Ruth 3:9

Ruth 3:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.
• New International Version (NIV)“Who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)He said, "Who are you?" And she answered, "I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And he said, “Who are you?” So she answered, “I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative.”

Context of Ruth 3:9

7And Boaz ate and drank, and his heart was merry, and he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn. Then she went softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid herself down. 8And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was startled, and turned himself; and behold, a woman lay at his feet. And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth, thy handmaid: spread thy skirt over thy handmaid; for thou hast the right of redemption. 10And he said, Blessed be thou of Jehovah, my daughter! Thou hast shewn more kindness at the end than at the first, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich. 11And now, my daughter, fear not: all that thou sayest will I do to thee; for all the gate of my people knows that thou art a woman of worth.

Ruth 3:9 word by word

וַיֹּ֖אמֶר מִי־אָ֑תּ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר אָנֹכִי֙ ר֣וּת אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ וּפָרַשְׂתָּ֤ כְנָפֶ֙ךָ֙ עַל־אֲמָ֣תְךָ֔ כִּ֥י גֹאֵ֖ל אָֽתָּה׃Read the interlinear

• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Ruthרוּתrûth · RuthH7327
• spreadפָּרַשׂpâraώ · to spreadH6566
• skirtכָּנָףkânâph · wingH3671

Cross-references for Ruth 3:9

• Ruth 2:10Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said to him, Why have I found favour in thine eyes, that thou shouldest regard me, seeing I am a foreigner?
• 1 Samuel 25:41And she arose and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thy handmaid be a bondwoman to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.
• Luke 14:11for every one that exalts himself shall be abased, and he that abases himself shall be exalted.
• Ezekiel 16:8And I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, and behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness; and I swore unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord Jehovah, and thou becamest mine.
• Ruth 3:12And now, truly I am one that has the right of redemption, yet there is one that has the right of redemption who is nearer than I.
• Ruth 2:20And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, Blessed be he of Jehovah, who has not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead! And Naomi said to her, The man is near of kin to us, one of those who have the right of our redemption.

Commentaries on Ruth 3:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Spread therefore thy skirt over thine hand maid - Hebrew, Spread thy wing. The wing is the emblem of protection, and is a metaphor taken from the young of fowls, which run under the wings of their mothers, that they may be saved from birds of prey. The meaning here is, Take me to thee for wife; and so the Targum has translated it, Let thy name be called on thy handmaid to take me for wife, because thou art the redeemer; i.e., thou art the גאל goel, the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Spread thy skirt … - The phrase indicates receiving and acknowledging her as a wife.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-13Verses 6-13 What in one age or nation would be improper, is not always so in another age or another nation. Being a judge of Israel, Boaz would tell Ruth what she should do; also whether he had the right of redemption, and what methods must be taken, and what rites used, in order to accomplishing her marriage with him or another person. The conduct of Boaz calls for the highest praise. He attempted not to take advantage of Ruth; he did not disdain her as…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9your servant: Ruth intentionally identified herself with the female workers. Spread the corner of your garment over me: This was Ruth's way of asking Boaz to marry her (compare Ezekiel 16:8). Ruth appealed to Boaz’s role as a family redeemer (Hebrew go’el) to convince him to marry her (see Ruth 4:5; “The Family Redeemer” Theme Note).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman--She had already drawn part of the mantle over her; and she asked him now to do it, that the act might become his own. To spread a skirt over one is, in the East, a symbolical action denoting protection. To this day in many parts of the East, to say of anyone that he put his skirt over a woman, is synonymous with saying that he married her; and at all…Read the comment

Topics related to Ruth 3:9

• Chastity
• Continence
• Courtship
• Ruth
• Threshing

In the dictionaries

• Ruth
• Daughter
• Fall
• Handmaid
• Kinsman
• Levirate Law
• Skirt
• Boaz
• Naomi
• Threshing-Floor

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