Rut 2 | TNotes | STEP | 2:1 Boaz was a relative of ... Elimelech and thus was qualified to be a family redeemer for the two widows, Ruth and Naomi (see study note on 2:20).

2:1 ^a Boaz was a relative of ... Elimelech and thus was qualified to be a family redeemer for the two widows, Ruth and Naomi (see study note on 2:20).
2:2 ^b to pick up the stalks of grain left behind: Harvesters were to leave some grain for the poor to glean (see Lev 19:9-10 ^c; 23:22 ^d; Deut 24:19-22 ^e). God provided the poor with food.
2:3 ^f as it happened, she found herself: Ruth seemingly selected at random the field in which she would glean; God works through ordinary choices to provide for those who trust him.
2:5 ^g Boaz recognized Ruth as a marriageable young woman (Hebrew na‘arah).
2:7 ^h in the shelter: Many farmers in Israel’s hill country erected shelters beside their fields for use during the harvest. Workers used these shelters for shade during lunch or other break times during the long, hard workday. Such shelters can still be seen in parts of the hill country.
Summary for Ruth 2:8-9: 2:8-9 ⁱ Boaz gave Ruth the special privilege of gleaning right behind the young women. After the men cut the grain and tied it in small bundles, the women gathered the bundles into larger sheaves. The Torah did not require farmers to allow gleaners into the fields until the sheaves had been taken to the threshing floor.

• I have warned the young men not to treat you roughly: Boaz assured Ruth that no one under his authority would taunt her or try to drive her away from his fields even though she was present before the proper time for gleaners to come in.

• help yourself to the water: Boaz’s generosity saved Ruth the trouble of drawing her own water.
2:13 ^j your workers (literally your maidservants): By her use of this term, Ruth placed herself lower on the social scale than Boaz’s servants.
2:14 ^k By sharing his meal with Ruth, Boaz extended hospitality far beyond the call of duty.
Summary for Ruth 2:15-16: 2:15-16 ^l Boaz’s instructions to his reapers as they returned to work after lunch made Ruth’s gleaning a great deal more productive. Boaz provided for Ruth much more than the law of gleaning required of him.
2:18 ^m In giving Naomi the roasted grain that was left over, Ruth was conscientious and generous.
2:19 ⁿ all this grain: Ruth could not normally have gleaned nearly as much as an ephah of barley (about two-thirds of a bushel).
2:20 ^o family redeemers (Hebrew go’el): The law specified that the go’el, the nearest male kinsman, was to help a relative who fell into economic difficulty (see thematic note for The Family Redeemer at end of chapter; see also study note on Lev 25:25).
2:21 ^p The author refers to Ruth as (literally) “Ruth the Moabite” five times (1:22 ^q; 2:2 ^r, 21 ^s; 4:5 ^t, 10 ^u), reminding us repeatedly that Ruth was not an Israelite.

Thematic note: The Family Redeemer
The idea of a family redeemer, established in the law of Moses, finds a vivid example in the story of Ruth. In that book, the expression “family redeemer” has a specific, technical meaning. Elsewhere, the underlying Hebrew term go’el is translated “nearest relative” (Num 27:11 ^v; 35:19 ^w, 24 ^x).
According to the law, family redeemers had three main responsibilities in Israel:
1. Leviticus 25:23-34 ^y stipulates that if an Israelite became so poor that he had to sell his land, a family member was to pay off the debt so the land would remain in the family. If no relative could purchase the land and the seller was unable to buy it back, the land still reverted to the seller or his heirs in the Jubilee (fiftieth) Year. Two examples of family redeemers buying land for their relatives are Boaz (Ruth 4:1-12 ^z) and Jeremiah (Jer 32:6-15 ^aa).
2. Similarly, if an Israelite became so poor he had to sell himself into debt-slavery, a family redeemer was to buy his relative from service to a non-relative (Lev 25:35-55 ^ab). The poor Israelite would pay off his debt by working for his relative, who could be expected to treat him better than a stranger would.
3. The family redeemer was to pursue justice for an Israelite killed by another’s hand, under conditions described in Num 35:9-34 ^ac.
The concept of the family redeemer reminds us that God is the true owner of all things, and he commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves (Lev 19:18 ^ad; Matt 22:39-40 ^ae). The New Testament presents Jesus as the perfect family redeemer, buying us from the slavery to sin and death into which we had sold ourselves (Matt 20:28 ^af; Rom 3:24-25 ^ag; Eph 1:7 ^ah; Titus 2:14 ^ai; Rev 5:9 ^aj; cp. Exod 6:6 ^ak; 15:13 ^al; Ps 130:8 ^am; Isa 44:22 ^an; 59:20 ^ao; 63:9 ^ap; Jer 31:11 ^aq). In the spirit of the Old Testament family redeemer (such as Boaz) and following the example of our great Redeemer, we, too, are commanded to act with love and compassion toward others (Lev 19:11-18 ^ar; Matt 5:43-48 ^as; 19:19 ^at; 22:37-40 ^au; Rom 13:8-10 ^av; Gal 5:14 ^aw; Jas 2:8-9 ^ax).

Passages for Further Study
Lev 25:23-55 ^ay; Num 35:9-34 ^az; Ruth 2:20 ^ba; 3:9 ^bb, 12 ^bc; 4:1-10 ^bd; Isa 59:20 ^be; Jer 32:6-15 ^bf; Matt 20:28 ^bg; Rom 3:24-25 ^bh; Eph 1:7 ^bi; Titus 2:14 ^bj; Rev 5:9 ^bk