New Living Translation
Ruth 2:8
8Boaz went over and said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don’t go to any other fields. Stay right behind the young women working in my field.
Ruth 2:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:
- New International Version (NIV)So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Boaz said to Ruth, “You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women.
Context of Ruth 2:8
6And the foreman replied, “She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Naomi. 7She asked me this morning if she could gather grain behind the harvesters. She has been hard at work ever since, except for a few minutes’ rest in the shelter.” Boaz went over and said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don’t go to any other fields. Stay right behind the young women working in my field. 9See which part of the field they are harvesting, and then follow them. I have warned the young men not to treat you roughly. And when you are thirsty, help yourself to the water they have drawn from the well.” 10Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. “What have I done to deserve such kindness?” she asked. “I am only a foreigner.”
Read all of Ruth 2Ruth 2:8 word by word
וַיֹּאמֶר֩ בֹּ֨עַז אֶל־ר֜וּת הֲל֧וֹא שָׁמַ֣עַתְּ בִּתִּ֗י אַל־תֵּלְכִי֙ לִלְקֹט֙ בְּשָׂדֶ֣ה אַחֵ֔ר וְגַ֛ם לֹ֥א תַעֲבוּרִ֖י מִזֶּ֑ה וְכֹ֥ה תִדְבָּקִ֖ין עִם־נַעֲרֹתָֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Boazבֹּ֫עַזbô‛az · BoazH1162
- unto Ruthרוּתrûth · RuthH7327
- Hearestשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- thou not, my daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
- Goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- not to gleanלָקַטlâqaţ · to gatherH3950
- in anotherאַחֵר'achêr · anotherH312
- fieldשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
- neither goעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- from hence, but abideדָּבַקdâbaq · to cleaveH1692
- here fast by my maidensנַעֲרָהna‛ărâh · maidenH5291
Cross-references for Ruth 2:8
- 1 Samuel 3:6Then the Lord called out again, “Samuel!” Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” “I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said. “Go back to bed.”
- 2 Kings 5:13But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’”
- Matthew 9:2Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.”
- Matthew 10:7Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.
- Philippians 4:8And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Commentaries on Ruth 2:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Abide here fast by my maidens - These were probably employed in making bands, and laying on them enough to form a sheaf, which the binders would tie and form into shocks or thraves. When the maidens had gathered up the scattered handfuls thrown down by the reapers, Ruth picked up any straggling heads or ears which they had left.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8The grammatical forms of the verbs “go hence” and “abide,” are unique and Chaldaic. They are supposed to indicate the dialect used at Bethlehem in the time of Boaz.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 2:8
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 Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries