Ruth 3:2

Ruth 3:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor.
• New International Version (NIV)Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.

Context of Ruth 3:2

1Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, shouldn’t I find rest for you, so that you will be taken care of? Now isn’t Boaz our relative? Haven’t you been working with his female servants? This evening he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. 3Wash, put on perfumed oil, and wear your best clothes. Go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let the man know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. 4When he lies down, notice the place where he’s lying, go in and uncover his feet, and lie down. Then he will explain to you what you should do.”

Ruth 3:2 word by word

וְעַתָּ֗ה הֲלֹ֥א בֹ֙עַז֙ מֹֽדַעְתָּ֔נוּ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָיִ֖ית אֶת־נַעֲרוֹתָ֑יו הִנֵּה־ה֗וּא זֹרֶ֛ה אֶת־גֹּ֥רֶן הַשְּׂעֹרִ֖ים הַלָּֽיְלָה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• not Boazבֹּ֫עַזbô‛az · BoazH1162
• of our kindredמֹדַ֫עַתmôda‛ath · kinsmanH4130
• with whose maidensנַעֲרָהna‛ărâh · maidenH5291
• thou wast? Behold, he winnowethזָרָהzârâh · to scatterH2219
• barleyשְׂעֹרָהώe‛ôrâh ώe‛ôrâh ώe‛ôr ώe‛ôr · barleyH8184
• to nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
• in the threshingfloorגֹּ֫רֶןgôren · threshing floorH1637

Cross-references for Ruth 3:2

• Ruth 2:20Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May the Lord bless him because he has not abandoned his kindness to the living or the dead.” Naomi continued, “The man is a close relative. He is one of our family redeemers.”
• Deuteronomy 25:5“When brothers live on the same property and one of them dies without a son, the wife of the dead man may not marry a stranger outside the family. Her brother-in-law is to take her as his wife, have sexual relations with her, and perform the duty of a brother-in-law for her.
• Hebrews 2:11For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters,
• Ruth 2:8Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Don’t go and gather grain in another field, and don’t leave this one, but stay here close to my female servants.

Commentaries on Ruth 3:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2He winnoweth barley tonight - It is very likely that the winnowing of grain was effected by taking up, in a broad thin vessel or sieve, a portion of the corn, and letting it down slowly in the wind; thus the grain would, by its own weight, fall in one place, while the chaff, etc., would be carried to a distance by the wind. It is said here that this was done at night; probably what was threshed out in the day was winnowed in the evening, when the sea…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Behold, he winnoweth barley … - The simple manners of Boaz and his times are here before us. This “mighty man of wealth” assists personally in the winnowing of his barley, which lies in a great heap on the floor Rth 3:15 , and sleeps in the open threshing-floor to protect his grain from depredation. Tonight - For the sake of the breeze which springs up at sunset, and greatly facilitates the “cleansing” (separation) of the grain tossed up across the wind.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2As a close relative, Boaz might serve as a redeemer for Ruth and Naomi (see study notes on Ruth 2:20; 3:9). The threshing floor was a flat surface made of stone or hardened earth. The farmer spread sheaves of grain over it and beat them to separate the grain from the straw. Then the farmer would winnow by tossing the mixed straw and grain into the air with a wooden fork or shovel. The breeze carried the lighter straw and chaff away, while the heavier…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-132. he winnoweth barley to-night in the threshing-floor--The winnowing process is performed by throwing up the grain, after being trodden down, against the wind with a shovel. The threshing-floor, which was commonly on the harvest-field, was carefully leveled with a large cylindric roller and consolidated with chalk, that weeds might not spring up, and that it might not chop with drought. The farmer usually remained all night in harvest-time on the…Read the comment

Topics related to Ruth 3:2

• Inheritance
• Ruth
• Threshing
• Winnowing

In the dictionaries

• Boaz
• Daughter
• Fall
• Levirate Law
• Skirt
• Winnow
• Kindred
• Naomi
• Agriculture
• Ointment

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