and they lifted up for themselves Moabite wives.” When used with the noun “wife,” the verb נָשָׂא (nasaʾ, “to lift up, carry, take”) forms the idiom “to take a wife,” that is, to marry (BDB 673 s.v. Qal.3.d; 2 Chr 11:21; 13:21; 24:3; Ezra 9:2, 12; 10:44; Neh 13:25).
  278. Ruth 1:4 tn Heb “the name of the one [was] Orpah and the name of the second [was] Ruth.” sn The name Orpah (עָרְפָּה, ʿorpah) is from the noun עֹרֶף (ʿoref, “back of the neck”) and the related verb (“to turn one’s back”). The name Ruth (רוּת, rut) is from the noun רְעוּת (reʿut, “friendship”), derived from the root רֵעַ (reaʿ, “friend, companion”). Ironically, Orpah will eventually turn her back on Naomi, while Ruth will display extraordinary friendship as her life-long companion (see 1:14). Since they seem to mirror the most definitive action of these women, perhaps they designate character types (as is the case with the name Mara in 1:21 and Peloni Almoni in 4:1) rather than their original birth names.
  279. Ruth 1:5 tn Heb “and the two of them also died, Mahlon and Kilion.”
  280. Ruth 1:5 tn The term יֶלֶד (yeled, “offspring”), from the verb יָלַד (yalad, “to give birth to”), is used only here of a married man. By shifting to this word from the more common term בֵּן (ben, “son”; see vv. 1-5a) and then using it in an unusual manner, the author draws attention to Naomi’s loss and sets up a verbal link with the story’s conclusion (cf. 4:16). Although grown men, they were still her “babies” (see E. F. Campbell, Ruth [AB], 56; F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 66).
  281. Ruth 1:6 tn Heb “and she arose, along with her daughters-in-law, and she returned from the region of Moab.”
  282. Ruth 1:6 tn Heb “in the region of Moab”; KJV, NRSV “in the country of Moab.” Since this is a repetition of the phrase found earlier in the verse, it has been shortened to “in Moab” in the present translation for stylistic reasons.
  283. Ruth 1:6 tn Heb “had visited” or “taken note of.” The basic meaning of פָּקַד (paqad) is “observe, examine, take note of” (T. F. Williams, NIDOTTE 3:658), so it sometimes appears with זָכַר (zakhar, “to remember”; Pss 8:4 [MT 5]; 106:4; Jer 14:10; 15:15; Hos 8:13; 9:9) and רָאָה (raʾah, “to see”; Exod 4:31; Ps 80:14 [MT 15]; NIDOTTE 3:659). It often emphasizes the cause/effect response to what is seen (NIDOTTE 3:659). When God observes people in need, it is glossed “be concerned about, care for, attend to, help” (Gen 21:1; 50:24, 25; Exod 4:31; Ruth 1:6; 1 Sam 2:21; Jer 15:15; Zeph 2:7; Zech 10:3b; NIDOTTE 3:661). When humans are the subject, it sometimes means “to visit” needy people to bestow a gift (Judg 15:1; 1 Sam 17:18). Because it has such a broad range of meanings, its use here has been translated variously: (1) “had visited” (KJV, ASV, NASB, RSV; so BDB 823-24 s.v. פָּקַד); (2) “had considered” (NRSV) and “had taken note of” (TNK; so HALOT 955-57 s.v. פקד); and (3) “had come to the aid of” (NIV), “had blessed” (TEV), and “had given” (CEV; so NIDOTTE 3:657). When God observed the plight of his people, he demonstrated his concern by benevolently giving them food.
  284. Ruth 1:6 tn Heb “by giving to them food.” The translation “reversing the famine and providing abundant crops” attempts to clarify the referent of לֶחֶם (lekhem, “food”) as “crops” and highlights the reversal of the famine that began in v. 1. The infinitive construct לָתֵת לָהֶם לָחֶם (latet lahem lakhem) may denote (1) purpose: “[he visited his people] to give them food” or (2) complementary sense explaining the action of the main verb: “[he visited his people] by giving them food.” The term לֶחֶם (lakhem) here refers to agricultural fertility, the reversal of the famine in v. 1.
  285. Ruth 1:7 tn Heb “and she went out from the place she had been, and her two daughters-in-law with her, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.”
  286. Ruth 1:8 tn Heb “each to the house of her mother.” Naomi’s words imply that it is more appropriate for the two widows to go home to their mothers, rather than stay with their mother-in-law (see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 75).
  287. Ruth 1:8 tc The MT (Kethib) has the imperfect יַעֲשֶׂה (yaʿaseh, “[the Lord] will do”), but the marginal reading (Qere) has the shortened jussive form יַעַשׂ (yaʿas, “may [the Lord] do”), which is more probable in this prayer of blessing. Most English versions adopt the jussive form (KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, JPS, TEV, CEV, NLT).
  288. Ruth 1:8 tn Heb “do with you”; NRSV “deal kindly with you”; NLT “reward you for your kindness.” The pronominal suffix “you” appears to be a masculine form, but this is likely a preservation of an archaic dual form (see E. F. Campbell, Ruth [AB], 65; F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 75-76).
  289. Ruth 1:8 tn Heb “the dead” (so KJV, NRSV); NLT “your husbands.” This refers to their deceased husbands.
  290. Ruth 1:8 tn Heb “devotion as you have done with the dead and with me.” The noun חֶסֶד (khesed, “devotion”) is a key thematic term in the book of Ruth (see 2:20; 3:10). G. R. Clark suggests that חֶסֶד “is not merely an attitude or an emotion; it is an emotion that leads to an activity beneficial to the recipient”; an act of חֶסֶד is “a beneficent action performed, in the context of a deep and enduring commitment between two persons or parties, by one who is able to render assistance to the needy party who in the circumstances is unable to help him—or herself” (The Word Hesed in the Hebrew Bible [JSOTSup], 267). HALOT 336-37 s.v. II חֶסֶד defines the word as “loyalty” or “faithfulness.” Other appropriate glosses might be “commitment” and “devotion.”
