The Threshing Floor
1 Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?
Naomi tells Ruth that it is time for her to find a permanent home for Ruth, she explains that this way she will be taken care of and provided for in the future. In other words, it was time to find her a husband.
2 Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.
Boaz is described here as “our” relative, as this relationship was extended to Ruth through her marriage to Mahlon. Naomi tells Ruth that he is winnowing his barley harvest that evening so he will staying near the threshing floor that night (likely to prevent theft).
Once the grain was harvested it needed to go through one more step before it could be packaged and sold. The grain needed to be crushed to break the grain away from the husks (typically trodden on by animals) and then tossed into the air. This process required a location where there was a reasonably strong wind allowing the lighter weight husks (chaff) to travel further downwind while the heavier grain would settle in directly in front of the thresher. Many followed the custom of threshing the grain during the day and then celebrated the harvest in the evening.
3 Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.
Naomi has a plan, she instructs Ruth to get ready to look her best. She is to take a bath, anoint herself (likely with some form of perfume), and to put on her garment (possibly referring to her best clothing, see also 2 Samuel 12:20). Some believe that Ruth was still wearing her clothes of mourning (her husband), which would explain why Boaz did not approach her before this time as he would have respected her time of mourning.
It is interesting to note that the text states to “go down to the threshing floor,” they are typically on a higher location, although any windy spot will do. However, in the Septuagint it reads, “go up onto the threshing floor.”[1] No additional information is given, but since the city of Bethlehem was on a ridge it is likely that one may have to “go down” to the fields.
Naomi further instructs Ruth to go to the threshing floor but wait until Boaz was finished eating and drinking (possibly celebrating) before approaching him.
4 But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do.” 5 And she replied, “All that you say I will do.”
When Boaz lies down, Naomi tells Ruth that she is to go over to him and uncover his feet and lie down at his feet. Sleeping next to the grain on the threshing floor would undoubtedly get fairly cool in the evening. By uncovering Boaz’s feet would wake him up and notice Ruth. Some commentators like to connect this action to some form of sensual enticement that ended with a sexual intercourse and how that would be a violation of the law (see Leviticus 18:6-20), nothing could be further from the truth. Naomi is not setting up Ruth to proposition herself to Boaz.
In the context of the Law of Moses, this was not immorality, but a legal appeal. Thus this act does not need to be interpreted with a sexual connotation, and Ruth’s action here should not be interpreted with sexual or immoral overtones, but as a symbolic act, meaning that she was requesting Boaz to fulfill his duty as the kinsman-redeemer and marry her.[2]
6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her. 7 And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down.
With the harvest celebration now over, Boaz goes to lie down next to his grain. Ruth does as Naomi instructed her to do and quietly uncovers his feet. It may have been several minutes or perhaps hours before Boaz woke up and took notice.
8 At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet! 9 He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.”
At midnight Boaz feels his cold feet and is awaken and then notices in the dim light a woman lying at his feet and asks who she is. Ruth identifies herself and then asks for him to step forward and be her kinsman-redeemer. According to the law of Levirate Marriage a close relative is to accept the widow as a wife. Even though there is evidence that Boaz already showed affection for Ruth, he was obligated under the law of the Levirate marriage. The term “Levirate” has nothing to do with the book of Leviticus or the tribe of Levi, as the word is actually Latin meaning “husband’s brother,” The law can be found in Deuteronomy 25:5-10.
5 “If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. 6 And the first son whom she bears shall succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel. 7 And if the man does not wish to take his brother’s wife, then his brother’s wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to perpetuate his brother’s name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband’s brother to me.’ 8 Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him, and if he persists, saying, ‘I do not wish to take her,’ 9 then his brother’s wife shall go up to him in the presence of the elders and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face. And she shall answer and say, ‘So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother’s house.’ 10 And the name of his house shall be called in Israel, ‘The house of him who had his sandal pulled off.’ (Deuteronomy 25:5-10)
To summarize, the law provides for widows whose husband passes away before having any children. The widow can go to the next of kin (usually the husband’s brother) and put a claim on him to take her as his wife (as Ruth is doing here in verse nine) and raise up children for the family. Three conditions must be met: 1) must be a near relative/kinsman, 2) had to be able to perform as redeemer, and 3) he had to be willing. It was not required; but if he chose not to be a redeemer he had to give her his shoe (a symbol of shame) indicating that he failed in his role as kinsman-redeemer.
