The women aren't just celebrating the birth of a son, but highlighting that Naomi hasn't been left without a "kinsman" in the deeper sense of a redeemer. This blessing points not only to the newborn heir but also to Boaz's faithful actions as the true redeemer who stepped in when another failed, fulfilling a vital role for Naomi's lineage.
Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
After Boaz marries Ruth, she conceives and gives birth to a son, marking the joyful culmination of Naomi's story. The women of Bethlehem, witnessing this blessed event, bless God for providing Naomi with a redeemer, a kinsman who has secured her family's future and name in Israel through Boaz's actions and this new heir. This birth signifies not only the continuation of Naomi's lineage but also the fulfillment of God's faithfulness, echoing through generations to the lineage of King David and ultimately to Jesus.
Who is this 'kinsman' the women are praising? Is it the baby, or Boaz?
The Hebrew word "kinsman" (goel) here carries a rich meaning of 'redeemer' or 'avenger.' While the immediate trigger for the women's praise is the birth of the son, the concept of the redeemer is primarily attributed to Boaz. He fulfilled the crucial role of the goel not just by acquiring Ruth and Naomi's land, but by securing an heir for the family. This honor and blessing isn't just for the child, but deeply tied to Boaz's faithful actions, reviving the memory of his generous service when others had failed.
Naomi's story began with deep loss. How does this moment of celebration speak to her journey?
Naomi's life had been marked by profound grief and emptiness. She left Bethlehem as a woman with a full household and returned a widow with no sons, feeling utterly forsaken by God (Ruth 1:20-21). This exclamation from the women directly counters that despair. God, in His faithfulness, has provided not only a redeemer in Boaz but also a grandchild—a tangible sign of continuity and hope.
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This child born to Ruth and Boaz would become famous. But how famous, and why?
The women's hope that the child's name "may be renowned in Israel" is a beautiful understatement of the future. This newborn son, Obed, is not just any Israeli. He is the grandfather of King David, placing him directly in the lineage of the promised Messiah.
Understand the original words
gāʾal · Hebrew Noun
A kinsman-redeemer (Goel); one who has the obligation and right to redeem a relative, their property, or their name, restoring them to their rightful place in the covenant community.
šûḇ nepeš · Hebrew Participle (Noun)
One who brings back to life or restores to a former state; often used to describe God’s work in reversing tragedy, grief, or barrenness.
kûl · Hebrew Participle (Noun)
One who provides sustenance, support, or care, especially for someone in need, old age, or vulnerability.
The birth of Obed, celebrated in Ruth 4:14, is a pivotal moment that not only secures Naomi's future but also connects her family to the royal lineage of King David and, ultimately, to Jesus Christ.
c. 13th-11th century BC
Period of the Judges
Israel experienced a cycle of disobedience, oppression, deliverance, and peace, marked by a lack of centralized leadership. This era of instability and moral compromise forms the backdrop for the events in Ruth.
c. 11th century BC
Elimelech and Naomi leave Bethlehem
A famine forces Elimelech, Naomi, and their sons to emigrate from Judah to Moab, seeking sustenance. This sets the stage for personal tragedy and Ruth's eventual journey.
c. 11th century BC
Death of Elimelech and sons
Naomi's husband and both her sons die in Moab, leaving her widowed and childless, facing profound grief and insecurity.
c. 11th century BC
Ruth returns to Bethlehem with Naomi
After the death of her husband, Ruth famously pledges loyalty to Naomi and her God, returning with her to Bethlehem.
c. 11th century BC
Boaz acts as kinsman-redeemer
Boaz, a relative of Elimelech, generously protects and provides for Ruth, eventually purchasing Elimelech's land and marrying Ruth, fulfilling the role of kinsman-redeemer.
c. 11th century BC— this verse
Birth of Obed
Ruth gives birth to a son, Obed. The women of Bethlehem celebrate this event as a fulfillment of God's promise to Naomi, seeing Boaz as the faithful kinsman-redeemer.
c. 11th century BC
Genealogy of David
Obed is the father of Jesse, who is the father of King David, establishing a significant lineage that eventually leads to the Messiah.
Just as the women bless God for a redeemer in Ruth 4:14, Joseph, in Genesis 50:20, recognizes that what people intended for evil, God intended for good, highlighting God's redemptive plan even in difficult circumstances.
Psalm 72:17The hope expressed in Ruth 4:14 that the redeemer's name will be renowned is echoed in Psalm 72:17, which prophesies that the king's name will endure forever and all nations will be blessed through him.
Isaiah 9:6-7The birth of a son who brings blessing and renown in Ruth 4:14 finds a powerful parallel in Isaiah 9:6-7, which foretells the birth of a son, the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace, whose government and peace will have no end.
Matthew 1:5-6Ruth 4:14 celebrates the birth of Obed, a descendant who becomes part of a crucial lineage. Matthew 1:5-6 shows how Obed is directly in the line leading to King David and ultimately to Jesus, the ultimate Redeemer.
Luke 1:50The women's blessing of the Lord in Ruth 4:14 for His provision of a redeemer resonates with Mary's Magnificat in Luke 1:50, where she declares God's mercy is for those who fear Him, generation after generation.
henryRuth 4:13-22: "So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son."
4:13-22 Ruth bore a son, through whom thousands and myriads were born to God; and in being the lineal ancestor of Christ, she was instrumental in the happiness of all that shall be saved by him; even of us Gentiles, as well as those of Jewish descent. She was a witness for God to the Gentile world, that he had not utterly forsaken them, but that in due time th…
pooleRuth 4:14: "And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel."
Without a kinsman; which is understood, either, first, Of the son new born. Or rather, secondly, Of Boaz; for the name of goel , which is translated kinsman or redeemer , is never, that I know of, given to the child born, but always to the person begetting him of his brother’s or near kinsman’s wife. And whereas it is objected, that there w…
The women aren't just celebrating the birth of a son, but highlighting that Naomi hasn't been left without a "kinsman" in the deeper sense of a redeemer. This blessing points not only to the newborn heir but also to Boaz's faithful actions as the true redeemer who stepped in when another failed, fulfilling a vital role for Naomi's lineage.
After Boaz marries Ruth, she conceives and gives birth to a son, marking the joyful culmination of Naomi's story. The women of Bethlehem, witnessing this blessed event, bless God for providing Naomi with a redeemer, a kinsman who has secured her family's future and name in Israel through Boaz's actions and this new heir. This birth signifies not only the continuation of Naomi's lineage but also the fulfillment of God's faithfulness, echoing through generations to the lineage of King David and ultimately to Jesus.
After Boaz marries Ruth, she conceives and gives birth to a son, marking the joyful culmination of Naomi's story. The women of Bethlehem, witnessing this blessed event, bless God for providing Naomi with a redeemer, a kinsman who has secured her family's future and name in Israel through Boaz's actions and this new heir. This birth signifies not only the continuation of Naomi's lineage but also the fulfillment of God's faithfulness, echoing through generations to the lineage of King David and ultimately to Jesus.
"Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law w…" — The women aren't just celebrating the birth of a son, but highlighting that Naomi hasn't been left without a "kinsman" in the deeper sense of a redeemer. This blessing points not only to the newborn…
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Last reviewed October 2026
