Tree of Life Version
Ruth 4:2
2Then Boaz took ten of the town’s elders and said, “Sit down here,” so they sat down.
Ruth 4:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.
- New International Version (NIV)Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, "Sit down here." So they sat down.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down.
Context of Ruth 4:2
1Meanwhile Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And all of a sudden, the goel about whom Boaz had spoken passed by. “Come over,” he called, “and sit down here, my friend.” So he came over and sat down. Then Boaz took ten of the town’s elders and said, “Sit down here,” so they sat down. 3Then he said to the goel, “Naomi, who has returned from the region of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belongs to our brother Elimelech. 4I thought I should inform you saying, ‘Buy it in the presence of the people sitting here, and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you want to redeem it, redeem it. But if it will not be redeemed, then tell me, so that I can know, because there is no one else in line to redeem it. I am after you.’” “I will redeem it,” he said.
Read all of Ruth 4Ruth 4:2 word by word
וַיִּקַּ֞ח עֲשָׂרָ֧ה אֲנָשִׁ֛ים מִזִּקְנֵ֥י הָעִ֖יר וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁבוּ־פֹ֑ה וַיֵּשֵֽׁבוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Ruth 4:2
- Exodus 18:21But you should seek out capable men out of all the people—men who fear God, men of truth, who hate bribery. Appoint them to be rulers over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.
- Exodus 21:8If she does not please her master who has selected her for himself, then he is to allow her to be redeemed. He will have no power to sell her to a foreign people, seeing as he has dealt deceitfully toward her.
- Deuteronomy 29:10your children, your wives, and the outsider within your camp (from your woodchopper to your water carrier).
- Deuteronomy 31:28Gather to me all the elders of your tribes and your officials, so that I may speak these words in their ears and call heaven and earth to witness against them.
- 1 Kings 21:8So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were living with Naboth in his city.
- Proverbs 31:23Her husband is respected at the city gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.
- Lamentations 5:14Elders are gone from the gate, young men from their music.
- Acts 6:12They also incited the people, the elders, and the Torah scholars; and they rushed at Stephen, seized him, and led him away to the Sanhedrin.
Commentaries on Ruth 4:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2He took ten men - Probably it required this number to constitute a court. How simple and how rational was this proceeding! The man who had a suit went to the city gates. Here he stopped till the person with whom he had the suit came to the gate on his way to his work. He called him by name, and he stopped and sat down. Then ten elders were called, and they came and sat down. When all this was done, the appellant preferred his suit. Then the appellee…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Every city was governed by elders (see Deuteronomy 19:12; Judges 8:14). For the number “ten,” compare Exodus 18:25. Probably the presence of, at least, ten elders was necessary to make a lawful public assembly, as among modern Jews ten (a minyon) are necessary to constitute a synagogue.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. he took ten men of the elders of the city--as witnesses. In ordinary circumstances, two or three were sufficient to attest a bargain; but in cases of importance, such as matrimony, divorce, conveyancing of property, it was the Jewish practice to have ten (1Ki 21:8).Read the comment
Topics related to Ruth 4:2
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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