Ruth Makes Her Plea To Boaz As Her Near Kinsman To Fulfil His Duties Towards Her.
Recognising that Boaz has revealed himself as well-disposed towards them, Naomi now determines to call on him to fulfil the responsibilities of a near kinsman. This would, as he would know (see Ruth 4:3-5), involve his buying the land that Naomi had inherited from her husband (which presumably at present lay waste), in order to prevent it going out of the family, and to bear children through Ruth so as to perpetuate the name of her dead husband. These responsibilities were not legally binding, nevertheless they were a firmly established custom, and to fail to fulfil them would bring a certain level of ignominy on the one who refused (Deuteronomy 25:10).
Responsibility towards family was an important concept in Israel (as indeed it was in the wider world o that day) and the Law of Moss laid down certain responsibilities which Israelites had towards family members who were in need, whether the need was financial or to do with the perpetuation of the name of a male family member who had died without sons.
With regard to family land ‘owned', the theocratical position was that YHWH was seen as the actual owner of the land, and as having leased it to His people for their inheritance, with the consequence that the Israelites themselves merely had the recognised use of the land which they had received by lot for their inheritance. Because of this the present possessor could not part with the family portion perpetually or sell it at will. It was to remain for ever in his family. If therefore the situation arose that any one was obliged to sell his inheritance on account of finding himself in poverty, and actually did sell it (although all that he could sell was the use of the land), it was seen as the duty of the nearest relation to redeem it, by acting as goël (redeemer). However, even if it was not redeemed, it still returned to its original ‘owner' at the next year of Yubile, without compensation, for what had been bought was merely the use of the land. Consequently, at least in theory, (land purchasers would often later find a way round it by absorbing the land into their own land, ‘adding field to field'), no actual perpetual sale could take place in the way in which we would understand it (it was different with houses owned within city walls), but simply a sale of the yearly produce till the year of Yubile (see Leviticus 25:10; Leviticus 25:13-16; Leviticus 25:24-28).
Furthermore there was also an old customary right, which had been confirmed to some extent by YHWH in the Law of Moses, for the widow of a family member to require that a near kinsman (in the Mosaic Law a natural brother) beget children through her in order to perpetuate the family name. This was the custom of Levirate marriage. Such a custom is evidenced in Genesis 38 where Judah was seen as responsible to see that the wife of his dead son was impregnated by one of his other sons, whether older or younger than the widow, so as to produce seed for the dead son. This would preserve his name in Israel and provide an heir for his inheritance. This son was then the legal heir of any landed property that the deceased father had had (compare Deuteronomy 25:5).
It would appear from the Book of Ruth that these two customs had become interconnected so that to ‘redeem' the land was to take on responsibility for bearing children through the widow of the deceased man. Indeed, to fail to do the latter was seen as bringing a certain level of disgrace on the one who refused, for the widow would loose his shoe and spit in his face and he would for ever afterwards be known as ‘the one whose shoe had been loosed' (Deuteronomy 25:8-10).
It is clear from what follows that Elimelech, and of course his sons on his death, had ‘owned' land near Bethlehem, land which would now be offered to the near kinsman for him to ‘redeem it' on behalf of the dead man, with it then being recognised that he would beget a son through Ruth in order to perpetuate the name of the dead. It was these customs which were the basis for Naomi's actions in this chapter.
Once again the chapter is seen to be in chiastic form as follows:
a And Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?” (Ruth 3:1).
b “And now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maidens you were? See, he winnows barley to-night in the threshing-floor (Ruth 3:2).
c “Wash yourself therefore, and anoint yourself, and put your clothes on you, and get you down to the threshing-floor, but do not make yourself known to the man, until he has done eating and drinking” (Ruth 3:3).
d “And it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall mark the place where he shall lie, and you will go in, and uncover his feet, and lay yourself down, and he will tell you what you shall do.” And she said to her, “All that you say I will do.” And she went down to the threshing-floor, and did according to all that her mother-in-law bade her. And 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 herself down (Ruth 3:4-7).
e And it came about at midnight, that the man was fearful, and turned himself, and, behold, a woman lay at his feet, and he said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth your handmaid. Spread therefore your robe over your handmaid, for you are a near kinsman” (Ruth 3:8-9).
f And he said, “Blessed be you of YHWH, my daughter. You have shown more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as you did not follow young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do to you all that you say, for all the city of my people know that you are a worthy woman.” (Ruth 3:10-11).
e “And now it is true that I am a near kinsman. However, there is a kinsman nearer than I. Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform to you the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman's part; but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to you, then I will do the part of a kinsman to you, as YHWH lives. Lie down until the morning” (Ruth 3:12-13).
d ‘And she lay at his feet until the morning. And she rose up before one was able to discern another. For he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing-floor” (Ruth 3:14).
c And he said, “Bring the mantle that is on you, and hold it.” And she held it. And he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her. And he went into the city (Ruth 3:15).
b And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “Who are you, my daughter?” And she told her all that the man had done to her. And she said, “He gave me these six measures of barley, for he said, “Do not go empty to your mother-in-law” (Ruth 3:16-17).
a Then said she, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will fall, for the man will not rest, until he has finished the thing this day (Ruth 3:18).
Note that in ‘a' Naomi is seeking Ruth's wellbeing and her security for the future, and in the parallel she is content that she has obtained it. In ‘b' Boaz is their near kinsman and is winnowing barley, and in the parallel Boaz gives Ruth six measures of that barley, a sign that he has accepted his position as near kinsman. In ‘c' Ruth is to make special preparations to offer herself to Boaz, and dresses, and in the parallel Boaz tells her to prepare her robe and indicates his acceptance of her by giving her six measures of barley. In ‘d' Ruth is told to go to the threshingfloor and lay herself down at Boaz's feet, and in the parallel she lies at his feet until morning. In ‘e' Ruth calls on Boaz to act as a near kinsman, and in the parallel he agrees to do so. Centrally in ‘f' Ruth receives her benefit because she is a kind and worthy woman, in other words one whom YHWH delights to bless.