God’s Word Translation
Ruth 3:9
9“Who are you?” he asked. She answered, “I am Ruth. Spread the corner of your garment over me because you are a close relative who can take care of me.”
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
7Boaz had eaten and drunk to his heart’s content, so he went and lay at the edge of a pile of grain. Then she went over to him secretly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. 8At midnight the man was shivering. When he turned over, he was surprised to see a woman lying at his feet. “Who are you?” he asked. She answered, “I am Ruth. Spread the corner of your garment over me because you are a close relative who can take care of me.” 10Boaz replied, “May the Lord bless you, my daughter. This last kindness—that you didn’t go after the younger men, whether rich or poor—is better than the first. 11Don’t be afraid, my daughter. I will do whatever you say. The whole town knows that you are a woman who has strength of character.
Read all of Ruth 3Ruth 3:9 word by word
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר מִי־אָ֑תּ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר אָנֹכִי֙ ר֣וּת אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ וּפָרַשְׂתָּ֤ כְנָפֶ֙ךָ֙ עַל־אֲמָ֣תְךָ֔ כִּ֥י גֹאֵ֖ל אָֽתָּה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Ruth 3:9
- Ruth 2:10Ruth immediately bowed down to the ground and said to him, “Why are you so helpful? Why are you paying attention to me? I’m only a foreigner.”
- 1 Samuel 25:41She bowed down with her face touching the ground. “I am ready to serve,” she said. “I am ready to wash the feet of my master’s servants.”
- Luke 14:11Those who honor themselves will be humbled, but people who humble themselves will be honored.”
- Ezekiel 16:8“ ‘I went by you again and looked at you. You were old enough to make love to. So I spread my robe over you, and covered your naked body. I promised to love you, and I exchanged marriage vows with you. You became mine, declares the Almighty Lord.
- Ruth 3:12It is true that I am a close relative of yours, but there is a relative closer than I.
- Ruth 2:20Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May the Lord bless him. The Lord hasn’t stopped being kind to people—living or dead.” Then Naomi told her, “That man is a relative of ours. He is a close relative, one of those responsible for taking care of us.”
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
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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