New English Translation
Ruth 2:9
9Take note of the field where the men are harvesting and follow behind with the female workers. I will tell the men to leave you alone. When you are thirsty, you may go to the water jars and drink some of the water the servants draw.”
Ruth 2:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.
- New International Version (NIV)Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.”
Context of Ruth 2:9
7She asked, ‘May I follow the harvesters and gather grain among the bundles?’ Since she arrived she has been working hard from this morning until now – except for sitting in the resting hut a short time.” 8So Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen carefully, my dear! Do not leave to gather grain in another field. You need not go beyond the limits of this field. You may go along beside my female workers. Take note of the field where the men are harvesting and follow behind with the female workers. I will tell the men to leave you alone. When you are thirsty, you may go to the water jars and drink some of the water the servants draw.” 10Ruth knelt before him with her forehead to the ground and said to him, “Why are you so kind and so attentive to me, even though I am a foreigner?” 11Boaz replied to her, “I have been given a full report of all that you have done for your mother-in-law following the death of your husband – how you left your father and your mother, as well as your homeland, and came to live among people you did not know previously.
Read all of Ruth 2Ruth 2:9 word by word
עֵינַ֜יִךְ בַּשָּׂדֶ֤ה אֲשֶׁר־יִקְצֹרוּן֙ וְהָלַ֣כְתִּ אַחֲרֵיהֶ֔ן הֲל֥וֹא צִוִּ֛יתִי אֶת־הַנְּעָרִ֖ים לְבִלְתִּ֣י נָגְעֵ֑ךְ וְצָמִ֗ת וְהָלַכְתְּ֙ אֶל־הַכֵּלִ֔ים וְשָׁתִ֕ית מֵאֲשֶׁ֥ר יִשְׁאֲב֖וּן הַנְּעָרִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- thine eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
- on the fieldשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
- that they do reapקָצַרqâtsar · to reapH7114
- and goהָלַךְhâlak · to go: followH1980
- thou afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
- them: have I not chargedצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
- the young menנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
- that they shall not touchנָגַעnâga‛ · to touchH5060
- thee? and when thou art athirstצָמֵאtsâmê' · to thirstH6770
- goהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
- unto the vesselsכְּלִיkelîy · article/utensilH3627
- and drinkשָׁתָהshâthâh · to drinkH8354
- have drawnשָׁאַבshâ'ab · to drawH7579
Cross-references for Ruth 2:9
- Genesis 20:6Then in the dream God replied to him, “Yes, I know that you have done this with a clear conscience. That is why I have kept you from sinning against me and why I did not allow you to touch her.
- Job 19:21Have pity on me, my friends, have pity on me, for the hand of God has struck me.
- Psalms 105:15saying,“Don’t touch my chosen ones! Don’t harm my prophets!”
- Proverbs 6:29So it is with the one who has sex with his neighbor’s wife; no one who touches her will escape punishment.
- 1 Corinthians 7:1Now with regard to the issues you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”
- 1 John 5:18We know that everyone fathered by God does not sin, but God protects the one he has fathered, and the evil one cannot touch him.
- Genesis 24:18“Drink, my lord,” she replied, and quickly lowering her jug to her hands, she gave him a drink.
- Matthew 10:42And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, I tell you the truth, he will never lose his reward.”
- John 4:7A Samaritan woman came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me some water to drink.”
Commentaries on Ruth 2:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9The young men that they shall not touch thee - This was peculiarly necessary, as she was a stranger and unprotected.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9After them - i. e. “after my maidens.” The fields not being divided by hedges, but only by unplowed ridges, it would be easy for her to pass off Boaz‘s land without being aware of it, and so find herself among strangers where Boaz could not protect her.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-16Verses 4-16 The pious and kind language between Boaz and his reapers shows that there were godly persons in Israel. Such language as this is seldom heard in our field; too often, on the contrary, what is immoral and corrupt. A stranger would form a very different opinion of our land, from that which Ruth would form of Israel from the converse and conduct of Boaz and his reapers. But true religion will teach a man to behave aright in all states and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-9Boaz gave Ruth the special privilege of gleaning right behind the young women. After the men cut the grain and tied it in small bundles, the women gathered the bundles into larger sheaves. The Torah did not require farmers to allow gleaners into the fields until they took the sheaves to the threshing floor. I have ordered the young men not to touch you: Boaz assured Ruth that no one under his authority would taunt her or try to drive her away from his…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 8-98-9. said Boaz unto Ruth, ... bide here fast by my maidens--The reaping was performed by women while the assortment of sheaves was the duty of men-servants. The same division of harvest labor obtains in Syria still. Boaz not only granted to Ruth the full privilege of gleaning after his reapers, but provided for her personal comfort.Read the comment
Topics related to Ruth 2:9
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ruth 2
- 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
- EGW Writings
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