English Standard Version
Ruth 4:2
2And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, "Sit down here." So they sat down.
Ruth 4:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.
- New International Version (NIV)Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Then Boaz called ten leaders from the town and asked them to sit as witnesses.
Context of Ruth 4:2
1Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, "Turn aside, friend; sit down here." And he turned aside and sat down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, "Sit down here." So they sat down. 3Then he said to the redeemer, "Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. 4So I thought I would tell you of it and say, 'Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.' If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you." And he said, "I will redeem it."
Read all of Ruth 4Ruth 4:2 word by word
וַיִּקַּ֞ח עֲשָׂרָ֧ה אֲנָשִׁ֛ים מִזִּקְנֵ֥י הָעִ֖יר וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁבוּ־פֹ֑ה וַיֵּשֵֽׁבוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Ruth 4:2
- Exodus 18:21Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
- Exodus 21:8If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her.
- Deuteronomy 29:10"You are standing today, all of you, before the Lord your God: the heads of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, all the men of Israel,
- Deuteronomy 31:28Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears and call heaven and earth to witness against them.
- 1 Kings 21:8So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal, and she sent the letters to the elders and the leaders who lived with Naboth in his city.
- Proverbs 31:23Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land.
- Lamentations 5:14The old men have left the city gate, the young men their music.
- Acts 6:12And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council,
Commentaries on Ruth 4:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2He took ten men - Probably it required this number to constitute a court. How simple and how rational was this proceeding! The man who had a suit went to the city gates. Here he stopped till the person with whom he had the suit came to the gate on his way to his work. He called him by name, and he stopped and sat down. Then ten elders were called, and they came and sat down. When all this was done, the appellant preferred his suit. Then the appellee…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Every city was governed by elders (see Deuteronomy 19:12; Judges 8:14). For the number “ten,” compare Exodus 18:25. Probably the presence of, at least, ten elders was necessary to make a lawful public assembly, as among modern Jews ten (a minyon) are necessary to constitute a synagogue.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. he took ten men of the elders of the city--as witnesses. In ordinary circumstances, two or three were sufficient to attest a bargain; but in cases of importance, such as matrimony, divorce, conveyancing of property, it was the Jewish practice to have ten (1Ki 21:8).Read the comment
Topics related to Ruth 4:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ruth 4
- 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
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries