Ruth 4:9-12

Boaz Marries Ruth 4:9-12

9And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech'S, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon'S, of the hand of Naomi.

10 Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.
11 And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratha, and be famous in Bethlehem:
12 And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman.

8.

How could Naomi have the right to sell Elimelech's property? Ruth 4:9

Property descended through the sons and not through the daughters of the family, but the law relating to the inheritance of the landed property of Israelites who died childless did not determine the time when such a possession should pass to the relatives of the deceased. Sometimes it may have been immediately after the death of the owner. At other times, it may not have been until after the death of the widow who was left behind (see Numbers 27:9 ff.). No doubt the latter rule prevailed at the time, having been established by custom. Thus the widow remained in possession of the property as long as she lived. For that length of time she had the right to sell the property in case of need. Still, the sale of a field was not an actual sale of the field itself, but simply of the yearly produce until the year of jubilee.

9.

Why did the people pray for Ruth to be like Rachel and Leah? Ruth 4:11

Rachel was the beloved wife of Jacob. She bore two sons to him, Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, were given equal status in the house of Israel with the other sons, thus Rachel was the mother of three of the founders of the tribes of Israel. Leah bore six sons to Jacob and all of these became heads of the tribes. One, Levi, was the father of all the priestly family. The handmaids of Rachel and Leah gave birth to the other sons who became the heads of the tribes of Israel. The prayer of the people for Ruth was for her to be like these respected mothers of Israel.

10.

Why did the people wish Boaz to be like Pharez? Ruth 4:12

Pharez was the son of Judah. He was born to Judah by Tamar (Genesis 38:29). The families of Judah were descended through him. Judah became the leading tribe of Israel. When Jacob blessed his sons and prayed for them, he predicted the preeminence which would belong to Judah (Genesis 49:8-12). Since Judah was such a leading tribe and his families were counted through the descendants of Pharez, the people of Bethlehem, a city in Judah, could think of no greater blessing than for Boaz and his family to be like the family of Pharez.