  291. Ruth 1:9 tn Heb “may the Lord give to you, and find rest, each [in] the house of her husband.” The syntax is unusual, but following the jussive (“may he give”), the imperative with vav (ו) conjunctive (“and find”) probably indicates the purpose or consequence of the preceding action: “May he enable you to find rest.”
  292. Ruth 1:9 tn Heb “rest.” While the basic meaning of מְנוּחָה (menukhah) is “rest,” it often refers to “security,” such as provided in marriage (BDB 629-30 s.v.; HALOT 600 s.v.). Thus English versions render it in three different but related ways: (1) the basic sense: “rest” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV); (2) the metonymical cause/effect sense: “security” (NRSV, NJPS, REB, NLT, GW); and (3) the referential sense: “home” (RSV, TEV, CEV, NCV).
  293. Ruth 1:9 tn Heb “in the house of her husband” (so KJV, NASB); NRSV “your husband.”
  294. Ruth 1:9 tn Heb “they lifted their voice[s] and wept” (KJV, ASV, NASB all similar). This refers to loud weeping characteristic of those mourning a tragedy (Judg 21:2; 2 Sam 13:36; Job 2:12).
  295. Ruth 1:10 tn The particle כִּי (ki) here has the force of “no, on the contrary” (see Gen 31:26; Ps 44:22; HALOT 470 s.v. II כִּי 3).
  296. Ruth 1:10 tn Or perhaps “we want to” (so NCV, CEV, NLT), if the imperfect is understood in a modal sense indicating desire.
  297. Ruth 1:11 tn Heb “Why would you want to come with me?” Naomi’s rhetorical question expects a negative answer. The phrase “to Judah” is added in the translation for clarification.
  298. Ruth 1:11 tn Heb “Do I still have sons in my inner parts that they might become your husbands?” Again Naomi’s rhetorical question expects a negative answer.
  299. Ruth 1:12 sn Too old to get married again. Naomi may be exaggerating for the sake of emphasis. Her point is clear, though: It is too late to roll back the clock.
  300. Ruth 1:12 tn Verse 12b contains the protasis (“if” clause) of a conditional sentence, which is completed by the rhetorical questions in v. 13. For a detailed syntactical analysis, see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 78-79.
  301. Ruth 1:13 tn Heb “For them would you wait until they were grown?” Some understand הֲלָהֵן (halahen) as an interrogative he (ה) with an Aramaic particle meaning “therefore” (see GKC 301 §103.b.2 [n. 4]; cf. ASV, NASB), while others understand the form to consist of an interrogative he, the preposition ל (lamed, “for”), and an apparent third person feminine plural pronominal suffix (CEV, NLT “for them”). The feminine suffix is problematic, for its antecedent is the hypothetical “sons” mentioned at the end of v. 12. For this reason some emend the form to הלתם (“for them,” a third person masculine plural suffix). R. L. Hubbard raises the possibility that the nunated suffix is an archaic Moabite masculine dual form (Ruth [NICOT], 111, n. 31). In any case, Naomi’s rhetorical question expects a negative answer.
  302. Ruth 1:13 tn Heb “For them would you hold yourselves back so as not to be for a man?” Again Naomi’s rhetorical question expects a negative answer. The verb עָגַן (ʿagan, “hold back”; cf. KJV, ASV “stay”; NRSV “refrain”) occurs only here in the OT. For discussion of its etymology and meaning, see HALOT 785-86 s.v. עגן, and F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 79-80.
  303. Ruth 1:13 tn The negative is used here in an elliptical manner for emphasis (see HALOT 48 s.v. I אַל; GKC 479-80 §152.g).
  304. Ruth 1:13 tn Heb “No, my daughters.” Naomi is not answering the rhetorical questions she has just asked. In light of the explanatory clause that follows, it seems more likely that she is urging them to give up the idea of returning with her. In other words, the words “no, my daughters” complement the earlier exhortation to “go back.” To clarify this, the words “you must not return with me” are added in the translation.
  305. Ruth 1:13 tn Heb “bitterness to me.” The term מָרַר (marar) can refer to emotional bitterness: “to feel bitter” (1 Sam 30:6; 2 Kgs 4:27; Lam 1:4) or a grievous situation: “to be in bitter circumstances” (Jer 4:18) (BDB 600 s.v.; HALOT 638 s.v. I מרר). So the expression מַר־לִי (mar li) can refer to emotional bitterness (KJV, NKJV, ASV, RSV, NASB, NIV, NJPS, CEV, NLT) or a grievous situation (cf. NRSV, NAB, NCV, CEV margin). Although Naomi and her daughters-in-law had reason for emotional grief, the issue at hand was Naomi’s lamentable situation, which she did not want them to experience: being a poor widow in a foreign land.
