Ruth · WEB-C
Ruth
2
Bible textSynthetic voice (AI)
Naomi had a relative of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz. See also: Ruth 4:21Ruth 3:12Ruth 3:2Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Let me now go to the field, and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I find favor.” She said to her, “Go, my daughter.” See also: Leviticus 23:22Leviticus 19:9Deuteronomy 24:19-21She went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. See also: 2 Thessalonians 3:12Matthew 10:29Luke 10:31Behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, “May the LORD be with you.” They answered him, “May the LORD bless you.” See also: Psalms 129:7-8Judges 6:12Luke 1:28Then Boaz said to his servant who was set over the reapers, “Whose young lady is this?” See also: Ruth 4:211 Chronicles 2:11-12The servant who was set over the reapers answered, “It is the Moabite lady who came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab. See also: Ruth 1:22Matthew 24:45Matthew 20:8She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ So she came, and has continued even from the morning until now, except that she rested a little in the house.” See also: Proverbs 15:33Proverbs 18:23Ephesians 5:21Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Don’t go to glean in another field, and don’t go from here, but stay here close to my maidens. See also: 2 Kings 5:131 Samuel 3:6Matthew 9:2Let your eyes be on the field that they reap, and go after them. Haven’t I commanded the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink from that which the young men have drawn.” See also: 1 John 5:18Genesis 20:6Psalms 105:15Then she fell on her face and bowed herself to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take knowledge of me, since I am a foreigner?” See also: 1 Samuel 25:23Ruth 2:13Luke 1:43Boaz answered her, “I have been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father, your mother, and the land of your birth, and have come to a people that you didn’t know before. See also: Luke 14:33Luke 18:29-30Ruth 1:14-22May the LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given to you from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” See also: Psalms 36:7Psalms 91:4Psalms 63:7Then she said, “Let me find favor in your sight, my lord, because you have comforted me, and because you have spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not as one of your servants.” See also: 1 Samuel 1:18Genesis 33:8Genesis 34:3At meal time Boaz said to her, “Come here, and eat some bread, and dip your morsel in the vinegar.” She sat beside the reapers, and they passed her parched grain. She ate, was satisfied, and left some of it. See also: Ruth 2:182 Kings 4:43-44Matthew 14:20When she had risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and don’t reproach her. See also: James 1:5Also pull out some for her from the bundles, and leave it. Let her glean, and don’t rebuke her.” See also: 1 John 3:17-18Deuteronomy 24:19-21Romans 12:13So she gleaned in the field until evening; and she beat out that which she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. See also: Proverbs 31:27Ezekiel 45:11-12Exodus 16:36She took it up, and went into the city. Then her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned; and she brought out and gave to her that which she had left after she had enough. See also: Ruth 2:141 Timothy 5:4John 6:12-13Her mother-in-law said to her, “Where have you gleaned today? Where have you worked? Blessed be he who noticed you.” She told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.” See also: Psalms 41:1Ruth 2:101 Kings 7:21Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the LORD, who has not abandoned his kindness to the living and to the dead.” Naomi said to her, “The man is a close relative to us, one of our near kinsmen.” See also: 2 Samuel 2:5Ruth 3:9-10Deuteronomy 25:5-7Ruth the Moabitess said, “Yes, he said to me, ‘You shall stay close to my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’” See also: Song of Songs 1:7-8Ruth 2:7-8Ruth 2:22Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maidens, and that they not harm you in any other field.” See also: Song of Songs 1:8Proverbs 27:10So she stayed close to the maidens of Boaz, to glean to the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and she lived with her mother-in-law. See also: Ephesians 6:1-3Deuteronomy 16:9Proverbs 13:20
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Notes · Haydock (1859, public domain)15 notes
Notes in English 19th-century Catholic commentary by Fr. George Leo Haydock, shown as published.
These notes keep the polemics of their time: some speak harshly of the Jewish people or of other Christians. The Church teaches otherwise today. The Jewish people may not be blamed for the death of Christ (Nostra Aetate 4; Catechism 597–598), and Christians of other communities are our brothers and sisters in the Lord (Unitatis Redintegratio 3). Christian unity
Ruth 2:1
Ver. 1. Booz. The Scripture does not specify how nearly they were related. R.
Josue says Elimelech, Salmon, and Tob (C. iii. 13,) were brothers, and Booz was the son of Salmon, which cannot be refuted, (Serar. q. 1. M.) though the authority and proofs be very weak. It is not, however, more probable that Booz was the brother of Elimelech. Some think that he was not the immediate son of Salmon, as four persons seem too few to fill up the space of 366 years, from the marriage of Rahab till the birth of David. But this is not impossible. C. See C. iv. 20.
↑ 1Ruth 2:2
Ver. 2. To me. It was the privilege of the poor and of strangers to glean. Deut.
xxiv. 19. Lev.
xix. 9. Yet Ruth asks leave, through civility. C. --- This law is no longer in force, but it would be inhuman for the rich to deny this liberty to those who are in distress, and willing rather to work than to beg. T.
↑ 2Ruth 2:4
Ver. 4. With you. This blessing the Church still adopts in her service. W. --- It was customary to bless one another during harvest. Ps. cxxviii. 5. 8. C. ---
Booz did, as Cato advises, Ne opera parcas visere; "See what is going forward." The master's eye makes the servants diligent. H.
