God’s Word Translation
Ruth 4:5
5Boaz continued, “When you buy the field from Naomi, you will also assume responsibility for the Moabite Ruth, the dead man’s widow. This keeps the inheritance in the dead man’s name.”
Ruth 4:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.
- New International Version (NIV)Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then Boaz said, "The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance.”
Context of Ruth 4:5
3Boaz said to the man, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the field that belonged to our relative Elimelech. 4So I said that I would inform you. Buy it in the presence of these men sitting here and in the presence of the leaders of our people. If you wish to buy back the property, you can buy back the property. But if you do not wish to buy back the property, tell me. Then I will know that I am next in line because there is no other relative except me.” The man said, “I’ll buy back the property.” Boaz continued, “When you buy the field from Naomi, you will also assume responsibility for the Moabite Ruth, the dead man’s widow. This keeps the inheritance in the dead man’s name.” 6The man replied, “In that case I cannot assume responsibility for her. If I did, I would ruin my inheritance. Take all my rights to buy back the property for yourself, because I cannot assume that responsibility.” 7(This is the way it used to be in Israel concerning buying back property and exchanging goods: In order to make every matter legal, a man would take off his sandal and give it to the other man. This was the way a contract was publicly approved in Israel.)
Read all of Ruth 4Ruth 4:5 word by word
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר בֹּ֔עַז בְּיוֹם־קְנוֹתְךָ֥ הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה מִיַּ֣ד נָעֳמִ֑י וּ֠מֵאֵת ר֣וּת הַמּוֹאֲבִיָּ֤ה אֵֽשֶׁת־הַמֵּת֙ קָנִ֔יתָה לְהָקִ֥ים שֵׁם־הַמֵּ֖ת עַל־נַחֲלָתֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Boazבֹּ֫עַזbô‛az · BoazH1162
- What dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- thou buyestקָנָהqânâh · to buyH7069
- the fieldשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
- of the handיָדyâd · handH3027
- of Naomiנׇעֳמִיno‛ŏmîy · NaomiH5281
- also of Ruthרוּתrûth · RuthH7327
- the Moabitessמוֹאָבִיmô'âbîy mô'âbîyâh mô'âbîyth · MoabiteH4125
- the wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
- of the deadמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- to raise upקוּםqûm · to arise: establishH6965
- the nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- upon his inheritanceנַחֲלָהnachălâh · inheritanceH5159
Cross-references for Ruth 4:5
- Ruth 3:12It is true that I am a close relative of yours, but there is a relative closer than I.
- Genesis 38:8Then Judah said to Onan, “Go sleep with your brother’s widow. Do your duty for her as a brother-in-law, and produce a descendant for your brother.”
- Deuteronomy 25:5When brothers live together and one of them dies without having a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother must marry her and sleep with her. He must do his duty as her brother-in-law.
- Matthew 22:24“Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies childless, his brother should marry his widow and have children for his brother.’
- Luke 20:28“Teacher, Moses wrote for us, ‘If a married man dies and has no children, his brother should marry his widow and have children for his brother.’
Commentaries on Ruth 4:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Thou must buy it also of Ruth - More properly, Thou wilt also acquire Ruth. Thou canst not get the land without taking the wife of the deceased and then the children which thou mayest have shall be reputed the children of Mahlon, thy deceased kinsman.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Observe the action of the Levirate law. If there had been no one interested but Naomi, she would have sold the land unclogged by any condition, the law of Levirate having no existence in her case. But there was a young widow upon whom the possession of the land would devolve at Naomi‘s death, and who already had a right of partnership in it, and the law of Levirate did apply in her case. It was, therefore, the duty of the גאל gā'al to marry her and raise…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5On the day you buy the land...you must also acquire the widow of the deceased: In Hebrew manuscripts, the verse reads I buy, but a scribal correction in the margin reads you buy, differing by one letter. The scribe believed you buy was the original text, suggesting an error in the main text. Some think I buy is the original, indicating Boaz and Ruth's marriage was already planned (see study note on Judges 3:11). However, most translators believe you buy…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-51. Then went Boaz up to the gate of the city--a roofed building, unenclosed by walls; the place where, in ancient times, and in many Eastern towns still, all business transactions are made, and where, therefore, the kinsman was most likely to be found. No preliminaries were necessary in summoning one before the public assemblage; no writings and no delay were required. In a short conversation the matter was stated and arranged--probably in the morning as…Read the comment
Topics related to Ruth 4:5
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
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