  306. Ruth 1:13 tn Heb “for there is bitterness to me exceedingly from you.” The clause כִּי־מַר־לִי מְאֹד מִכֶּם (ki mar li meʾod mikkem) is notoriously difficult to interpret. It has been taken in three different ways: (1) “For I am very bitter for me because of you,” that is, because of your widowed condition (cf. KJV, NKJV, ASV, RSV, NJB, REB, JB, TEV). This does not fit well, however, with the following statement (“for the LORD has attacked me”) nor with the preceding statement (“You must not return with me”). (2) “For I am far more bitter than for you” (cf. NASB, NIV, NJPS, NEB, CEV, NLT). This does not provide an adequate basis, however, for the preceding statement (“You must not return with me”). (3) “For my bitterness is too much for you [to bear]” (cf. NAB, NRSV, NCV, CEV margin). This is preferable because it fits well with both the preceding and following statements. These three options reflect the three ways the preposition מן may be taken here: (1) causal: “because of, on account of” (BDB 580 s.v. מִן 2.f; HALOT 598 s.v. מִן 6), not that Orpah and Ruth were the cause of her calamity, but that Naomi was grieved because they had become widows; (2) comparative: “more [bitter] than you” (BDB 581 s.v. 6.a; HALOT 598 s.v. 5b), meaning that Naomi’s situation was more grievous than theirs—while they could remarry, her prospects were much more bleak; and (3) elative, describing a situation that is too much for a person to bear: “too [bitter] for you” (BDB 581 s.v. 6.d; HALOT 598 s.v. 5a; IBHS 267 §14.4f; e.g., Gen 4:13; Exod 18:18; Deut 17:8; 1 Kgs 19:17), meaning that Naomi’s plight was too bitter for her daughters-in-law to share. While all three options are viable, the meaning adopted must fit two criteria: (1) The meaning of this clause (1:13b) must provide the grounds for Naomi’s emphatic rejection of the young women’s refusal to separate themselves from her (1:13a); and (2) it must fit the following clause: “for the hand of the LORD has gone out against me” (1:13c). The first and second options do not provide adequate reasons for sending her daughters-in-law back home, nor do they fit her lament that the LORD had attacked her (not them); however, the third option (elative sense) fits both criteria. Naomi did not want her daughters-in-law to share her sad situation, that is, to be poor, childless widows in a foreign land with no prospect for marriage. If they accompanied her back to Judah, they would be in the same kind of situation in which she found herself in Moab. If they were to find the “rest” (security of home and husband) she wished for them, it would be in Moab, not in Judah. The Lord had already deprived her of husband and sons. She could do nothing for them in this regard because she had no more sons to give them as husbands, and she was past the age of child-bearing to raise up new husbands for them in the future—as if they could wait that long anyway (1:13a). For a discussion of these three options and defense of the approach adopted here, see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 80-81.
  307. Ruth 1:13 tn Heb “for the hand of the Lord has gone out against me” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV all similar). The expression suggests opposition and hostility, perhaps picturing the Lord as the Divine Warrior who is bringing calamity upon Naomi. See R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 113.
  308. Ruth 1:14 tn Heb “they lifted their voice[s] and wept” (so NASB; see v. 9). The expression refers to loud weeping employed in mourning tragedy (Judg 21:2; 2 Sam 13:36; Job 2:12).
  309. Ruth 1:14 tc The LXX adds, “and she returned to her people” (cf. TEV “and went back home”). Most dismiss this as a clarifying addition added under the influence of v. 15, but it should not be rejected too quickly. When translated back to Hebrew, the consonantal text would be ותשׁב אל־עמה. Note the beginning ו (vav) and ending ה (he). The phrase would fit between the MT’s לַחֲמוֹתָהּ וְרוּת (lakhamotah verut, “to her mother-in-law. And Ruth”), so that ו (vav) follows ה (he) both beginning and ending the clause. The scribe’s eye could have jumped from one to the other, inadvertently leaving out the intervening words.
  310. Ruth 1:14 tn The clause is disjunctive. The word order is conjunction + subject + verb, highlighting the contrast between the actions of Orpah and Ruth. sn Orpah is a literary foil for Ruth. Orpah is a commendable and devoted person (see v. 8); after all she is willing to follow Naomi back to Judah. However, when Naomi bombards her with good reasons why she should return, she relents. But Ruth is special. Despite Naomi’s bitter tirade, she insists on staying. Orpah is a good person, but Ruth is beyond good—she possesses an extra measure of devotion and sacrificial love that is uncommon.
  311. Ruth 1:14 sn Clung tightly. The expression suggests strong commitment (see R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth [NICOT], 115).
  312. Ruth 1:15 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Naomi) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  313. Ruth 1:15 tn Or “gods” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, CEV, NLT), if the plural form is taken as a numerical plural. However, it is likely that Naomi, speaking from Orpah’s Moabite perspective, uses the plural of majesty of the Moabite god Chemosh. For examples of the plural of majesty being used of a pagan god, see BDB 43 s.v. אֱלֹהִים 1.d. Note especially 1 Kgs 11:33, where the plural form is used of Chemosh.
  314. Ruth 1:16 tn Heb “do not urge me to abandon you to turn back from after you.” Most English versions, following the lead of the KJV, use “leave” here. The use of עזב (ʿazav, “abandon”) reflects Ruth’s perspective. To return to Moab would be to abandon Naomi and to leave her even more vulnerable than she already is.
  315. Ruth 1:17 tn Heb “Thus may the Lord do to me and thus may he add…” The construction וְכֹה יֹסִיף…כֹּה יַעֲשֶׂה (koh yaʿaseh…vekhoh yosif, “May he do thus…and may he do even more so…!”) is an oath formula of self-imprecation (e.g., 1 Sam 3:17; 14:44; 20:13; 25:22; 2 Sam 3:9, 35; 19:14; 1 Kgs 2:23; 2 Kgs 6:31). In this formula the exact curse is understood but not expressed (GKC 472 §149.d; BDB 462 s.v. כֹּה 1.b). In ancient Near Eastern imprecations, when the curse was so extreme, it was not uttered because it was unspeakably awful: “In the twelve uses of this formula, the calamity which the speaker invokes is never named, since OT culture (in keeping with the rest of the ancient Near East) accorded such power to the spoken word” (F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 82). Ruth here pronounces a curse upon herself, elevating the preceding promise to a formal, unconditional level. If she is not faithful to her promise, she agrees to become an object of divine judgment. As in other occurrences of this oath/curse formula, the specific punishment is not mentioned. As Bush explains, the particle כִּי (ki) here is probably asseverative (“indeed, certainly”) and the statement that follows expresses what underscores the seriousness of her promise by invoking divine judgment, as it were, if she does otherwise. Of course, the Lord would not have been obligated to judge her if she had abandoned Naomi—this is simply an ancient idiomatic way of expressing her commitment to her promise.
