The Book of Ruth Study Guide

10
Then he said, “Blessed are you of the LORD, my daughter! For you have shown more
kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether
poor or rich. 11 And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for
all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman. 12 Now it is true that I am a
close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. 13 Stay this night, and in the
morning it shall be that if he will perform the duty of a close relative for you—good; let him
do it. But if he does not want to perform the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for
you, as the LORD lives! Lie down until morning.
~Ruth 3:10-13
Both Boaz’s and Ruth’s character shine in this passage. Ruth’s in that she is
considered to be a virtuous woman by all the people of this town. This brings to my
mind the Proverbs 31 woman (Proverbs 31:10-31) and I would of course have to
agree with Boaz’s statement. The woman described in Proverbs is one that is
trustworthy, honest, hardworking, and puts caring for others first. Sounds like Ruth
to me. Gesenius’s Lexicon declares that this usage of the Hebrew word chayil
refers to a person of integrity and uprightness. Boaz agrees to become her kinsman
redeemer due in part to her good reputation and is pleased that she has chosen him
to do so, despite the fact that there is another man that has a closer claim than he
does.
Boaz demonstrates his integrity again by bringing this man to her attention. I think
it is sweet that he immediately agrees to take care of her and then has to backtrack
and inform her that another may have claim. He must have had affection for her.
Despite his fondness, he still decides to do what is right. You see, part of being a
kinsman redeemer is inheriting the land that had belonged to Ruth’s previous
husband. By marrying her the land becomes his, as well as the inherited portion
from Elimelech. The kinsman redeemer stood to gain much more than just a wife.
Q 1) what is it that makes Ruth worthy of marriage in Boaz’s eyes? Compare and/or
contrast Ruth with the woman in Proverbs 31.
Q 2) what characteristics of a godly man do you see in Boaz? (Please try and back
up statements with Bible verses if possible)
Personal Reflection:
When confronted with a situation, Boaz did not shy away from responsibility, even a
responsibility that was not his to carry. Examine your decisions over the past few
months. Do you tend to shy away from responsibility or face it head on with an
eager heart? Read Luke 10:30-37. Both the priest and the Levite had a
responsibility to help the man on the side (Leviticus 19:18) of the road and yet they
continued on their way possibly believing it wasn’t their concern because they
needed to stay ceremonially clean. Yet a Samaritan who had no obligation or
responsibility to this person took on the responsibility. It is easy to allow ourselves
to shy away from taking care of others and easy to justify it if we try hard enough.
However we should strive to be like Boaz and the Samaritan. Pray and ask God to
work on your heart and guide you to opportunities to take on the responsibility of
loving and caring for others.