Ruth 3:9

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

7And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down. 8And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet. 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. 10And he said, Blessed be thou of Yhwh, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich. 11And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.

Ruth 3:9 word by word

וַיֹּ֖אמֶר מִי־אָ֑תּ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר אָנֹכִי֙ ר֣וּת אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ וּפָרַשְׂתָּ֤ כְנָפֶ֙ךָ֙ עַל־אֲמָ֣תְךָ֔ כִּ֥י גֹאֵ֖ל אָֽתָּה׃Read the interlinear

• And he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Ruthרוּתrûth · RuthH7327
• thine handmaidאָמָה'âmâh · maidservantH519
• spreadפָּרַשׂpâraώ · to spreadH6566
• therefore thy skirtכָּנָףkânâph · wingH3671
• a near kinsmanגָּאַלgâ'al · to redeem: redeemH1350

Cross-references for Ruth 3:9

• Ruth 2:10Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?
• 1 Samuel 25:41And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.
• Luke 14:11For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
• Ezekiel 16:8Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord Yhwh, and thou becamest mine.
• Ruth 3:12And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.
• Ruth 2:20And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of Yhwh, 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.

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

• Chastity
• Continence
• Courtship
• Ruth
• Threshing

In the dictionaries

• Ruth
• Daughter
• Fall
• Handmaid
• Kinsman
• Levirate Law
• Skirt
• Boaz
• Kinsman; Kinswoman
• Naomi

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