  316. Ruth 1:17 tn Heb “certainly death will separate me and you.” Ruth’s vow has been interpreted two ways: (1) Not even death will separate her from Naomi—because they will be buried next to one another (e.g., NRSV, NCV; see E. F. Campbell, Ruth [AB], 74-75). However, for the statement to mean, “Not even death will separate me and you,” it would probably need to be introduced by אִם (ʾim, “if”) or negated by לֹא (loʾ, “not”; see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 83). (2) Nothing except death will separate her from Naomi (e.g., KJV, ASV, RSV, NASB, NIV, TEV, NJPS, REB, NLT, GW; see Bush, 83). The particle כִּי introduces the content of the vow, which—if violated—would bring about the curse uttered in the preceding oath (BDB 472 s.v. כִּי 1.c; e.g., Gen 42:16; Num 14:22; 1 Sam 20:3; 26:16; 29:6; 2 Sam 3:35; 1 Kgs 2:23; Isa 49:18). Some suggest that כּי is functioning as an asseverative (“indeed, certainly”) to express what the speaker is determined will happen (Bush, 83; see 1 Sam 14:44; 2 Sam 3:9; 1 Kgs 2:23; 19:2). Here כִּי probably functions in a conditional sense: “if” or “if…except, unless” (BDB 473 s.v. כִּי 2.b). So her vow may essentially mean “if anything except death should separate me from you!” The most likely view is (2): Ruth is swearing that death alone will separate her from Naomi.sn Ruth’s devotion to Naomi is especially apparent here. Instead of receiving a sure blessing and going home (see v. 8), Ruth instead takes on a serious responsibility and subjects herself to potential divine punishment. Death, a power beyond Ruth’s control, will separate the two women, but until that time Ruth will stay by Naomi’s side and she will even be buried in the same place as Naomi.
  317. Ruth 1:18 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Naomi) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  318. Ruth 1:18 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  319. Ruth 1:18 tn Heb “she ceased speaking to her.” This does not imply that Naomi was completely silent toward Ruth. It simply means that Naomi stopped trying to convince her to go back to Moab (see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 84-85).
  320. Ruth 1:19 tn The suffix “them” appears to be masculine, but it is probably an archaic dual form (E. F. Campbell, Ruth [AB], 65; F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 75-76).
  321. Ruth 1:19 tn The temporal indicator וַיְהִי (vayehi, “and it was”) here introduces a new scene.
  322. Ruth 1:19 tn Heb “because of them” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “excited to see them.”
  323. Ruth 1:19 tn Heb “they said,” but the verb form is third person feminine plural, indicating that the women of the village are the subject.
  324. Ruth 1:19 tn Heb “Is this Naomi?” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV). The question here expresses surprise and delight because of the way Naomi reacts to it (F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 92).
  325. Ruth 1:20 tn Heb “said.” For stylistic reasons the present translation employs “replied” here.
  326. Ruth 1:20 tn The third person feminine plural form of the pronominal suffix indicates the women of the village (see v. 19) are the addressees.
  327. Ruth 1:20 sn The name Naomi means “pleasant.”
  328. Ruth 1:20 sn The name Mara means “bitter.”
  329. Ruth 1:20 tn Heb “Shaddai”; traditionally “the Almighty.” The etymology and meaning of this divine name is uncertain. It may be derived from: (1) שָׁדַד (shadad, “to be strong”), cognate to Arabic sdd, meaning “The Strong One” or “Almighty”; (2) שָׁדָה (shadah, “mountain”), cognate to Akkadian shadu, meaning “The Mountain Dweller” or “God of the Mountains”; (3) שָׁדַד (shadad, “to devastate”) and שַׁד (shad, “destroyer”), Akkadian Shedum, meaning “The Destroyer” or “The Malevolent One”; or (4) שֶׁ (she, “who”) plus דִּי (diy, “sufficient”), meaning “The One Who is Sufficient” or “All-Sufficient One” (HALOT 1420-22 s.v. שַׁדַּי, שַׁדָּי). In terms of use, Shaddai (or El Shaddai) is presented as the sovereign king/judge of the world who grants life/blesses and kills/judges. In Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he blesses/protects and also takes away life/happiness. In light of Naomi’s emphasis on God’s sovereign, malevolent deprivation of her family, one can understand her use of this name for God. For discussion of this divine name, see T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 69-72.
  330. Ruth 1:20 tn Or “caused me to be very bitter”; NAB “has made it very bitter for me.”
  331. Ruth 1:21 sn I left here full. That is, with a husband and two sons.
  332. Ruth 1:21 tn Heb “but empty the Lord has brought me back.” The disjunctive clause structure (vav + adverb + verb + subject) highlights the contrast between her former condition and present situation. Cf. TEV “has brought me back without a thing.”sn Empty-handed. This statement is highly ironic, for ever-loyal Ruth stands by her side even as she speaks these words. These words reflect Naomi’s perspective, not the narrator’s, for Ruth will eventually prove to be the one who reverses Naomi’s plight and “fills” her “emptiness.” Naomi’s perspective will prove to be inaccurate and the women will later correct Naomi’s faulty view of Ruth’s value (see 4:15).
  333. Ruth 1:21 tn The disjunctive clause structure (vav [ו] + subject + verb) here introduces either an attendant circumstance (“when the Lord has opposed me”) or an explanation (“seeing that the Lord has opposed me”).
  334. Ruth 1:21 tc The LXX reads “humbled me” here, apparently understanding the verb as a Piel (עָנָה, ʿanah) from a homonymic root meaning “afflict.” However, עָנָה (“afflict”) never introduces its object with בְּ (bet); when the preposition בְּ is used with this verb, it is always adverbial (“in, with, through”). To defend the LXX reading one would have to eliminate the preposition.tn Heb “has testified against me” (KJV, ASV both similar); NAB “has pronounced against me.” The idiom עָנַה בִי (ʿanah vi, “testify against”) is well attested elsewhere in legal settings (see BDB 773 s.v. עָנָה Qal.3.a; HALOT 852 s.v. I ענה qal.2). Naomi uses a legal metaphor and depicts the Lord as testifying against her in court.
