Albert Barnes Commentary Ruth 4
Albert Barnes Commentary
Ruth 4
Albert Barnes Commentary
Ruth 4
"Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down." — Ruth 4:1 (ASV)
The gate is the place of public gathering, of business, and of justice in Eastern cities (see Judges 19:15 note; Genesis 34:20; Deuteronomy 16:18).
Ho, such a one! – Indicating that the name of the kinsman was either unknown or purposely concealed (1 Samuel 21:2; 2 Kings 6:8).
"And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down." — Ruth 4:2 (ASV)
Every city was governed by elders (Judges 8:14). For the number “ten,” compare Exodus 18:25. Probably the presence of at least ten elders was necessary to make a lawful public assembly, as among modern Jews ten (a minyan) are necessary to constitute a synagogue.
"And he said unto the near kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech`s:" — Ruth 4:3 (ASV)
According to the law (Leviticus 25:25–28), if any Israelite, through poverty, were to sell his possession, the next of kin (the גאל gā'al) had a right to redeem it by paying the value of the number of years remaining until the jubilee (see the marginal reference). This right Boaz notifies the גאל gā'al of, to give him the option that the law secured for him of redeeming “our brother Elimelech’s” land—that is, our kinsman’s—according to the common use of the term brother for a near relation (Genesis 24:27; Leviticus 25:25; Numbers 27:4; Judges 9:1).
"And I thought to disclose it unto thee, saying, Buy it before them that sit here, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is none to redeem it besides thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it." — Ruth 4:4 (ASV)
See the margin; a phrase explained by the act of removing the end of the turban, or the hair, in order to whisper in the ear (see 1 Samuel 9:15; 2 Samuel 7:27).
"Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance." — Ruth 4:5 (ASV)
Observe the action of the Levirate law. If Naomi had been the only interested party, she would have sold the land unencumbered by any condition, as the Levirate law would not have applied in her case.
However, there was a young widow to whom the possession of the land would devolve at Naomi’s death. This widow already had a right of partnership in it, and the Levirate law did apply in her case. Therefore, it was the duty of the גאל (gā'al) to marry her and raise up seed to his brother, that is, his kinsman. And he could not exercise his right of redeeming the land unless he was willing at the same time to fulfill his obligations to the deceased by marrying the widow. This he was unwilling to do.
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