Ruth 3
Hidden in the Night, Held by the Light
Setting the Lamp on Context
The harvest season has ended. Piles of barley lie on the threshing floor
outside Bethlehem, where cool evening breezes help winnow grain. Naomi,
widowed and once bitter, now begins to hope (cf. 2 : 20). She sees in
Boaz—her late husband’s kinsman—not only a generous landowner but also a
possible “go’el,” a family redeemer (Leviticus 25 : 25; Deuteronomy 25 :
5-10). In Hebrew, גֹּאֵ֣ל (go’el) is more than a legal term. It names the
one who rescues relatives from debt, slavery, or the danger of an
extinguished family line. Behind the word echoes God’s own voice: “I am
the LORD … your Redeemer” (Isaiah 43 : 14, New International
Version).
Naomi’s Audacious Plan (3 : 1-5)
Naomi gives Ruth three imperatives: wash, anoint, dress in your best
cloak. Western readers might picture flirtation; ancient readers heard
something else. Ruth has worn mourning clothes for nearly a year.
Changing garments signals that her season of grief is over and she is
available for marriage (cf. 2 Samuel 12 : 20). Naomi’s strategy requires
stealth because threshing floors were public, unroofed spaces where
workers slept beside their grain. Late-night visits could be
misunderstood, yet Naomi trusts Boaz’s integrity.
Literary note: The author weaves suspense with repetition—“go down … uncover … lie down”—while withholding outcomes until dawn. Hebrew narrative often unfolds like a slow-turning camera, building tension by detail.
Cross-reference: Song of Songs 3 : 1-4 (another nocturnal search for a beloved).
Ruth’s Midnight Petition (3 : 6-9)
Ruth obeys Naomi “in every detail,” yet at the key moment she adds her
own words: “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a
redeemer” (3 : 9, literal Hebrew). The word for “corner” is כָּנָף (kanaf),
also translated “wing.” Earlier Boaz blessed Ruth that she might find
refuge under God’s “wings” (2 : 12). Now Ruth asks Boaz to become the
living answer to his own prayer.
Cultural window: To “uncover the feet” sounds odd to us. In the Ancient
Near East, servants often warmed masters’ feet, but here the act wakes
Boaz gently. Some commentators note that “feet” can be a euphemism for
sexual parts (as in Isaiah 6 : 2). Yet the narrative’s careful phrasing,
public setting, and Boaz’s immediate praise for Ruth’s virtue push the
balance toward chastity. The scene is bold, not illicit.
Boaz’s Redeeming Oath (3 : 10-15)
Boaz responds with blessing, commitment, and provision:
• Blessing – “You have shown more kindness (hesed) now than before.”
Hesed—covenant loyalty—lies at the theological heart of Ruth.
• Commitment – “As surely as the LORD lives I will do it.” He invokes
God’s name, turning legal duty into a vow of worship.
• Provision – six measures of barley (about 60–80 lb) placed into Ruth’s
shawl. The gift prefigures a fuller gift—marriage and lineage
culminating in David, and ultimately in Christ (Matthew 1 :
5-6).
Careful readers notice a legal wrinkle: another relative is closer. The story honors both desire and due process, showing how God’s purposes move within, not against, rightful order.
Dawn, Waiting, and Trust (3 : 16-18)
Ruth returns before daylight—reputation guarded, faith intact. Naomi’s
closing counsel, “Wait … the man will not rest,” mirrors God’s waiting
people throughout Scripture (Psalm 37 : 7; Isaiah 64 : 4).
Threads Woven Through Scripture
• Redemption: The kinsman-redeemer foreshadows Christ, our elder Brother
who buys us out of bondage (Galatians 4 : 4-5; Hebrews 2 : 11-15).
• Covering: Kanaf imagery later blossoms in Ezekiel 16 : 8, where God
spreads His garment over Jerusalem. Jesus echoes it when a woman touches
“the fringe [kanaf] of his cloak” (Matthew 9 : 20, English Standard
Version)—seeking shelter under Messianic wings.
• Inclusion: A Moabite enters Israel’s royal line, pointing to the
Gentile inclusion celebrated in Ephesians 2 : 12-13.
Echoes from Church History
• Irenaeus saw in Boaz a type of Christ who “took to Himself the
outcasts of the nations.”
• Augustine marveled that Ruth’s story proves “God’s hidden hand in the
ordinary,” cautioning believers not to despise small beginnings.
• Reformers used Ruth 3 to teach vocation: faithful labor, moral
courage, and respect for lawful custom all participate in divine
providence.
Archaeological Glimpses
Stone-lined threshing floors from Iron-Age Judah dot the Judean hills
today, often near caves that served as temporary shelters. Perfumed oil
flasks (alabastron jars) from the same era, found at Tel Batash and
Beth-Shemesh, confirm that scented anointing was common and affordable
for village women—Naomi’s instructions are realistic, not
extravagant.
Heart Reflections
Suggested Hymn
“Jesus, Lover of My Soul” (Charles Wesley, 1740). Note the line, “Hide
me, O my Saviour, hide, / Till the storm of life is past; / Safe into
the haven guide, / O receive my soul at last.” The image of shelter
beneath Christ’s wings echoes Ruth’s plea beneath Boaz’s cloak.
For Further Reading Today
• Psalm 91 (shelter under wings)
• Isaiah 54 : 4-8 (the LORD as husband-redeemer)
• 1 Peter 2 : 9-12 (honorable conduct among unbelievers)
Closing Prayer
Redeeming God,
Thank You for spreading Your garment of grace over us in Jesus. Teach us
the courage of Ruth, the integrity of Boaz, the patient hope of Naomi.
May we become living answers to our own prayers, offering shelter to the
weary and honor to Your name.
In the strong name of our Kinsman-Redeemer we pray. Amen.