Rut 3:14 | NETfull | STEP | So she slept beside him until morning. She woke up while it was still dark. Boaz thought, “No one must know that a woman visited the threshing floor.”

Ruth 3:14

14 So she slept beside him ^{▼▼ The consonantal text (Kethib) has the singular מַרְגְּלָתַו (marg^elatav, “his leg”), while the marginal reading (Qere) has the plural מַרְגְּלוֹתָיו (marg^elotayv, “his legs”).} ^{▼▼ Heb “[at] his legs.” See the note on the word “legs” in v. 4.} until morning. She woke up while it was still dark. ^{▼▼ Heb “and she arose before a man could recognize his companion”; NRSV “before one person could recognize another”; CEV “before daylight.”} Boaz thought, ^{▼▼ Heb “and he said” (so KJV, NASB, NIV). Some translate “he thought [to himself]” (cf. NCV).} “No one must know that a woman visited the threshing floor.” ^{▼▼ Heb “let it not be known that the woman came [to] the threshing floor” (NASB similar). The article on הָאִשָּׁה (ha’ishah, “the woman”) is probably dittographic (note the final he on the preceding verb בָאָה [va’ah, “she came”]).}