  335. Ruth 1:21 sn The divine name translated Sovereign One is שַׁדַּי (shadday, “Shaddai”). See further the note on this term in Ruth 1:20.
  336. Ruth 1:21 tn Or “brought disaster upon me”; NIV “brought misfortune (calamity NRSV) upon me”; NLT “has sent such tragedy.”
  337. Ruth 1:22 tn Heb “and Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, the one who returned from the region of Moab.”sn This summarizing statement provides closure to the first part of the story. By highlighting Ruth’s willingness to return with Naomi, it also contrasts sharply with Naomi’s remark about being empty-handed.
  338. Ruth 1:22 tn The pronoun appears to be third person masculine plural in form, but it is probably an archaic third person dual form (see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 94).
  339. Ruth 1:22 tn This statement, introduced with a disjunctive structure (vav [ו] + subject + verb) provides closure for the previous scene, while at the same time making a transition to the next scene, which takes place in the barley field. The reference to the harvest also reminds the reader that God has been merciful to his people by replacing the famine with fertility. In the flow of the narrative the question is now, “Will he do the same for Naomi and Ruth?”sn The barley harvest began in late March. See O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 91.
  340. Ruth 2:1 tn The disjunctive clause (note the vav [ו] + prepositional phrase structure) provides background information essential to the following narrative.
  341. Ruth 2:1 tc The marginal reading (Qere) is מוֹדַע (modaʿ, “relative”), while the consonantal text (Kethib) has מְיֻדָּע (mᵉyuddaʿ, “friend”). The textual variant was probably caused by orthographic confusion between consonantal מְיֻדָּע and מוֹדַע. Virtually all English versions follow the marginal reading (Qere), e.g., KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV “kinsman”; NIV, NCV, NLT “relative.”
  342. Ruth 2:1 tn Heb “and [there was] to Naomi a relative, to her husband, a man mighty in substance, from the clan of Elimelech, and his name [was] Boaz.”
  343. Ruth 2:2 tn 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.
  344. Ruth 2:2 tn Following the preceding cohortative, the cohortative with vav conjunctive indicates purpose/result.
  345. Ruth 2:2 tn Heb “anyone in whose eyes I may find favor” (ASV, NIV similar). The expression אֶמְצָא־חֵן בְּעֵינָיו (ʾemtsaʾ khen beʿenayv, “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 (BDB 336 s.v. 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.
  346. Ruth 2:2 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Naomi) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  347. Ruth 2:3 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  348. Ruth 2:3 tn Heb “and she went and entered [a field] and gleaned in the field behind the harvesters.” Cf. KJV, NASB, NRSV “the reapers”; TEV “the workers.”
  349. Ruth 2:3 sn 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.
  350. Ruth 2:4 tn Heb “and look”; NIV, NRSV “Just then.” The narrator invites the audience into the story, describing Boaz’s arrival as if it were witnessed by the audience.
  351. Ruth 2:4 tn Heb “said to.” Context indicates that the following expression is a greeting, the first thing Boaz says to his workers.
  352. Ruth 2:4 tn Heb “said to him.” For stylistic reasons “replied” is used in the present translation.
  353. Ruth 2:5 tn Heb “said to.” Since what follows is a question, “asked” is appropriate in this context.
  354. Ruth 2:5 tn Heb “young man.” Cf. NAB “overseer”; NIV, NLT “foreman.”
  355. Ruth 2:5 sn In this patriarchal culture Ruth would “belong” to either her father (if unmarried) or her husband (if married).
  356. Ruth 2:7 tn Heb “said.” What follows is a question, so “asked” is used in the translation.
  357. Ruth 2:7 tn On the use of the perfect with vav consecutive after the cohortative, see IBHS 530 §32.2.2b.
  358. Ruth 2:7 tn 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. NAB; see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 117). For discussion of the terminology and process of harvesting, see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 59-61.
  359. Ruth 2:7 tn Heb “and she came and she has persisted.” The construction וַתָּבוֹא וַתַּעֲמוֹד (vattavoʾ vataʿamod) forms a dependent temporal sequence: “since she came, she has persisted.” Because עָמַד (ʿamad, “to stand, remain, persist”; BDB 764 s.v. עָמַד; HALOT 840-42 s.v. עמד) has a broad range of meanings, וַתַּעֲמוֹד 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” (NAB, NASB, NCV); and (3) Ruth had worked hard all morning: “she has worked steadily” (REB), “she has been working” (TEV, CEV), “she has been on her feet (all morning)” (JPS, NJPS, NRSV). For discussion, see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 118-19.
  360. Ruth 2:7 tn 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 (WBC), 118-19.
  361. Ruth 2:7 tn Heb “except this.” The function and meaning of the demonstrative adjective זֶה (zeh, “this”) is difficult: (1) MT accentuation joins זֶה with שִׁבְתָּהּ (shivtah, “this her sitting”), suggesting that זֶה שִׁבְתָּהּ functions as subject complement (see BDB 261 s.v. זֶה 2.a and Josh 9:12). (2) Others suggest that זֶה functions as an emphasizing adverb of time (“just now”; BDB 261 s.v. 4.h) and connect it with עַתָּה (ʿattah, “now”) to form the idiom עַתָּה זֶה (ʿattah zeh, “now, just now”; BDB 261 s.v. 4.h; GKC 442-43 §136.d; see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 118-19). The entire line is translated variously: KJV “until now, (+ save ASV) that she tarried a little in the house”; NASB “she has been sitting in the house for a little while”; NIV “except for a short rest in the shelter”; NJPS “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….”
