Ruth and Boaz's Relationship in the Bible

The relationship between Ruth and Boaz is central to the biblical book of Ruth, depicting a narrative of loyalty, provision, and the continuation of a family line that ultimately leads to King David and Jesus Christ ^{[1, 4, 8]}. Boaz, a wealthy Bethlehemite, was a kinsman of Elimelech, Naomi's deceased husband and Mahlon's father ^{[3, 5]}. Ruth was Mahlon's widow, a Moabitess who had returned to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law, Naomi, after the deaths of their husbands ^{[1, 4]}.

The story unfolds after a famine in Judah led Elimelech, Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, to emigrate to Moab. After about ten years, Elimelech and both sons died, leaving Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah as widows ^[1]. Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem, and Ruth, demonstrating remarkable devotion, insisted on accompanying her, famously declaring, "Your people shall be my people, and your God my God" (Ruth 1:16) ^[4].

Upon their arrival in Bethlehem, Ruth began to glean in the fields to provide for herself and Naomi. By divine providence, she happened upon the field belonging to Boaz ^[4]. Boaz, described as a "mighty man of wealth" ^[11], noticed Ruth and showed her exceptional kindness, instructing his reapers to leave extra grain for her and offering her protection ^[4]. He recognized her as a "marriageable young woman" ^[9] and was aware of her loyalty to Naomi ^[10].

The relationship progressed under the guidance of Naomi, who advised Ruth to approach Boaz at the threshing floor and ask him to fulfill the role of a kinsman-redeemer (Hebrew: go'el) ^[10]. This role involved marrying Ruth to "establish the name of the deceased upon his inheritance" ^[13]. Ruth followed Naomi's instructions, and Boaz, acknowledging her virtuous character, promised to fulfill her request, provided a nearer kinsman-redeemer declined the duty ^{[10, 15]}.

The concept of the kinsman-redeemer (or levirate law, though some scholars distinguish between the two) is crucial to understanding Boaz's actions ^{[3, 12]}. This law, outlined in Deuteronomy 25:5-10, stipulated that if a man died without an heir, his brother should marry the widow to raise up offspring for the deceased. While Boaz was not Mahlon's brother, he was a close relative, and the principle of preserving the family line and inheritance applied ^{[3, 13]}.

Boaz acted decisively to formalize the arrangement. He went to the city gate, a public place for legal transactions, and convened a meeting with the nearer kinsman and the elders of the city ^{[13, 14]}. He presented the kinsman with the opportunity to redeem Elimelech's land, which also entailed marrying Ruth ^[13]. The nearer kinsman, however, declined, stating he could not redeem it "lest I mar my own inheritance" (Ruth 4:6). This refusal cleared the way for Boaz to assume the role of redeemer ^{[13, 14]}.

In a public ceremony, Boaz declared his intention to buy all that belonged to Elimelech and Chilion and Mahlon, and to acquire Ruth, the Moabitess, as his wife, "to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place" (Ruth 4:9-10). The elders and all the people at the gate served as witnesses, blessing the union and praying for Ruth to be like Rachel and Leah, who built up the house of Israel ^[14].

Boaz then took Ruth as his wife, and "Yahweh gave her conception, and she bore a son" ^[2]. This son was named Obed, who became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David ^[4]. This lineage is significant because it places Ruth, a Gentile woman, directly in the ancestry of King David and, subsequently, Jesus Christ, as noted in Matthew 1:5 and Luke 3:32 ^{[4, 5, 8]}. Josephus, in his Antiquities of the Jews, also records this lineage, highlighting the importance of Boaz and Ruth's marriage in the history of Israel ^[7].

The relationship between Ruth and Boaz is often interpreted as a model of covenant faithfulness and divine providence. Boaz's name, meaning "in strength" or "alacrity" ^{[3, 6, 11]}, reflects his decisive and honorable actions. His willingness to fulfill the role of kinsman-redeemer, even when it involved personal cost, demonstrates his integrity and compassion. Ruth's loyalty to Naomi and her willingness to embrace a new culture and faith are also central to the narrative ^[4]. The story illustrates how God works through ordinary people and circumstances to achieve his redemptive purposes, integrating a foreign woman into the lineage of the Messiah ^{[4, 15]}.