↑ 4Ruth 2:5
Ver. 5. Man. Heb. nahar, a man in the prime of life. He had the care of all in the field, during the absence of his master; whence Josephus styles him agrocomos, or agronomos. M. --- Homer mentions an officer or king, standing with his sceptre in the midst of the reapers, and silently rejoicing at the rich profusion of the field. Iliad. --- Thus we see the taste of the ancients, while agriculture was honourable.
↑ 5Ruth 2:7
Ver. 7. Moment. Heb. "her tarrying in the house is but small, or till now, that she remains a little in the house." She entered the house with the reapers, during the excessive heat of the day, and to avoid the suspicion of taking more than was allowed, during their absence. C. --- Sept. "she hath not discontinued to work in the field even a little." Her diligence and modesty attracted the notice of Booz. H.
↑ 7Ruth 2:9
Ver. 9. Thee. The men tied the corn after the female reapers, (C.) and Ruth was authorized to follow, close at their heels, without fear. H. --- The waters. This is not expressed in Heb. but it is in the Sept. and the Chal. C. --- The privilege of having water in those countries was very considerable. M.
↑ 9Ruth 2:10
Ver. 10. Country. S. Elizabeth was impressed with similar sentiments, when she was visited by the blessed Virgin; (H.) and so was David, when he considered the wonderful condescension of God. Ps. viii. 5. cxliii. 3. Job vii. 17. C. ---
Frequent instances occur in Scripture of people worshipping, or shewing their gratitude to their fellow creatures, by this posture of the body. M.
--- Yet no suspicion of idolatry attaches to them. Gen. xxiii. 7. &c. H.
↑ 10Ruth 2:11
Ver. 11. Heretofore, to embrace the same religion. M.
↑ 11Ruth 2:12
Ver. 12. Work. Booz doubted not but a full and eternal reward was due to good works. W. ---
Fled. This similitude frequently occurs, (Ps. xxxv. 8. Mat. xxiii. 37,) to denote protection. C. ---
Chal. "Thou art come to be a proselyte, and to hide thyself under the shade of the majesty of his glory." M.
↑ 12Ruth 2:13
Ver. 13. Heart. This has the same meaning as the former part of the sentence.
C. See Ose. ii.
14. H. --- Maids, but more lowly and mean. M.
↑ 13Ruth 2:14
Ver. 14. Vinegar, or small wine, made on purpose for working people. Some think that such was presented to our Saviour. Yet vinegar was very frequently mixed with other things, and was esteemed particularly refreshing. Plin. xxiii.
1. C. --- Side. Not in front, that they might not stare at her. M. --- And she, &c.
Heb. "and he gave her frumenty, or parched corn." A little oil might be poured upon it. See Lev. ii. 14. 2 K. xxvi. 28. H. --- Travellers in Ethiopia only take parched barley with them. C. --- The leavings, to Noemi. "Learn, says Seneca, (ep. 110,) to be content with a little." Sept. "and Booz heaped up food before her, and she ate and was filled, and left a part. " H. --- But it appears that she afterwards took it home, v. 18. M. --- The vinegar and corn which were given to Ruth were very refreshing. The Spaniards still drink posca, or water and vinegar. T.
↑ 14Ruth 2:15
Ver. 15. Reap. Heb. "if she will glean, even among the sheaves, do not cover her with confusion," (H.) or hinder her. Ps. xliii. 10. C.
↑ 15Ruth 2:17
Ver. 17. Rod, as Gedeon had done. Judg. vi. 11. --- That is, &c. an explanation of the Vulg. C.
--- The ephi contained three pecks and three pints. Arbuthnot. --- Alcazar and A. Lapide say 960
ounces. M.
↑ 17Ruth 2:20
Ver. 20. Dead. He hath not forgotten Elimelech, his friend, for whose sake he treats his daughter-in-law with kindness. H. --- Kinsman. Heb. adds, "one of our redeemers, (C.) or next kinsmen." H. --- To such the right of avenging the slain, of marrying the widow of the deceased, and entering upon his property, belonged. The best interpreters suppose that Booz was the nephew of Elimelech. C. Lev. xxv. 25. Deut. xxv. 5. M.
↑ 20Ruth 2:23
Ver. 23. And the wheat. Heb. Syr. and Arab. " It is good that thou keep close to the maidens of Booz, and continue to glean with them till," &c. This was the advice of Noemi: but Providence ordered that Ruth should be married to Booz before the commencement of the wheat harvest. C.
--- The Prot. agree with the Vulg. and Sept. "So she kept fast by, &c. unto the end of the barley harvest, and of the wheat harvest, and dwelt with her mother-in-law." These last words are expressed by the Vulg in the following chapter.
H..
↑ 23License: Notes by Fr. George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), from the Douay-Rheims Bible with Haydock's commentary (first ed. Thomas Haydock, Manchester/Dublin, 1811–1814; New York: Edward Dunigan & Brother, 1859); New Testament notes compiled with Fr. Benedict Rayment. Public domain. Digital text: "The Haydock Bible", Internet Archive (archive.org/details/TheHaydockBible), uploaded 2011 under the Public Domain Mark. · Credits and licenses