  362. Ruth 2:7 tc The MT vocalizes consonantal שבתה as שִׁבְתָּהּ (shivtah, “her sitting”; Qal infinitive construct from יָשַׁב (yashav), “to sit” + third person feminine singular suffix), apparently taking the third person feminine singular suffix as a subjective genitive: “she sat [in the hut only a little while]” (so KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV, REB, TEV, NCV, NJPS). On the other hand, LXX κατέπαυσεν (katepausen “she rested”) reflects the vocalization שָׁבְתָה (shavetah, “she rested”; Qal perfect third person feminine singular from שָׁבַת (shavat), “to rest”): “she rested [in the hut only a little while]” (so RSV, NRSV, NAB, CEV, NJB, JPS). The MT reading is more difficult and is therefore probably original.tn 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 [WBC], 118-19) takes עָמַד (ʿamad, “to stand”) in the sense “to stay, remain,” connects זֶה (zeh, “this”) with the preceding עַתָּה (ʿattah, “now”) as an emphasizing adverb of time (“just now”), and emends שִׁבְתָּהּ הַבַּיִת (shivtah habbayit, “her sitting [in] the house”) to שָׁבְתָה (shavetah, “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.
  363. Ruth 2:7 tc Several English versions (NAB, NEB, RSV, NRSV, JB, CEV) suggest deleting MT הַבַּיִת (habbayit, lit. “the house”) due to dittography with בתה in שִׁבְתָּהּ (shivtah) which precedes; however, several ancient textual witnesses support the MT (medieval Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac, Targum). The LXX reading ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ (en tō agrō, “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.tn “[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, TDOT 2:111-15). This kind of structure is probably referred to using different terms in Isaiah 1:8, “like a shelter (כְּסֻכָּה, kesukkah) in a vineyard, like a hut (כִּמְלוּנָה, kimlunah) in a field of melons.” Some translations render הַבַּיִת (habbayit) literally as “the house” (KJV, NKJV, NASB), while others nuance it as “the shelter” (NIV, NCV, TEV, NLT).
  364. Ruth 2:7 tn Heb “a little while.” The adjective מְעָט (meʿat) functions in a temporal sense (“a little while”; e.g., Job 24:24) or a comparative sense (“a little bit”); see BDB 589-90 s.v. The foreman’s point is that Ruth was a hard worker who only rested a short time, or that she had only been waiting for permission for a short time (depending on how other issues in the verse are resolved).
  365. Ruth 2:8 tn Heb “Have you not heard?” The idiomatic, negated rhetorical question is equivalent to an affirmation (see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 119, and GKC 474 §150.e).
  366. Ruth 2:8 tn Heb “my daughter.” This form of address is a mild form of endearment, perhaps merely rhetorical. It might suggest that Boaz is older than Ruth, but not necessarily significantly so. A few English versions omit it entirely (e.g., TEV, CEV).
  367. Ruth 2:8 tn The switch from the negative particle אַל (ʾal, see the preceding statement, “do not leave”) to לֹא (loʾ) may make this statement more emphatic. It may indicate that the statement is a policy applicable for the rest of the harvest (see v. 21).
  368. Ruth 2:8 tn Heb “and thus you may stay close with.” The imperfect has a permissive nuance here.
  369. Ruth 2:8 sn The female workers would come along behind those who cut the grain and bundle it up. Staying close to the female workers allowed Ruth to collect more grain than would normally be the case (see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 61, and F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 121).
  370. Ruth 2:9 tn Heb “let your eyes be upon” (KJV, NASB similar).
  371. Ruth 2:9 tn Heb “they.” The verb is masculine plural, indicating that the male workers are the subject here.
  372. Ruth 2:9 tn Heb “and go after them.” The pronominal suffix (“them”) is feminine plural, indicating that the female workers are referred to here.
  373. Ruth 2:9 tn Male servants are in view here, as the masculine plural form of the noun indicates (cf. KJV, NAB, NRSV “the young men”).
  374. Ruth 2:9 tn Heb “Have I not commanded the servants not to touch [i.e., “harm”] you?” The idiomatic, negated rhetorical question is equivalent to an affirmation (see v. 8). The perfect is either instantaneous, indicating completion of the action concurrent with the statement (see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 107, 121-22, who translates, “I am herewith ordering”) or emphatic/rhetorical, indicating the action is as good as done.
  375. Ruth 2:9 tn The juxtaposition of two perfects, each with vav consecutive, here indicates a conditional sentence (see GKC 337 §112.kk).
  376. Ruth 2:9 tn Heb “vessels (so KJV, NAB, NRSV), receptacles”; NCV “water jugs.”
  377. Ruth 2:9 tn Heb “drink [some] of that which” (KJV similar); in the context “water” is implied.
  378. Ruth 2:9 tn The imperfect here either indicates characteristic or typical activity, or anterior future, referring to a future action (drawing water) which logically precedes another future action (drinking).
  379. Ruth 2:10 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  380. Ruth 2:10 tn Heb “she fell upon her face and bowed to the ground” (KJV, NASB similar).
  381. Ruth 2:10 tn Heb “Why do I find favor in your eyes…?” The expression מָצַא חֵן בְּעֵינֶי (matsaʾ khen beʿeney, “to find favor in the eyes of [someone]”) is often characterized by the following features: (1) A subordinate or servant is requesting permission for something from a superior (master, owner, king). (2) The granting of the request is not a certainty but dependent on whether or not the superior is pleased with the subordinate to do so. (3) The granting of the request by the superior is an act of kindness or benevolence; however, it sometimes reciprocates loyalty previously shown by the subordinate to the superior (e.g., Gen 30:27; 32:6; 33:8, 10, 15; 34:11; 39:4; 47:25, 29; 50:4; Num 32:5; Deut 24:1; 1 Sam 1:18; 16:22; 20:3, 29; 27:3; 2 Sam 14:22; 16:4; 1 Kgs 11:19; Esth 5:8; 7:3; BDB 336 s.v. חֵן). While Boaz had granted her request for permission to glean in his field, she is amazed at the degree of kindness he had shown—especially since she had done nothing, in her own mind, to merit such a display. However, Boaz explains that she had indeed shown kindness to him indirectly through her devotion to Naomi (v. 11).