Sources

Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Ruth — (a female friend) a Moabitish woman, the wife, first of Mahlon, second of Boaz, the ancestress of David and Christ, and one of the four women who are named by St. Matthew in the genealogy of Christ. A severe famine in the land of Judah induced Elimelech, a native of Bethlehem--ephratah, to emigrate into the land of Moab, with his wife Naomi, and his two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. This was probably about the time of Gideon, B.C. 1250. At the end of ten years Naomi now left a widow and childless, having heard that there was plenty again in Judah, resolved to retur”
Ruth “So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife; and he went in to her, and Yahweh gave her conception, and she bore a son. -- Ruth 4:13”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Boaz — Alacrity. (1.) The husband of Ruth, a wealthy Bethlehemite. By the "levirate law" the duty devolved on him of marrying Ruth the Moabitess (Ruth 4:1-13). He was a kinsman of Mahlon, her first husband. (2.) The name given (for what reason is unknown) to one of the two (the other was called Jachin) brazen pillars which Solomon erected in the court of the temple (1 Kings 7:21; 2 Chr. 3:17). These pillars were broken up and carried to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar.”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Ruth — A friend, a Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, whose father, Elimelech, had settled in the land of Moab. On the death of Elimelech and Mahlon, Naomi came with Ruth, her daughter-in-law, who refused to leave her, to Bethlehem, the old home from which Elimelech had migrated. There she had a rich relative, Boaz, to whom Ruth was eventually married. She became the mother of Obed, the grandfather of David. Thus Ruth, a Gentile, is among the maternal progenitors of our Lord (Matt. 1:5). The story of "the gleaner Ruth illustrates the friendly relations between the good B”
Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Boaz — (fleetness). + A wealthy Bethlehemite kinsman to Elimelech the husband of Naomi. He married Ruth, and redeemed the estates of her deceased husband Mahlon. (Ruth 4:1) Boaz is mentioned in the genealogy of Christ, (Matthew 1:5) (B.C. 1250, but there is great difficulty in assigning his date.) + The name of one of Solomon's brazen pillars erected in the temple porch. [[308]Jachin] It stood on the left, and was eighteen cubits high. (1 Kings 7:15; 21; 2 Chronicles 3:15; Jeremiah 52:21)”
Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Boaz — or Booz, in strength”
Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 9, section 1: . How Under Eli's Government Of The Israelites Booz Married Ruth, From Whom Came Obed The Grandfather Of David.”
Luke (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Luke 3:32: 3:32 Boaz was the husband of Ruth the Moabite (see Ruth 2–4).”
Ruth (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ruth 2:5: 2:5 Boaz recognized Ruth as a marriageable young woman (Hebrew na‘arah).”
Ruth (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Ruth 3 (introduction): Ruth Seeks for Marriage with Boaz - Ruth 3 After the harvest Naomi advised Ruth to visit Boaz on a certain night, and ask him to marry her as redeemer (Rut 3:1-5). Ruth followed this advice, and Boaz promised to fulfil her request, provided the nearer redeemer who was still living would not perform this duty (Rut 3:6-13), and sent her away in the morning with a present of wheat, that she might not return empty to her mother-in-law (Rut 3:14-18). To understand the advice which Naomi gave to Ruth, and which Ruth carried out, and in fact to form a correc”
Ruth (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Ruth 2:1: Naomi had now gained a settlement in Bethlehem among her old friends; and here we have an account, I. Of her rich kinsman, Boaz, a mighty man of wealth, Rut 2:1. The Chaldee reads it, mighty in the law. If he was both, it was a most rare and excellent conjunction, to be mighty in wealth and mighty in the scriptures too; those that are so are mighty indeed. He was grandson of Nahshon, who was prince of the tribe of Judah in the wilderness, and son of Salmon, probably a younger son, by Rahab, the harlot of Jericho. He carries might in his name, Boaz - in him is strengt”
Ruth (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Ruth 4 (introduction): In this chapter we have the wedding between Boaz and Ruth, in the circumstances of which there was something uncommon, which is kept upon record for the illustration, not only of the law concerning the marrying of a brother's widow (Deu 25:5, etc.), for cases help to expound laws, but of the gospel too, for from this marriage descended David, and the Son of David, whose espousals to the Gentile church were hereby typified. We are here told, I. How Boaz got clear of his rival, and fairly shook him off (Rut 4:1-8). II. How his marriage with Ruth was public”
Ruth (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Ruth 4 (introduction): Boaz Marries Ruth - Ruth 4 To redeem the promise he had given to Ruth, Boaz went the next morning to the gate of the city, and calling to the nearer redeemer as he passed by, asked him, before the elders of the city, to redeem the piece of land which belonged to Elimelech and had been sold by Naomi; and if he did this, at the same time to marry Ruth, to establish the name of the deceased upon his inheritance (Rut 4:1-5). But as he renounced the right of redemption on account of the condition attached to the redemption of the field, Boaz undertook the ”
Ruth (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Ruth 4 (introduction): Boaz gathers a council of the elders at the city gates, states the case, and proposes to the nearest kinsman to redeem the inheritance of Elimelech, and take Ruth to wife, Rut 4:1-5. The kinsman refuses, and relinquishes has right to Boaz, Rut 4:6. The manner of redemption in such cases, Rut 4:7, Rut 4:8. Boaz redeems the inheritance in the presence of the elders, and of the people, who witness the contract, and pray for God's blessing upon the marriage, Rut 4:9-12. Boaz takes Ruth for wife, and she bears a son, Rut 4:13. The people's observations on the b”
Ruth (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ruth 3:11: 3:11 what is necessary (literally what you are asking): Boaz agreed to act on Ruth’s behalf. Some interpreters understand Boaz’s statement as an unconditional agreement to marry Ruth (see also study note on 4:5); most take it to mean that Boaz would act to provide for Ruth and Naomi by presenting to the nearer kinsman the opportunity to act as family redeemer before taking the opportunity himself (4:1-12). By voluntarily taking on the role of the family redeemer for Ruth and Naomi, Boaz became a forerunner of Jesus.”

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