“ And now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maidens you were? See, he winnows barley tonight in the threshing-floor.”
She reminds Ruth that the man who had been so kind to her was in fact their kinsman, knowing no doubt that Ruth would recognise the significance of that fact. Furthermore she knew where he would be that evening, for the harvest having been gathered in it would now be necessary for it to be threshed. Thus she knew that he would be in charge of the winnowing in the threshingfloor. The threshingfloor would be in an open area of ground where the ground had been beaten down and where it would be affected by the steady wind that blew at that time of year. The grain would be piled on the threshingfloor and would then be tossed up into the air by winnowing-forks so that the wind could blow away the chaff, leaving the ears of grain to fall again to the threshingfloor. Thus the ears of barley would be separated from the chaff. The winnowing would be followed by feasting in celebration of the gathering in of harvest.