  382. Ruth 2:10 tn Heb “Why do I find favor in your eyes by [you] recognizing me.” The infinitive construct with prefixed ל (lamed) here indicates manner (“by”).
  383. Ruth 2:10 tn Heb “and I am a foreigner.” The disjunctive clause (note the pattern vav + subject + predicate nominative) here has a circumstantial (i.e., concessive) function (“even though”).
  384. Ruth 2:10 sn The similarly spelled Hebrew terms נָכַר (nakhar, “to notice”) and נָכְרִי (nokhri, “foreigner”) in this verse form a homonymic wordplay. This highlights the unexpected nature of the attentiveness and concern Boaz displayed to Ruth.
  385. Ruth 2:11 tn Heb “answered and said to her” (so NASB). For stylistic reasons this has been translated as “replied to her.”
  386. Ruth 2:11 tn Heb “it has been fully reported to me.” The infinitive absolute here emphasizes the following finite verb from the same root. Here it emphasizes either the clarity of the report or its completeness. See R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 153, n. 6. Most English versions tend toward the nuance of completeness (e.g., KJV “fully been shewed”; NAB “a complete account”; NASB, NRSV “All that you have done”).
  387. Ruth 2:11 tn The vav (ו) consecutive construction here has a specifying function. This and the following clause elaborate on the preceding general statement and explain more specifically what she did for her mother-in-law.
  388. Ruth 2:11 tn Heb “yesterday and the third day.” This Hebrew idiom means “previously, in the past” (Exod 5:7, 8, 14; Exod 21:29, 36; Deut 4:42; 19:4, 6; Josh 3:4; 1 Sam 21:5; 2 Sam 3:17; 1 Chr 11:2).
  389. Ruth 2:12 tn Heb “repay your work”; KJV, ASV “recompense thy work.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive of prayer (note the jussive form in the next clause).
  390. Ruth 2:12 tn Heb “may your wages be complete”; NCV “May your wages be paid in full.” The prefixed verbal form is a distinct jussive form, indicating that this is a prayer for blessing.
  391. Ruth 2:12 tn Heb “under whose wings you have sought shelter”; NIV, NLT “have come to take refuge.”
  392. Ruth 2:13 tn Heb “I am finding favor in your eyes.” In v. 10, where Ruth uses the perfect, she simply states the fact that Boaz is kind. Here the Hebrew text switches to the imperfect, thus emphasizing the ongoing attitude of kindness displayed by Boaz. Many English versions treat this as a request: KJV “Let me find favour in thy sight”; NAB “May I prove worthy of your kindness”; NIV “May I continue to find favor in your eyes.”
  393. Ruth 2:13 tn Heb “my master”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “my lord.”
  394. Ruth 2:13 tn Or “comforted” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV, NLT).
  395. Ruth 2:13 tn Heb “spoken to the heart of.” As F. W. Bush points out, the idiom here means “to reassure, encourage” (Ruth, Esther [WBC], 124).
  396. Ruth 2:13 tn Ruth here uses a word (שִׁפְחָה, shifkhah) that describes the lowest level of female servant (see 1 Sam 25:41). Note Ruth 3:9 where she uses the word אָמָה (ʾamah), which refers to a higher class of servant.
  397. Ruth 2:13 tn The imperfect verbal form of הָיָה (hayah) is used here. F. W. Bush shows from usage elsewhere that the form should be taken as future (Ruth, Esther [WBC], 124-25).
  398. Ruth 2:13 tn Or “will never be the equivalent of one of your maidservants” (see F. Bush, Ruth [WBC], 107).
  399. Ruth 2:13 tn The disjunctive clause (note the pattern vav [ו] + subject + verb) is circumstantial (or concessive) here (“even though”).
  400. Ruth 2:14 tn Heb “eat” (so KJV, NRSV).
  401. Ruth 2:14 tn Heb “your portion”; NRSV “your morsel.”
  402. Ruth 2:14 tn The Hebrew verb צָבַט (tsavat) occurs only here in the OT. Cf. KJV, ASV “he reached her”; NASB “he served her”; NIV “he offered her”; NRSV “he heaped up for her.” For discussion of its meaning, including the etymological evidence, see BDB 840 s.v.; R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 174; and F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 125-26.
  403. Ruth 2:14 tn Heb “and she ate and she was satisfied and she had some left over” (NASB similar).
  404. Ruth 2:15 tn Or “commanded” (so KJV, NASB, NCV).
  405. Ruth 2:15 tn Heb “even between”; NCV “even around.”
  406. Ruth 2:15 tn Heb “do not humiliate her”; cf. KJV “reproach her not”; NASB “do not insult her”; NIV “don’t embarrass her.” This probably refers to a verbal rebuke which would single her out and embarrass her (see v. 16). See R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 176-77, and F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 126.
  407. Ruth 2:16 tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis. Here שָׁלַל (shalal, “pull out”) is a homonym of the more common Hebrew verb meaning “to plunder.” An Arabic cognate is used of drawing a sword out of a scabbard (see BDB 1021 s.v.).
  408. Ruth 2:16 tn Heb “do not rebuke her” (so NASB, NRSV); CEV “don’t speak harshly to her”; NLT “don’t give her a hard time.”
  409. Ruth 2:17 tn Heb “she beat out” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV, NLT). Ruth probably used a stick to separate the kernels of grain from the husks. See O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 63.