It is interesting to note that the word translated here as ‘wings’ (Hebrew ‘ḵenā·pě’)[3] can also be translated as skirt, hem, or corner of a garment. In many ancient cultures, including ancient Hebrew, the hem of a garment was the location where one wore their “badge of honor.” Today’s equivalent might be a sleeve or shoulder stripe typically found in the military or public safety agency. A person could authenticate his name on a clay tablet by pressing his hem on the clay and a husband could divorce his wife by cutting off the hem of her robe. The Bible records several events regarding hems, including David’s removal of Saul’s hem (see 1 Samuel 24); God’s covenant with Israel (see Ezekiel 16:8, Exodus 39:25-26); Fringes on Levitical garments (see Numbers 15:38-39, Deuteronomy 22:12, Exodus 28:33); and Jesus’ hem sought for healing (see Matthew 14:36, Luke 8:44, Mark 6:56).
10 And he said, “May you be blessed by the LORD, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich.
Boaz calls for the Lord’s blessing as she has respected their family’s culture, acted responsibly, and remained faithful (she has not pursued other men during this time, regardless of age or wealth) by seeking Boaz as her Gō’ēl, her kinsman redeemer.
11 And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. 12 And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I.
Boaz tells her to end any anxiety she might have, as he will do as she asks. He further notes that she has an excellent reputation among the people in Bethlehem. The word Hebrew word ‘ḥǎ’·yil’[4] translated here as ‘worthy’ carries the meaning of strength, wealth, and influence. Most agree that is could be translated, “The entire city knows that you are a bride worth winning.” Boaz then informs Ruth there is a potential problem with her plan, in that there is a another man who qualifies as a Gō’ēl and is a closer relative than he is. That person will need to be asked first before Boaz can become her kinsman redeemer.
13 Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the LORD lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.”
There would be no point for Ruth to return home that evening. Boaz would proceed in the morning to inquire if the closer relative would consider being Ruth’s Gō’ēl. He promises that if this closer relative will not redeem her, he will.
14 So she lay at his feet until the morning, but arose before one could recognize another. And he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” 15 And he said, “Bring the garment you are wearing and hold it out.” So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley and put it on her. Then she went into the city.
Boaz did not want anyone else to know that Ruth was there that evening, perhaps to prevent rumors that they slept together. So he asks Ruth to stay with him there on the threshing floor until just before the sun was up. Prior to Ruth left that morning, he gave her six measure of barley. Ruth then went home in the city. Upon first review we might think it was a generous gift for Ruth, but in reality it was a message for Noami.
16 And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did you fare, my daughter?” Then she told her all that the man had done for her, 17 saying, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said to me, ‘You must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’ “ 18 She replied, “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today.”
When Ruth returned home Naomi asks Ruth how the evening went. Ruth told her what had transpired and then showed her the six measures of barley. She explained that Boaz did not want her to return home to Naomi empty-handed. Naomi understood the message and explains it to Ruth. That Boaz will not rest until the matter of finding a kinsman-redeemer is resolved. The code was straightforward, God took six days to create the earth and then He rested on the seventh day. When Boaz gave Ruth the six measures of barley for Naomi she immediately understood that Boaz would not rest until a Gō’ēl for Ruth was found.
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[1] Pietersma, A., & Wright, B. G., eds. (2007). Routh. In F. W. Knobloch (Trans.), A New English Translation of the Septuagint (Primary Texts) (Ru 3:3). Oxford University Press.
[2] Fruchtenbaum, A. G. (2006). Ariel’s Bible commentary: the books of Judges and Ruth (1st ed., p. 321). Ariel Ministries.
[3] Strong’s Hebrew 3671.
[4] Strong’s Hebrew 2428.