Ruth 4:5
Then Boaz said, “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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What's easily missed here is that Boaz isn't just talking about buying land; he's clarifying that acquiring the field legally also means taking on the responsibility for Ruth, Mahlon's widow. This wasn't a simple property deal; it involved a profound commitment to continue her deceased husband's lineage, a detail crucial for understanding the full weight of the kinsman redeemer's role.
Boaz is speaking to the closer relative who has the first right to redeem Naomi's land. He's explaining that acquiring the land from Naomi means the redeemer also takes on the responsibility of marrying Ruth, Mahlon's widow, to ensure his deceased name and inheritance continue. This obligation is rooted in ancient custom and law, designed to perpetuate a family line.
Boaz reveals that buying the field isn't just a real estate transaction. It comes with a significant, deeply personal 'add-on' that changes everything.
Boaz makes it clear to the unnamed kinsman that acquiring Naomi's field isn't as simple as buying property. The purchase includes Ruth, the Moabite widow of Mahlon. This wasn't just about securing land; it was about fulfilling ancient custom and responsibility.
A Sacred Duty
According to customs rooted in laws like Deuteronomy 25, when a man died without heirs, the responsibility fell to a kinsman-redeemer. This redeemer had the right to buy back family land and, crucially, to marry the widow to raise up an heir in the deceased's name. This ensured the family line and inheritance wouldn't disappear.
Ruth's Unique Position
Ruth, though a foreigner, was Mahlon's widow. Buying the field meant taking on the obligation to marry her and continue Mahlon's lineage. It was a weighty decision, as it bound the buyer to a duty that went far beyond a financial investment.
Why was 'perpetuating the name of the dead' such a critical part of this transaction? It speaks to a profound ancient understanding of legacy and remembrance.
The phrase 'to perpetuate the name of the dead' reveals a core value in ancient Israelite society: the importance of family legacy.
More Than Just a Memory
In a time without lasting monuments or easy ways to record history, a person's name lived on through their descendants. If a man died without children, his name could be effectively erased from existence. The land was tied to the family name, and without heirs, that connection was severed.
The Kinsman's Role
The kinsman-redeemer, by marrying Ruth and having a child, would ensure that Mahlon's name would continue. The child born would be legally considered Mahlon's son, inheriting his portion of the land and carrying his name forward. This wasn't just about property rights; it was about honoring the past and ensuring continuity for the future, a sacred trust that Boaz was prepared to uphold.
Understand the original words
almanah · Hebrew Noun
A woman whose husband has died. In the Old Testament, widows were considered among the most vulnerable members of society, and God consistently commanded His people to provide for and protect them.
qum · Hebrew Verb
To cause to continue or to keep alive; in a genealogical sense, it refers to preserving a family line so that the name of the deceased does not vanish from their clan or Israel.
nachalah · Hebrew Noun
The portion of land or possession passed down from ancestors. It signifies God's gift to the tribes and families of Israel, representing their permanent stake in the Promised Land and their identity within the covenant community.
This verse highlights ancient Near Eastern customs and laws concerning inheritance and family continuity. The practice of a kinsman-redeemer not only involved financial transactions but also social and familial obligations, including marrying a deceased relative's widow to ensure their name and lineage persisted.
c. 1100 BC
Elimelech and family move to Moab
Facing famine in Bethlehem, Elimelech leaves Judah with his wife Naomi and their two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, settling in the land of Moab. This migration sets the stage for future events and challenges.
c. 1100 BC - c. 1080 BC
Mahlon and Kilion marry Moabite women
The sons of Elimelech marry Orpah and Ruth, Moabite women. This intermarriage occurs during their stay in Moab, highlighting cultural interactions and eventual loss for Naomi.
c. 1080 BC
Death of Elimelech and his sons
Naomi is widowed and loses both her sons in Moab. This devastating loss leaves her in a vulnerable position, prompting her decision to return to Bethlehem.
c. 1080 BC
Naomi and Ruth return to Bethlehem
Naomi decides to return to her homeland, and Ruth, showing extraordinary loyalty, insists on accompanying her. This marks the beginning of their new life in Judah.
This passage lays out the law of levirate marriage, directly referenced by Boaz, explaining the obligation to perpetuate a deceased brother's name through offspring when he dies childless.
Matthew 22:24Jesus himself references the levirate law in this passage when confronting the Sadducees, reinforcing the concept of raising up a name for the deceased, even within a challenging theological discussion.
Genesis 38:8This earlier account of Onan refusing to 'keep in being' his brother's name provides a stark, negative example of the custom Boaz is upholding, highlighting the importance of fulfilling this responsibility.
2 Samuel 18:18This verse speaks to the deep cultural and personal pain of having no posterity, as Absalom set up a pillar for himself because he 'had no son to preserve my name,' underscoring the significance of perpetuating a name.
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 4:5: "Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance."
Thou must buy it also of Ruth - More properly, Thou wilt also acquire Ruth. Thou canst not get the land without taking the wife of the deceased and then the children which thou mayest have shall be reputed the children of Mahlon, thy deceased kinsman.
What's easily missed here is that Boaz isn't just talking about buying land; he's clarifying that acquiring the field legally also means taking on the responsibility for Ruth, Mahlon's widow. This wasn't a simple property deal; it involved a profound commitment to continue her deceased husband's lineage, a detail crucial for understanding the full weight of the kinsman redeemer's role.
Boaz is speaking to the closer relative who has the first right to redeem Naomi's land. He's explaining that acquiring the land from Naomi means the redeemer also takes on the responsibility of marrying Ruth, Mahlon's widow, to ensure his deceased name and inheritance continue. This obligation is rooted in ancient custom and law, designed to perpetuate a family line.
Boaz is speaking to the closer relative who has the first right to redeem Naomi's land. He's explaining that acquiring the land from Naomi means the redeemer also takes on the responsibility of marrying Ruth, Mahlon's widow, to ensure his deceased name and inheritance continue. This obligation is rooted in ancient custom and law, designed to perpetuate a family line.
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c. 1080 BC— this verse
Boaz redeems Elimelech's land and marries Ruth
Boaz, acting as a kinsman-redeemer, purchases Elimelech's land from Naomi and also takes Ruth, the Moabite widow, as his wife according to custom. This act secures the inheritance and perpetuates Elimelech's name.
c. 1080 BC
Birth of Obed
Ruth bears a son, Obed, to Boaz. Obed becomes the father of Jesse and the grandfather of King David, integrating the Moabite woman into the Israelite royal lineage.
"Then Boaz said, “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.”" — What's easily missed here is that Boaz isn't just talking about buying land; he's clarifying that acquiring the field legally also means taking on the responsibility for Ruth, Mahlon's widow. This wa…