  410. Ruth 2:17 tn Heb “there was an ephah.” An ephah was a dry measure, equivalent to one-tenth of a homer (see HALOT 43 s.v. אֵיפָה). An ephah was equivalent to a “bath,” a liquid measure. Jars labeled “bath” found at archaeological sites in Israel could contain approximately 5.8 gallons, or one-half to two-thirds of a bushel. Thus an ephah of barley would have weighed about 29 to 30 pounds (just over 13 kg). See R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 179.sn This was a huge amount of barley for one woman to gather in a single day. It testifies both to Ruth’s industry and to Boaz’s generosity.
  411. Ruth 2:18 tc MT vocalizes ותרא as the Qal verb וַתֵּרֶא (vattereʾ, “and she saw”), consequently of “her mother-in-law” as subject and “what she gathered” as the direct object: “her mother-in-law saw what she gathered.” A few medieval Hebrew mss (also reflected in Syriac and Vulgate) have the Hiphil וַתַּרְא (vattarʾ, “and she showed”), consequently taking “her mother-in-law” as the direct object and “what she gathered” as the double direct-object: “she showed her mother-in-law what she had gathered” (cf. NAB, TEV, CEV, NLT). Although the latter has the advantage of making Ruth the subject of all the verbs in this verse, it would be syntactically difficult. For one would expect the accusative sign אֶת (ʾet) before “her mother-in-law” if it were the direct object of a Hiphil verb in a sentence with a double direct object introduced by the accusative sign אֶת, e.g., “to show (Hiphil of רָאָה, raʾah) your servant (direct object marked by accusative sign אֶת) your greatness (double direct object marked by accusative sign אֶת) (Deut 3:24). Therefore the MT reading is preferred.
  412. Ruth 2:18 tn Heb “that which”; the referent (how much grain) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  413. Ruth 2:18 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  414. Ruth 2:18 tn Heb “and she brought out and gave to her that which she had left over from her being satisfied.”
  415. Ruth 2:19 tn Heb “said to her.” Since what follows is a question, the translation uses “asked her” here.
  416. Ruth 2:19 tn Or “blessed” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV). The same expression occurs in the following verse.
  417. Ruth 2:19 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  418. Ruth 2:20 tn Heb “Blessed be he to the Lord, who has not abandoned his loyalty.” The formula has (1) the passive participle “blessed,” followed by (2) a person (in this case “he”), followed by (3) the preposition and noun “to the Lord,” followed by (4) the relative pronoun אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher, “who”). The issue is whether the relative pronoun refers back to the Lord or to Boaz (“he”). Many English versions translate: “May he [Boaz] be blessed by the Lord, who has not abandoned his loyalty to the living and dead.” In this rendering the pronoun אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) appears to refer to “the Lord” not abandoning his loyalty. But it actually refers to Boaz as is clarified by the similar construction in 2 Sam 2:5. The formula there says, “May you [plural] be blessed to the Lord, who you [plural] have extended such kindness to your master Saul.” The plural verb after “who” clarifies that the clause does not refer to the Lord. As a formula, the אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) clause, “who…,” modifies the person(s) to be blessed by the Lord, noting something the person(s) did to warrant the blessing. (Since the content of the clause provides a reason, it is fair to translate אֲשֶׁר [ʾasher, “who”] as “because.”) Some translations make the subordinate clause into a separate sentence, but this does not fully clarify the issue, e.g. “The Lord bless him…He has not stopped showing his kindness” (NIV). See B. A. Rebera, “Yahweh or Boaz? Ruth 2.20 Reconsidered,” BT 36 (1985): 317-27, and F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 134-36. By caring for the impoverished widows’ physical needs, Boaz had demonstrated loyalty to both the living (the impoverished widows) and the dead (their late husbands). See R. B. Chisholm, From Exegesis to Exposition, 72.
  419. Ruth 2:20 tn Heb “to the living and the dead” (so KJV, NASB).
  420. Ruth 2:20 tn The Hebrew term גָּאַל (gaʾal) is sometimes translated “redeemer” here (NIV “one of our kinsman-redeemers”; NLT “one of our family redeemers”). In this context Boaz, as a “redeemer,” functions as a guardian of the family interests who has responsibility for caring for the widows of his deceased kinsmen.
  421. Ruth 2:21 tn On the force of the phrase גָּם כִּי (gam ki) here, see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 138-39.
  422. Ruth 2:21 tn Heb “with the servants who are mine you may stay close.” The imperfect has a permissive nuance here. The word “servants” is masculine plural.
  423. Ruth 2:21 tn Heb “until they have finished all the harvest which is mine”; NIV “until they finish harvesting all my grain.”
  424. Ruth 2:22 tn Naomi uses the feminine form of the word “servant” (as Boaz did earlier, see v. 8), in contrast to Ruth’s use of the masculine form in the preceding verse. Since she is concerned for Ruth’s safety, she may be subtly reminding Ruth to stay with the female workers and not get too close to the men.
  425. Ruth 2:22 tn Heb “and they will not harm you in another field”; NRSV “otherwise you might be bothered in another field.”
  426. Ruth 2:23 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  427. Ruth 2:23 tn Heb “and she stayed close with”; NIV, NRSV, CEV “stayed close to”; NCV “continued working closely with.”
  428. Ruth 2:23 sn Barley was harvested from late March through late April, wheat from late April to late May (O. Borowski, Agriculture in Ancient Israel, 88, 91).
  429. Ruth 2:23 tn Heb “and she lived with her mother-in-law” (so NASB). Some interpret this to mean that she lived with her mother-in-law while working in the harvest. In other words, she worked by day and then came home to Naomi each evening. Others understand this to mean that following the harvest she stayed at home each day with Naomi and no longer went out looking for work (see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 140). Others even propose that she lived away from home during this period, but this seems unlikely. A few Hebrew mss (so also Latin Vulgate) support this view by reading, “and she returned to her mother-in-law.”
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