John Gill Commentary Ruth 3:16

"And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her." — Ruth 3:16 (ASV)

And when she came to her mother in law
To Naomi, in Bethlehem:

she said, who are you, my daughter ?
it being near dusk, she could not discern her, or perhaps she put the question before she opened the door and saw her; though one would think, if Ruth had called to her, she would have known her voice:

rather therefore the particle may be rendered, "what" or "how" ^F3 , instead of "who"; and the sense be, what had befallen her? what success had she had? how had things gone with her? was she married or not? or rather, had she got a promise of it? or was it likely that she should be married? with which the answer agrees:

and she told her all that the man had done to her ;
what kindness he had shown her, what promises he had made to her, that either he, or a nearer kinsman, would marry her, and redeem her husband's estate.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F3: (ta ym) "quid egisti?" V. L. "quid tibi?" Tigurine version; so R. Jonah in Aben Ezra, & Abendana in loc. "quomodo tu filia mea?" Nold. p. 602. No. 1626.