Opening Question: What are some benefits of marriage?
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.
- Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice (1813), beginning.
"Rest" - for a woman has no rest until she marries.
Do you agree?
"Elizabeth and Mr Darcy" (from Pride and Prejudice) by Hugh Thomson (1860-1920), 1894 - Lilly Library, Indiana University, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9473525
Threshing and Winnowing — Threshing Floors
Threshing with hand flails, Great Britain, c. 1750. Image from c. 1875. \By Unknown author - Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies Ltd. advertising poster, The Museum of English Rural Life, The University of Reading, UK, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2145769
A Threshing Floor - גורן / Góren - near Zichron Yaakov, Israel
וַיָּבֹא־גָ֥ד אֶל־דָּוִ֖ד בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ עֲלֵה֙ הָקֵ֤ם לַֽה' מִזְבֵּ֔חַ בְּגֹ֖רֶן (ארניה) [אֲרַ֥וְנָה] הַיְבֻסִֽי׃
Gad came to David the same day and said to him, “Go and set up an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
Perhaps the world's most famous 'threshing floor': Aerial photograph of the Temple Mount. By Andrew Shiva / Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30066666
Questions for Chapter 3
- What motivates Naomi in this chapter?
- Compare Ruth's actions with Naomi's directions.
- What do we learn about Ruth and Boaz here? What motivates each of them?
- Do you hear echoes of other biblical encounters between a younger woman and an older man?
- Do you find sexual overtones in this passage?
Ruth Chapter 3
Part 1 of 3: Naomi’s Plan
(1) Naomi, her mother-in-law, said to her, “Daughter, I must seek a home for you, where you may be happy. (2) Now there is our kinsman Boaz, whose girls you were close to. He will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor tonight. (3) So bathe, anoint yourself, dress up, and go down to the threshing floor. But do not disclose yourself to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. (4) When he lies down, note the place where he lies down, and go over and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what you are to do.” (5) She replied, “I will do everything you tell me.”
(ו) וַתֵּ֖רֶד הַגֹּ֑רֶן וַתַּ֕עַשׂ כְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־צִוַּ֖תָּה חֲמוֹתָֽהּ׃ (ז) וַיֹּ֨אכַל בֹּ֤עַז וַיֵּשְׁתְּ֙ וַיִּיטַ֣ב לִבּ֔וֹ וַיָּבֹ֕א לִשְׁכַּ֖ב בִּקְצֵ֣ה הָעֲרֵמָ֑ה וַתָּבֹ֣א בַלָּ֔ט וַתְּגַ֥ל מַרְגְּלֹתָ֖יו וַתִּשְׁכָּֽב׃ (ח) וַֽיְהִי֙ בַּחֲצִ֣י הַלַּ֔יְלָה וַיֶּחֱרַ֥ד הָאִ֖ישׁ וַיִּלָּפֵ֑ת וְהִנֵּ֣ה אִשָּׁ֔ה שֹׁכֶ֖בֶת מַרְגְּלֹתָֽיו׃ (ט) וַיֹּ֖אמֶר מִי־אָ֑תְּ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר אָֽנֹכִי֙ ר֣וּת אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ וּפָרַשְׂתָּ֤ כְנָפֶ֙ךָ֙ עַל־אֲמָ֣תְךָ֔ כִּ֥י גֹאֵ֖ל אָֽתָּה׃ (י) וַיֹּ֗אמֶר בְּרוּכָ֨ה אַ֤תְּ לַֽה' בִּתִּ֔י הֵיטַ֛בְתְּ חַסְדֵּ֥ךְ הָאַחֲר֖וֹן מִן־הָרִאשׁ֑וֹן לְבִלְתִּי־לֶ֗כֶת אַֽחֲרֵי֙ הַבַּ֣חוּרִ֔ים אִם־דַּ֖ל וְאִם־עָשִֽׁיר׃ (יא) וְעַתָּ֗ה בִּתִּי֙ אַל־תִּ֣ירְאִ֔י כֹּ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־תֹּאמְרִ֖י אֶעֱשֶׂה־לָּ֑ךְ כִּ֤י יוֹדֵ֙עַ֙ כׇּל־שַׁ֣עַר עַמִּ֔י כִּ֛י אֵ֥שֶׁת חַ֖יִל אָֽתְּ׃ (יב) וְעַתָּה֙ כִּ֣י אׇמְנָ֔ם כִּ֥י (אם) גֹאֵ֖ל אָנֹ֑כִי וְגַ֛ם יֵ֥שׁ גֹּאֵ֖ל קָר֥וֹב מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ (יג) לִ֣ינִי ׀ הַלַּ֗יְלָה וְהָיָ֤ה בַבֹּ֙קֶר֙ אִם־יִגְאָלֵ֥ךְ טוֹב֙ יִגְאָ֔ל וְאִם־לֹ֨א יַחְפֹּ֧ץ לְגׇאֳלֵ֛ךְ וּגְאַלְתִּ֥יךְ אָנֹ֖כִי חַי־ה' שִׁכְבִ֖י עַד־הַבֹּֽקֶר׃
Part 2a of 3: At the Threshing Floor, Opening
(6) She went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had instructed her. (7) Boaz ate and drank, and in a cheerful mood went to lie down beside the grainpile. Then she went over stealthily and uncovered his feet and lay down. (8) In the middle of the night, the man gave a start and pulled back—there was a woman lying at his feet! (9) “Who are you?” he asked. And she replied, “I am your handmaid Ruth. Spread your robe over your handmaid,-a for you are a redeeming kinsman.” (10) He exclaimed, “Be blessed of the LORD, daughter! Your latest deed of loyalty/חסדך/chasdech is greater than the first, in that you have not turned to younger men, whether poor or rich. (11) And now, daughter, have no fear. I will do in your behalf whatever you ask, for all the elders of my town-c know what a fine woman/ki eshet chayil you are. (12) But while it is true I am a redeeming kinsman, there is another redeemer closer than I. (13) Stay for the night. Then in the morning, if he will act as a redeemer, good! let him redeem. But if he does not want to act as redeemer for you, I will do so myself, as the LORD lives! Lie down until morning.”
