Boaz declares he's not just buying land, but he's buying Ruth to be his wife. This highlights that, within the legal framework of redeeming family land, securing a wife was an integral part of ensuring a deceased husband's name and legacy continued. It shows how deeply intertwined family, property, and personal identity were in their culture.
Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Boaz is publicly confirming his purchase of Elimelech's land and, as part of the agreement, his marriage to Ruth, Mahlon's widow. This public declaration, witnessed by the elders at the city gate, ensures that Mahlon's name and inheritance will continue through their offspring, preventing his lineage from being forgotten within the community.
Boaz doesn't just buy land; he buys a life and a legacy. What does this say about how God sees us?
Boaz is acting as a 'kinsman-redeemer,' a specific role in ancient Israelite law. His purchase of Mahlon's land wasn't just a business deal; it was a sacred act with deep personal implications.
The Law's Demand
The law required a redeemer to step in when land was sold, ensuring families didn't permanently lose their ancestral property (Leviticus 25:25-28). This was crucial for maintaining a stable society and honoring family heritage.
Boaz's Generosity
But Boaz goes beyond the strict legal requirement. He explicitly states he is buying Ruth, Mahlon's widow, to be his wife. This was an additional act of kindness, not just a legal necessity. He's not just restoring an inheritance; he's restoring a life and a future for Ruth and honoring the memory of Mahlon.
Why was it so important that Mahlon's name not be 'cut off'? What does this reveal about identity?
The phrase 'cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his place' speaks volumes about the value of belonging in ancient Israel.
A Name Among the People
To have your name 'cut off' meant to be forgotten, to have no descendants carrying on your family line, and to lose your place within the community. The 'gate' was a public space where elders met and important decisions were made – being remembered there meant having a recognized place in society.
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A New Beginning
By marrying Ruth and having a child, Boaz ensures that Mahlon's name, and by extension Elimelech's and Chilion's, will continue to be spoken. This child, Obed, would be legally considered the son of Mahlon, thus keeping his lineage alive. It's not just about preserving a name, but about preserving the story and continuity of a family within God's people.
Understand the original words
sha'ar · Hebrew Noun
The public gathering place at the entrance of an ancient city, where legal transactions, judicial proceedings, and official business were conducted by the elders. It represented the heart of the community's public life.
qum · Hebrew Verb
To cause something to continue or survive through time. In the Old Testament, this often refers to ensuring a family line or name does not perish, maintaining the legacy of the deceased within the covenant people.
This passage highlights the ancient Israelite practice of 'kinsman-redemption,' where a relative could buy back ancestral land and marry a deceased kinsman's widow to preserve the family line and inheritance. Ruth's marriage to Boaz, though she was a foreigner, was a public act that ensured the name of Mahlon would not be forgotten and secured a place for Naomi's family legacy.
c. 11th-13th century BC
Period of the Judges
The Book of Ruth is set during the chaotic and morally ambiguous era of the Judges, a time when Israel lacked centralized leadership and often strayed from God's ways.
During the period of the Judges
Elimelech's family moves to Moab
Due to a famine in Bethlehem, Elimelech and his family, including his wife Naomi and sons Mahlon and Chilion, relocate to the foreign land of Moab.
During the period of the Judges
Deaths of Elimelech and his sons
Elimelech dies in Moab. Later, his sons Mahlon and Chilion also die, leaving Naomi widowed and without male heirs.
During the period of the Judges
Naomi returns to Bethlehem with Ruth
Naomi decides to return to her homeland and, after her daughters-in-law Orpah and Ruth insist on accompanying her, she blesses them and only Ruth chooses to stay with her.
During the period of the Judges— this verse
Boaz acquires Elimelech's land and Ruth
Boaz, a kinsman-redeemer, publicly purchases the land belonging to Elimelech's estate and, in accordance with custom, takes Ruth, Mahlon's widow, as his wife.
c. 11th-13th century BC
Birth of Obed
Ruth and Boaz have a son named Obed, fulfilling the legal requirement to perpetuate Mahlon's name and secure Naomi's inheritance.
c. 10th Century BC
David's Ancestry Established
Obed becomes the father of Jesse, who in turn is the father of King David, placing Ruth and Boaz within the royal lineage of Israel.
This passage outlines the law of the Levirate marriage, a practice that directly relates to Boaz's actions in marrying Ruth to perpetuate Mahlon's name and inheritance.
Matthew 1:1-17This genealogy of Jesus includes Ruth, highlighting how this seemingly obscure event at the town gate ultimately played a crucial role in the lineage of the Messiah.
Joshua 20:1-9The mention of 'the gate of his place' in Ruth 4:10 evokes the cities of refuge, underscoring the significance of public places like the city gate for legal and communal matters in ancient Israel.
Proverbs 31:10-31While describing an ideal wife, this passage echoes the virtues of Ruth – her strength, capability, and the blessing she brings to her household – values recognized and honored in Boaz's public declaration.
henryRuth 4:9-12: "And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi."
4:9-12 Men are ready to seize opportunities for increasing their estates, but few know the value of godliness. Such are the wise men of this world, whom the Lord charges with folly. They attend not to the concerns of their souls, but reject the salvation of Christ, for fear of marring their i…
pooleRuth 4:10: "Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day."
From the gate of his place, i.e. from among the inhabitants dwelling within the gate of this city, which was Bethlehem-judah.
Boaz declares he's not just buying land, but he's buying Ruth to be his wife. This highlights that, within the legal framework of redeeming family land, securing a wife was an integral part of ensuring a deceased husband's name and legacy continued. It shows how deeply intertwined family, property, and personal identity were in their culture.
Boaz is publicly confirming his purchase of Elimelech's land and, as part of the agreement, his marriage to Ruth, Mahlon's widow. This public declaration, witnessed by the elders at the city gate, ensures that Mahlon's name and inheritance will continue through their offspring, preventing his lineage from being forgotten within the community.
Boaz is publicly confirming his purchase of Elimelech's land and, as part of the agreement, his marriage to Ruth, Mahlon's widow. This public declaration, witnessed by the elders at the city gate, ensures that Mahlon's name and inheritance will continue through their offspring, preventing his lineage from being forgotten within the community.
"Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You…" — Boaz declares he's not just buying land, but he's buying Ruth to be his wife. This highlights that, within the legal framework of redeeming family land, securing a wife was an integral part of ensu…
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Last reviewed October 2026
