‘ And he said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth your handmaid. Spread therefore the edge of your robe over your handmaid, for you are a near kinsman.”
So he asked, quite startled, ‘Who are you?' And Ruth replied ‘I am Ruth your handmaid.' As we have seen previously to call herself his handmaid was not to be taken literally, but merely indicated her maidenly modesty. She then requested him, acting as a near kinsman, to cover her with the corner or ‘wing' of his robe (see Deuteronomy 22:30; Deuteronomy 27:20; Ezekiel 16:8) as a sign that he was taking her under his protection. The word for ‘wing' is the same as in Ruth 2:12 where it is in the plural and indicated the wings of YHWH, thinking of Him in terms of a protecting bird. Here then, symbolically, Boaz would be taking her under his wing.