Part 2b of 3: At the Threshing Floor, Conclusion
(14) So she lay at his feet until dawn. She rose before one person could distinguish another, for he thought, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” (15) And he said, “Hold out the shawl you are wearing.” She held it while he measured out six measures of barley, and he put it on her back.
When she got back to the town,
Part 3 of 3: Return and Anticipation- Naomi’s and Ruth’s Last Words in the Book
(16) she came to her mother-in-law, who asked, “How is it with you, daughter?” She told her all that the man had done for her; (17) and she added, “He gave me these six measures of barley, saying to me, ‘Do not go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’” (18) And Naomi said, “Stay here, daughter, till you learn how the matter turns out. For the man will not rest, but will settle the matter today.”
Commentaries
- 3:1 Finding ‘rest’ for Ruth
- 3:9 Spreading a robe
- 3:10 "You have not turned to younger men:" Encounters between young women and older men
- 3:11 "what a fine woman"-- what does that mean?
3:1 - Finding 'rest' for Ruth
(ט) יִתֵּ֤ן ה' לָכֶ֔ם וּמְצֶ֣אןָ מְנוּחָ֔ה אִשָּׁ֖ה בֵּ֣ית אִישָׁ֑הּ וַתִּשַּׁ֣ק לָהֶ֔ן וַתִּשֶּׂ֥אנָה קוֹלָ֖ן וַתִּבְכֶּֽינָה׃
(9) May the LORD grant that each of you find security/מנוחה/menuchah (‘rest’) in the house of a husband!” And she kissed them farewell. They broke into weeping
3:9 - Spreading a Robe (‘wing’) / כנף / kanaf
(ט) וַיֹּ֖אמֶר מִי־אָ֑תְּ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר אָֽנֹכִי֙ ר֣וּת אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ וּפָרַשְׂתָּ֤ כְנָפֶ֙ךָ֙ עַל־אֲמָ֣תְךָ֔ כִּ֥י גֹאֵ֖ל אָֽתָּה׃
(9) “Who are you?” he asked. And she replied, “I am your handmaid Ruth. Spread your robe/כנפך/kenafecha over your handmaid,-a for you are a redeeming kinsman.”
(יב) יְשַׁלֵּ֥ם ה' פׇּעֳלֵ֑ךְ וּתְהִ֨י מַשְׂכֻּרְתֵּ֜ךְ שְׁלֵמָ֗ה מֵעִ֤ם ה' אֱלֹקֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֖את לַחֲס֥וֹת תַּֽחַת־כְּנָפָֽיו׃
(12) May the LORD reward your deeds. May you have a full recompense from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings/כנפיו/kenafav you have sought refuge!”
(ח) וָאֶעֱבֹ֨ר עָלַ֜יִךְ וָאֶרְאֵ֗ךְ וְהִנֵּ֤ה עִתֵּךְ֙ עֵ֣ת דֹּדִ֔ים וָאֶפְרֹ֤שׂ כְּנָפִי֙ עָלַ֔יִךְ וָאֲכַסֶּ֖ה עֶרְוָתֵ֑ךְ וָאֶשָּׁ֣בַֽע לָ֠ךְ וָאָב֨וֹא בִבְרִ֜ית אֹתָ֗ךְ נְאֻ֛ם אדושם ה' וַתִּֽהְיִי־לִֽי׃ (ט) וָאֶרְחָצֵ֣ךְ בַּמַּ֔יִם וָאֶשְׁטֹ֥ף דָּמַ֖יִךְ מֵעָלָ֑יִךְ וָאֲסֻכֵ֖ךְ בַּשָּֽׁמֶן׃ (י) וָאַלְבִּישֵׁ֣ךְ רִקְמָ֔ה וָאֶנְעֲלֵ֖ךְ תָּ֑חַשׁ וָאֶחְבְּשֵׁ֣ךְ בַּשֵּׁ֔שׁ וַאֲכַסֵּ֖ךְ מֶֽשִׁי׃
(8) when I passed by you [again] and saw that your time for love had arrived. So I spread My robe/כנפי/kenafi over you-c and covered your nakedness, and I entered into a covenant with you by oath—declares the Lord GOD; thus you became Mine. (9) I bathed you in water, and washed the blood off you, and anointed you with oil. (10) I clothed you with embroidered garments, and gave you sandals of dolphin leather-a to wear, and wound fine linen about your head, and dressed you in silks.
