89 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
So she gleaned in the field until even,.... An instance of her great diligence and industry, attending to this mean employment constantly from morning tonight: and beat out that she had gleaned: she did not bind up her gleanings in a bundle, and carry it home on her head, as gleaners with us do, but she beat it out with a staff in the field, where...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And she took it up,.... The ephah of barley, into her arms, or on her shoulders: and went into the city; the city of Bethlehem; and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: she set it down before her, and she looked at it with admiration, that she should glean so much in one day: and she brought forth; not Naomi, as Josephus (k) represents it,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And her mother in law said unto her, where hast thou gleaned today?.... In what part of the field of Bethlehem? or on whose land, that she had gleaned so much? not that she suspected that she had got it in an illicit manner, but supposed she had been directed by the providence of God to a spot of ground where there was good gleaning; of that she...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, blessed be he of the Lord,.... Or the Lord bless him with all kind of blessings, temporal and spiritual; and as he has blessed him already, may he be blessed more and more: who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead; he had been kind to Elimelech and to his sons, who were now dead, and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Ruth the Moabitess said, he said unto me also,.... Besides the favours he has shown me already, he has given me reason to expect more, for he has given me this strict order: thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest; both barley harvest and wheat harvest; his will was, that she kept following them, and gleaned...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law,.... Observing the charge Boaz had given her, she thought fit to advise her upon it: it is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens; that is, go out in the morning with them, set out from Bethlehem when they went to work, and so continue with them all the day: that they meet thee not in any...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean,.... Accepting the kindness of Boaz, and attending to the advice of her mother-in-law, as well as using all diligence to get a livelihood for her mother and herself; in which she was a wonderful instance of dutiful affection, humility, and industry: and so she continued unto the end of barley...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Ruth 3 In this chapter we have a proposal of Naomi to Ruth, with advice and directions to get Boaz for her husband, Ruth 2:1. Ruth's obedience to the instructions she gave her, Ruth 2:5, the notice Boaz took of her, and the conversation that passed between them, Ruth 2:8 the dismission of her in the morning to her mother-in-law...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her,.... After the harvests were over, and so gleaning likewise; when Naomi and Ruth were together alone in their apartment, the mother addressed the daughter after this manner: my daughter, shall I not seek for thee, that it may be well with thee? that is, in the house of an husband, as in Ruth 1:9 her...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast?.... He was, and her question supposes and concludes it, and which she observes, that Ruth might take notice of it, and encouragement from it; and the rather, since she had been admitted into the company and conversation of his maidens; and which was more, though not mentioned, into...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Wash thyself, therefore,.... Thy flesh, as Ben Melech, that she might appear clean and neat, and free from all spots, and every thing that might occasion a disagreeable aspect, or an ill scent, and so be acceptable to the man proposed: and anoint thee; not with aromatic ointments, as great personages, both men and women, used as Aben Ezra notes,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And it shall be, when he lieth down,.... On the threshingfloor, under the open air, in order to sleep, and take rest: that thou shall mark the place where he shall lie; the spot he shall lie on, and the direction in which he shall lie, whether east, west, c. that when the light shall be taken away, and the darkness of the night come on, she might...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And she said unto her,.... Having the highest opinion of her piety and prudence, and being confident she would never advise her to what was contrary to true religion and virtue: all that thou sayest unto me I will do; observe every instruction and direction she gave her, and attend strictly to every circumstance pointed out to her, as she did; the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And she went down unto the floor,.... From the city of Bethlehem, from her mother-in-law's house there, to the threshingfloor of Boaz, which was at some distance from it, and lower: and did according to all that her mother in law bade her; both before she went, and after: she washed and anointed herself, and put on her best clothes before she went...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry,.... Having ate and drank freely, though not to excess; and innocent mirth was always allowed in the time of harvest, and of the vintage, and of gathering the fruits of the earth, see Judges 9:27 or "his heart was good"; he was in a good frame and disposition of mind, praising God for his...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And it came to pass at midnight,.... So long Boaz slept without knowledge of any person being at his feet, and so long Ruth had lain there; but awaking, and perceiving something at his feet, which pressed them, it made him look about and feel, and so affected him, that the man was afraid; though a man, and a man of spirit, he was afraid, a panic...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he said, who art thou?.... He spoke quick and short, as one displeased, or however surprised and frightened, just coming out of sleep, and in the night: and she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid; that had gleaned in his fields with his maidens, and with whom he had conversed there, and knew her by name: spread therefore thy skirt over thy...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he said, blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter,.... Instead of calling her an immodest woman for laying herself down at his feet, and a bold impudent woman, she being poor, to ask marriage of him; and instead of being angry with her, and chiding and reproving her for disturbing and frightening him in the night, he blesses her, and pray's to...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And now, my daughter, fear not,.... Either of being forced and defiled, to which he had exposed herself by lying down at a man's feet, or of being reproached as an immodest woman for so doing, or of being despised as a poor woman, and of not succeeding in her suit and enterprise: and I will do to thee all that thou requirest; which could be done...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And now it is true, that I am thy near kinsman,.... Her husband and he being brothers' sons, so own cousins: howbeit, there is a kinsman nearer than I, who was, the Jews say (w), the brother of her husband's father, and so his uncle, which was a nearer relation than an own cousin. (w) Midrash Ruth, ut supra. (31. 4. & 34. 2) Jarchi in loc.