WENT UP. — Inasmuch as the town stood on a hill: so in Ruth 3:3, Ruth is bidden to _go down_ to the threshing-floor. THE KINSMAN. — The _Goel._ (See Ruth 3:12). TURN ASIDE. — The form of the imperative is such as to give a hortatory turn, pray turn aside and sit down. SUCH A ONE. — Heb.,_p’l_oni _... [ Continue Reading ]
NAOMI SELLETH... — Rather, _the portion of land, which belonged to our brother Elimelech. has Naomi sold._ The present tense of the English Version seems to suggest that the sale is taking place at this particular time, but the meaning clearly is that Naomi, as the representative of the dead Elimele... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I THOUGHT... — literally, _and I said I will uncover thy ear._ THE INHABITANTS. — This should perhaps rather be, _those who are sitting here_ [the Hebrew word _yashabh_ has the two meanings of _dwelling_ and _sitting,_ see _e.g.,_ Genesis 23:10, where the latter meaning should certainly be take... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT DAY... — When the person had been bought out to whom Naomi had sold the land until the year of Jubilee should restore it to her family, there remained Naomi’s own claim on the land, and after wards that of Ruth, as the widow of the son of Elimelech. But further, this last carried with it the ne... [ Continue Reading ]
LEST I MAR... — The redemption of the land would involve the spending of money, drawn away from the _Goel’s_ own estate; but the land thus acquired would not belong to the _Goel_ himself, but to the son he should have by Ruth, who would yet be, in the eyes of the law, the son of Mahlon. It would, th... [ Continue Reading ]
IN FORMER TIME. — Arguments have been built on this word in favour of our assigning a late date to the book, but the inference seems hardly warranted. The same Hebrew word occurs in Deuteronomy 2:10; Judges 1:10, &c. PLUCKED OFF HIS SHOE. — The idea of this act apparently is that the man resigns th... [ Continue Reading ]
DREW. — The same word in the Hebrew as _plucked_ in Ruth 4:7.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD... — In this way is the nuptial blessing invoked. IS COME. — Rather, _is coming._ RACHEL — though the younger sister and the junior wife — is put first, probably from her death and burial having associated her with Bethlehem (see Genesis 35:16; Genesis 35:19). In this way, too, we should... [ Continue Reading ]
PHAREZ. — (See Genesis 38:29). Judah having, though unwittingly, fulfilled the Levirate obligation to the widow of his eldest son, the child thus born becomes the heir of that eldest son, and therefore the head of the house of Judah.... [ Continue Reading ]
LEFT THEE WITHOUT. — Literally, _not allowed to cease to thee._ A KINSMAN. — That is, _the child_ (See next verse). The word _kinsman_ here is _Goel,_ a redeemer.... [ Continue Reading ]
A NOURISHER. — (See marginal renderings). DAUGHTER-IN-LAW. — The position of the nominative is emphatic. LOVETH. — The verb is a perfect, _which hath ever loved thee. _... [ Continue Reading ]
NURSE. — The verb (_aman_) here is that used in Isaiah 49:23, “and kings shall be thy _nursing fathers.”_ That ordinarily used for the natural nursing of a woman is different.... [ Continue Reading ]
OBED. — _i.e.,_ a serving one. (18–22). This short genealogy, abruptly added, may be due to a later hand, it being thought necessary to connect David’s line fully with Judah.... [ Continue Reading ]
HEZRON. — See Genesis 46:12.... [ Continue Reading ]
RAM. — See 1 Chronicles 2:9; St. Matthew 1:3. Amminadab. — It was to his daughter Elisheba that Aaron was married. (Exodus 6:23).... [ Continue Reading ]
NAHSHON was the prince of the children of Judah in the wilderness. (See Numbers 1:7, &c). SALMON — Heb., _Salmah,_ though called Salmon in the next verse. In 1 Chronicles 2:11 he is called _Salma._ Salmon may very probably have been one of the two spies sent to Jericho, who having been sheltered by... [ Continue Reading ]