New King James Version
Ruth 2:20
20Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “Blessed be he of the Lord, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!” And Naomi said to her, “This man is a relation of ours, one of our close relatives.”
Ruth 2:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.
- New International Version (NIV)“The Lord bless him!” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our close relative; he is one of our guardian-redeemers.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!" Naomi also said to her, "The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers."
- New Living Translation (NLT)“May the Lord bless him!” Naomi told her daughter-in-law. “He is showing his kindness to us as well as to your dead husband. That man is one of our closest relatives, one of our family redeemers.”
Context of Ruth 2:20
18Then she took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. So she brought out and gave to her what she had kept back after she had been satisfied. 19And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where have you gleaned today? And where did you work? Blessed be the one who took notice of you.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.” Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “Blessed be he of the Lord, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!” And Naomi said to her, “This man is a relation of ours, one of our close relatives.” 21Ruth the Moabitess said, “He also said to me, ‘You shall stay close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’ ” 22And Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, and that people do not meet you in any other field.”
Read all of Ruth 2Ruth 2:20 word by word
וַתֹּ֨אמֶר נָעֳמִ֜י לְכַלָּתָ֗הּ בָּר֥וּךְ הוּא֙ לַיהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹא־עָזַ֣ב חַסְדּ֔וֹ אֶת־הַחַיִּ֖ים וְאֶת־הַמֵּתִ֑ים וַתֹּ֧אמֶר לָ֣הּ נָעֳמִ֗י קָר֥וֹב לָ֙נוּ֙ הָאִ֔ישׁ מִֽגֹּאֲלֵ֖נוּ הֽוּא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Naomiנׇעֳמִיno‛ŏmîy · NaomiH5281
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto her daughter in lawכַּלָּהkallâh · daughter-in-lawH3618
- Blessedבָּרַךְbârak · to blessH1288
- he of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- who hath not left offעָזַב‛âzab · to leave: forsakeH5800
- his kindnessחֶ֫סֶדchêsêd · kindnessH2617
- to the livingחַיchay · aliveH2416
- and to the deadמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- unto her, The manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- near of kinקָרֹבqârôb qârôb · nearH7138
- unto us, one of our next kinsmenגָּאַלgâ'al · to redeem: redeemH1350
Cross-references for Ruth 2:20
- Revelation 3:10Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
- 2 Samuel 2:5So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, “You are blessed of the Lord, for you have shown this kindness to your lord, to Saul, and have buried him.
- Job 29:12Because I delivered the poor who cried out, The fatherless and the one who had no helper.
- 2 Timothy 1:16The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain;
- 2 Samuel 9:1Now David said, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
- Proverbs 17:17A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.
- Philippians 4:10But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity.
- Ruth 3:9And 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.”
- Ruth 4:6And the close relative said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”
- Leviticus 25:25‘If one of your brethren becomes poor, and has sold some of his possession, and if his redeeming relative comes to redeem it, then he may redeem what his brother sold.
- Deuteronomy 25:5“If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the widow of the dead man shall not be married to a stranger outside the family; her husband’s brother shall go in to her, take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her.
- Job 19:25For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth;
Commentaries on Ruth 2:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20To the living and to the dead - Naomi and Ruth were the living; and they were also the representatives of Elimelech and Mahlon, who were dead. Naomi was of the family; and Ruth, though not of the family, was a representative of one of its deceased branches, being the widow of Mahlon. One of our next kinsmen - מגאלינו miggoaleynu, of our redeemers, one who has the right to redeem the forfeited inheritance of the family. The word גאל goel signifies a near…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Blessed be he of the Lord - We may gather from Naomi‘s allusion to the dead that both her husband and son had been faithful servants of Jehovah, the God of Israel. His kindness to the dead consisted in raising up (as Naomi hoped) an heir to perpetuate the name; and, in general, in His care for their widows. One of our next kinsmen - The word here is גאל gā'al the redeemer, who had the right: (1) of redeeming the inheritance of the person; (2) of…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-23Verses 17-23 It encourages industry, that in all labour, even that of gleaning, there is profit. Ruth was pleased with what she gained by her own industry, and was careful to secure it. Let us thus take care that we lose not those things which we have wrought, which we have gained for our souls' good, 2Jo 1:8. Parents should examine their children, as Naomi did, not to frighten or discourage them, so as to make them hate home, or tempt them to tell a lie…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20kinsman-redeemers (Hebrew go’el): The law required the go’el, the closest male relative, to assist a family member facing financial difficulties (see “The Family Redeemer” Theme Note; see also study note on Leviticus 25:25).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. the man is ... one of our next kinsmen--Hebrew, "one of our redeemers," on whom it devolves to protect us, to purchase our lands, and marry you, the widow of his next kinsman. She said, "one of them," not that there were many in the same close relationship, but that he was a very near kinsman, one other individual only having the precedence.Read the comment
Topics related to Ruth 2:20
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries