Ruth 3:4

Ruth 3:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.
• New International Version (NIV)When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do.”

Context of Ruth 3:4

2Now Boaz, with whose maids you were [working], is he not our relative? See now, he is winnowing barley at the threshing floor tonight. 3So wash and anoint yourself [with olive oil], then put on your [best] clothes, and go down to the threshing floor; but stay out of the man’s sight until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, notice the place where he is lying, and go and uncover his feet and lie down. Then he will tell you what to do.” 5Ruth answered her, “I will do everything that you say.” 6So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had told her.

Ruth 3:4 word by word

וִיהִ֣י בְשָׁכְב֗וֹ וְיָדַ֙עַתְּ֙ אֶת־הַמָּקוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִשְׁכַּב־שָׁ֔ם וּבָ֛את וְגִלִּ֥ית מַרְגְּלֹתָ֖יו וְשָׁכָ֑בְתְּ וְהוּא֙ יַגִּ֣יד לָ֔ךְ אֵ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּעַשִֽׂין׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And it shall be, when he lieth downשָׁכַבshâkab · to lie down: lay downH7901
• that thou shalt markיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• the placeמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
• and thou shalt go inבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• and uncoverגָּלָהgâlâh · to reveal: uncoverH1540
• his feetמַרְגְּלוֹתmargelâh · feetH4772
• and he will tellנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
• thee what thou shalt doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213

Cross-references for Ruth 3:4

• 1 Thessalonians 5:22Abstain from every form of evil [withdraw and keep away from it].

Commentaries on Ruth 3:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Uncover his feet, and lay thee down - It is said that women in the East, when going to the bed of their lawful husbands, through modesty, and in token of subjection, go to the bed's foot, and gently raising the clothes, creep under them up to their place. See Calmet. On the whole, we must say, had not Boaz been a person of extraordinary piety, prudence, and continence, this experiment might have been fatal to Ruth. We cannot easily account for this…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Uncover his feet - Rather, “the place of his feet;” the foot of his bed, as we should say. So also Rth 3:7-8 .Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Ruth uncovered Boaz's feet to wake him up.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. go in, and uncover his feet and lay thee down--Singular as these directions may appear to us, there was no impropriety in them, according to the simplicity of rural manners in Beth-lehem. In ordinary circumstances these would have seemed indecorous to the world; but in the case of Ruth, it was a method, doubtless conformable to prevailing usage, of reminding Boaz of the duty which devolved on him as the kinsman of her deceased husband. Boaz probably…Read the comment

Topics related to Ruth 3:4

• Inheritance
• Ruth
• Threshing

In the dictionaries

• Daughter
• Fall
• Levirate Law
• Skirt
• Boaz
• Naomi

Commentaries on Ruth 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary