Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Boaz's setting himself down at the gate isn't just a random stop; it's a deliberate positioning at the place of public judgment and business, suggesting he's ready for a formal legal process. The phrase "Ho, such a one!" is a bit of a puzzle – while Boaz likely knew the man's name, the writer omits it, possibly to highlight the kinsman's later anonymity and lack of legacy due to his refusal.
Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Boaz, having decided to pursue Ruth's redemption, heads to the town gate, a place of public business and legal proceedings. He strategically positions himself there, knowing his kinsman, the closer potential redeemer he'd spoken of to Ruth, would likely pass by. Upon seeing him, Boaz courteously but purposefully calls him over to sit down, initiating the formal process of offering him the legal right to redeem Naomi's land and marry Ruth.
Boaz goes 'up to the gate' to conduct serious business. What makes this location so significant in ancient Israelite culture?
The City Gate as Courtroom
In ancient Near Eastern cities, the gate wasn't just an entrance; it was the hub of public life and justice. Boaz strategically goes to the gate because it served as the primary location for:
Boaz, acting with wisdom and adhering to custom, ensures his encounter with the kinsman-redeemer is conducted openly and formally, under the eyes of the community. This sets the stage for a legally binding decision.
Boaz calls out to a specific kinsman, yet the Bible never names him. Why the anonymity, and what does it signify?
The Unnamed Refuser
The near kinsman is deliberately left nameless in the narrative. This anonymity serves a powerful literary and theological purpose:
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This unnamed man represents those who have an opportunity to participate in God's redemptive plan but turn away, prioritizing their own immediate comfort or gain over a greater, more significant calling.
Understand the original words
sha'ar · Hebrew Noun
An entrance to a city, historically serving as the location for judicial proceedings, business transactions, and public gathering. It was the central point of civic and legal authority in ancient Israelite culture.
ga'al · Hebrew Noun/Participle
One who acts to reclaim or recover something for another, often involving the buying back of property or the deliverance of a person from debt, slavery, or death. In the Old Testament, it foreshadows the redemptive work of Christ, who pays the price to purchase his people out of bondage to sin.
The public setting at the city gate highlights the importance of community and legal process in ancient Israelite society, particularly concerning land inheritance and familial obligations like the kinsman-redeemer law.
c. 1100-1050 BC
Period of the Judges
The book of Ruth is set during the tumultuous 'latter days' of the period of the Judges, a time characterized by disunity, idolatry, and frequent conflict in Israel. This instability provides a backdrop for the family's move from Bethlehem to Moab.
c. 1100-1050 BC
Family flees famine to Moab
Elimelech, driven by famine in Bethlehem, emigrates with his wife Naomi and their two sons to the foreign land of Moab. This establishes the initial tragedy and the family's displacement.
c. 1100-1050 BC
Deaths of Elimelech and sons
Tragedy strikes the family in Moab. Elimelech dies, followed by his two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, leaving Naomi widowed and childless in a foreign land.
c. 1100-1050 BC
Naomi returns to Bethlehem
Naomi, hearing that the famine in Judah has ended, decides to return to her hometown of Bethlehem. Her Moabite daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, accompany her, though only Ruth will remain.
c. 1100-1050 BC
Boaz meets Ruth gleaning
Ruth gleans in the fields of Boaz, a wealthy relative of Elimelech. Boaz shows her favor, recognizing her loyalty to Naomi and her Hebrew heritage.
c. 1100-1050 BC— this verse
Boaz prepares to approach the kinsman
Boaz, acting as a kinsman-redeemer (goel), goes to the city gate, the traditional place for legal and business transactions, to publicly address the next-in-line redeemer regarding Ruth and Elimelech's land.
c. 1100-1050 BC
Kinsman redeemer refuses obligation
The next of kin, confronted by Boaz at the gate, initially agrees to redeem Elimelech's land and marry Ruth. However, he ultimately declines the responsibility, fearing it would jeopardize his own inheritance.
This passage outlines the law of the Levirate marriage, which is the legal framework Boaz is operating within and setting up for the unnamed kinsman to consider.
Ruth 3:12This verse directly refers to the 'kinsman-redeemer' that Boaz speaks to in Ruth 4:1, establishing the immediate context of Boaz's mission.
Luke 14:18This parable speaks to the excuses people make when invited to a feast, echoing the sentiment of the unnamed kinsman who prioritizes his own possessions over his obligations.
Matthew 13:22Jesus describes the seed sown among thorns which is choked by the cares of the world, mirroring the unnamed kinsman's ultimate decision to let go of his claim due to earthly concerns.
henryRuth 4:1-8: "Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down."
4:1-8 This matter depended on the laws given by Moses about inheritances, and doubtless the whole was settled in the regular and legal manner. This kinsman, when he heard the conditions of the bargain, refused it. In like manner many are shy of the great redemption; they are not…
clarkeRuth 4:1: "Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down."
Then went Boaz up to the gate - We have often had occasion to remark that the gate or entrance to any city or town was the place where the court of justice was ordinarily kept. For an account of the officers in such places, see the note on Deuteronomy 16:18 . Ho, such a one! - sit…
Boaz's setting himself down at the gate isn't just a random stop; it's a deliberate positioning at the place of public judgment and business, suggesting he's ready for a formal legal process. The phrase "Ho, such a one!" is a bit of a puzzle – while Boaz likely knew the man's name, the writer omits it, possibly to highlight the kinsman's later anonymity and lack of legacy due to his refusal.
Boaz, having decided to pursue Ruth's redemption, heads to the town gate, a place of public business and legal proceedings. He strategically positions himself there, knowing his kinsman, the closer potential redeemer he'd spoken of to Ruth, would likely pass by. Upon seeing him, Boaz courteously but purposefully calls him over to sit down, initiating the formal process of offering him the legal right to redeem Naomi's land and marry Ruth.
Boaz, having decided to pursue Ruth's redemption, heads to the town gate, a place of public business and legal proceedings. He strategically positions himself there, knowing his kinsman, the closer potential redeemer he'd spoken of to Ruth, would likely pass by. Upon seeing him, Boaz courteously but purposefully calls him over to sit down, initiating the formal process of offering him the legal right to redeem Naomi's land and marry Ruth.
"Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down." — Boaz's setting himself down at the gate isn't just a random stop; it's a deliberate positioning at the place of public judgment and business, suggesting he's ready for a formal legal process. The phr…
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Last reviewed October 2026