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)
Boaz reveals a crucial, easily missed detail: buying the land isn't just about property, it's about acquiring Ruth herself. This wasn't a straightforward sale; it was a covenantal act to perpetuate the deceased husband's name through a new lineage, making Ruth integral to the inheritance, not just an appendage.
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)
Boaz is at the city gate, ready to finalize the redemption of Elimelech's land, a process that involves not just the property but also its living connections. He's just spoken with the closer kinsman, and now, to ensure transparency and adherence to custom, Boaz reveals a crucial condition: acquiring the field from Naomi means also acquiring Ruth, Mahlon's widow, so that a child might be born to carry on Mahlon's name and inheritance.
Boaz lays out a crucial, often overlooked detail in the land redemption. It wasn't just about dirt and property lines...
In this pivotal moment, Boaz reveals that acquiring Elimelech's field involved more than just a financial transaction. The closer kinsman, when buying the land from Naomi, also had to 'acquire Ruth the Moabite.'
More Than Just Property
This wasn't simply about property rights; it was deeply tied to social and familial obligations that went beyond the legal minimum. The kinsman had to be willing to take on the entire situation, not just the land.
Why was marrying Ruth so critical? It wasn't just about securing a spouse, but about something far more profound for the family line...
Boaz highlights the ultimate purpose of this 'double purchase': 'to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.'
Echoes of an Ancient Need
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In ancient Israelite culture, having your name carried on was incredibly important. It wasn't mere vanity; it was about legacy, remembrance, and ensuring the family line continued. A name dying out meant the person was essentially forgotten, losing their place in the community and the ancestral story.
Boaz isn't just stating the law; he's acting with a character that reveals a deeper commitment. What does his approach teach us?
Boaz’s words to the closer kinsman are more than just a legal disclosure; they reveal his own integrity and heart.
The Right Way to Redeem
Boaz’s approach highlights that true redemption involves not just fulfilling requirements but acting with a generous, righteous spirit.
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 the ancient Israelite custom of the kinsman-redeemer, a practice deeply rooted in ensuring family lines and land ownership persisted, especially when tragedy struck.
~1100 BC
Elimelech and family move to Moab
Due to famine in Bethlehem, Elimelech leaves his homeland with his wife Naomi and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, settling in the foreign land of Moab.
~1090 BC
Mahlon and Chilion marry Moabite women
The sons of Elimelech marry Orpah and Ruth, women from Moab. This would have been a significant cultural and religious departure from Israelite tradition.
~1080 BC
Death of Elimelech and his sons
Tragedy strikes the family as Elimelech and both his sons, Mahlon and Chilion, die in Moab, leaving Naomi widowed with her two Moabite daughters-in-law.
~1079 BC
Naomi returns to Bethlehem with Ruth
Naomi decides to return to her homeland, and despite Orpah's farewell, Ruth insists on accompanying her, famously declaring her loyalty.
~1079 BC— this verse
Boaz redeems the family inheritance
Boaz, acting as a kinsman-redeemer, purchases the land that belonged to Elimelech from Naomi. As part of this redemption, he also agrees to marry Ruth, the Moabite widow of Mahlon, to perpetuate Mahlon's name and inheritance.
~1078 BC
Birth of Obed
Ruth bears a son named Obed to Boaz. This child is considered the legal heir of Mahlon, fulfilling the obligation to raise up the name of the deceased.
~1040 BC
Birth of Jesse
Obed, the son of Ruth and Boaz, fathers Jesse, who will later become the father of King David.
This passage lays out the law of the Levirate marriage, which is the direct legal precedent Boaz invokes here, explaining the obligation to marry a deceased brother's widow to raise up an heir for him.
Matthew 22:24This New Testament passage directly references the same law from Deuteronomy when the Sadducees try to trick Jesus about the resurrection, showing the ongoing understanding and application of this ancient custom.
Genesis 38:8This earlier account of Onan refusing to father offspring for his deceased brother Tamar illustrates the concept of 'raising up a name,' though in this case, it's shown as a failure to fulfill the obligation, contrasting with Boaz's righteous actions.
2 Samuel 18:18This verse describes Absalom setting up a pillar to 'perpetuate his name' because he had no son, highlighting the profound cultural importance placed on having descendants to carry on one's legacy.
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.
Boaz reveals a crucial, easily missed detail: buying the land isn't just about property, it's about acquiring Ruth herself. This wasn't a straightforward sale; it was a covenantal act to perpetuate the deceased husband's name through a new lineage, making Ruth integral to the inheritance, not just an appendage.
Boaz is at the city gate, ready to finalize the redemption of Elimelech's land, a process that involves not just the property but also its living connections. He's just spoken with the closer kinsman, and now, to ensure transparency and adherence to custom, Boaz reveals a crucial condition: acquiring the field from Naomi means also acquiring Ruth, Mahlon's widow, so that a child might be born to carry on Mahlon's name and inheritance.
Boaz is at the city gate, ready to finalize the redemption of Elimelech's land, a process that involves not just the property but also its living connections. He's just spoken with the closer kinsman, and now, to ensure transparency and adherence to custom, Boaz reveals a crucial condition: acquiring the field from Naomi means also acquiring Ruth, Mahlon's widow, so that a child might be born to carry on Mahlon's name and inheritance.
"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.”" — Boaz reveals a crucial, easily missed detail: buying the land isn't just about property, it's about acquiring Ruth herself. This wasn't a straightforward sale; it was a covenantal act to perpetuate…
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Last reviewed October 2026