3:10 "You have not turned to younger men:"
Encounters between young women and older men
The daughters of Lot
(30) Lot went up from Zoar and settled in the hill country with his two daughters, for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar; and he and his two daughters lived in a cave. (31) And the older one said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to consort with us in the way of all the world. (32) Come, let us make our father drink wine, and let us lie with him, that we may maintain life through our father.” (33) That night they made their father drink wine, and the older one went in and lay with her father; he did not know when she lay down or when she rose. (34) The next day the older one said to the younger, “See, I lay with Father last night; let us make him drink wine tonight also, and you go and lie with him, that we may maintain life through our father.” (35) That night also they made their father drink wine, and the younger one went and lay with him; he did not know when she lay down or when she rose. (36) Thus the two daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father.
Tamar
(11) Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Stay as a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up”—for he thought, “He too might die like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s house. (12) A long time afterward, Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died. When his period of mourning was over, Judah went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, together with his friend Hirah the Adullamite. (13) And Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is coming up to Timnah for the sheepshearing.” (14) So she took off her widow’s garb, covered her face with a veil, and, wrapping herself up, sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, yet she had not been given to him as wife. (15) When Judah saw her, he took her for a harlot; for she had covered her face. (16) So he turned aside to her by the road and said, “Here, let me sleep with you”—for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. “What,” she asked, “will you pay for sleeping with me?”
Tamara Cohn Eskenazi, Commentary, Introduction to 3:6-15, p. 55
As commentators repeatedly note, Boaz and Ruth contrast with their ancestors, Lot and his daughters or Judah and Tamar. The proper behavior of both Boaz and Ruth under compromising circumstances stands out more clearly because of the potential for transgression depicted in those related narratives. ... At a symbolic level, the encounter on the threshing floor...reverses and acts as a corrective to those other stories of and thereby 'repairs' them.
3:11 "what a fine woman"-- what does that mean?
(יא) וְעַתָּ֗ה בִּתִּי֙ אַל־תִּ֣ירְאִ֔י כֹּ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־תֹּאמְרִ֖י אֶעֱשֶׂה־לָּ֑ךְ כִּ֤י יוֹדֵ֙עַ֙ כׇּל־שַׁ֣עַר עַמִּ֔י כִּ֛י אֵ֥שֶׁת חַ֖יִל אָֽתְּ׃
(11) And now, daughter, have no fear. I will do in your behalf whatever you ask, for all the elders of my town/all the gate of my people know what a fine woman/eishet chayil you are.
(י) אֵֽשֶׁת־חַ֭יִל מִ֣י יִמְצָ֑א וְרָחֹ֖ק מִפְּנִינִ֣ים מִכְרָֽהּ׃ (יא) בָּ֣טַח בָּ֭הּ לֵ֣ב בַּעְלָ֑הּ וְ֝שָׁלָ֗ל לֹ֣א יֶחְסָֽר׃ (יב) גְּמָלַ֣תְהוּ ט֣וֹב וְלֹא־רָ֑ע כֹּ֝֗ל יְמֵ֣י חַיֶּֽיהָ׃ (יג) דָּ֭רְשָׁה צֶ֣מֶר וּפִשְׁתִּ֑ים וַ֝תַּ֗עַשׂ בְּחֵ֣פֶץ כַּפֶּֽיהָ׃ (יד) הָ֭יְתָה כׇּאֳנִיּ֣וֹת סוֹחֵ֑ר מִ֝מֶּרְחָ֗ק תָּבִ֥יא לַחְמָֽהּ׃
(10) What a rare find is a capable wife!/eishet chayil
Her worth is far beyond that of rubies. (11) Her husband puts his confidence in her,
And lacks no good thing. (12) She is good to him, never bad,
All the days of her life. (13) She looks for wool and flax,
And sets her hand to them with a will. (14) She is like a merchant fleet,
Bringing her food from afar.
(לא) תְּנוּ־לָ֭הּ מִפְּרִ֣י יָדֶ֑יהָ וִיהַלְל֖וּהָ בַשְּׁעָרִ֣ים מַֽעֲשֶֽׂיהָ׃
(31) Extol her for the fruit of her hand,
And let her works praise her in the gates.
Tamar Cohn Eskenazi, Comment to 3:17, p. 68
...the Book of Ruth challenges the view of women primarily as the bearers of sons (a view represented by Naomi) and replaces it with the image of woman as breadwinner.
Summary and Next Class
Ruth 4 - At the City Gate