Ruth 4: Redeemed at the Gate
Boaz redeems Naomi's land and takes Ruth as his wife before the elders, and God gives a son whose line will lead to King David.
Ruth 4 (WEB)
1 Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat down there. Behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by; to whom he said, “Come over here, friend, and sit down!” He turned aside, and sat down.
2 He took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here.” They sat down.
3 He said to the near kinsman, “Naomi, who has come back out of the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s.
4 I thought to disclose it to you, saying, ‘Buy it before those who sit here, and before the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know. For there is no one to redeem it besides you; and I am after you.” He said, “I will redeem it.”
5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must buy it also from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance.”
6 The near kinsman said, “I can’t redeem it for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption for yourself; for I can’t redeem it.”
7 Now this was the custom in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: a man took off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the way of attestation in Israel.
8 So the near kinsman said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” He took off his shoe.
9 Boaz said to the elders, and to all the people, “You are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi.
10 Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, I have purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance, that the name of the dead not be cut off from among his brothers, and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses this day.”
11 All the people who were in the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May Yahweh make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and like Leah, which two built the house of Israel; and treat you worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Bethlehem.
12 Let your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, of the seed which Yahweh shall give you of this young woman.”
13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife; and he went in to her, and Yahweh gave her conception, and she bore a son.
14 The women said to Naomi, “Blessed be Yahweh, who has not left you this day without a near kinsman; and let his name be famous in Israel.
15 He shall be to you a restorer of life, and sustain you in your old age, for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.”
16 Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse to it.
17 The women, her neighbors, gave him a name, saying, “There is a son born to Naomi”; and they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18 Now this is the history of the generations of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron,
19 and Hezron became the father of Ram, and Ram became the father of Amminadab,
20 and Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon became the father of Salmon,
21 and Salmon became the father of Boaz, and Boaz became the father of Obed,
22 and Obed became the father of Jesse, and Jesse became the father of David.
Ruth 4 (KJV)
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.
2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.
3 And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s:
4 And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.
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.
6 And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.
7 Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel.
8 Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe.
9 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.
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.
11 And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Beth–lehem:
12 And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman.
13 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.
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.
15 And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.
16 And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.
17 And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18 Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,
19 And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,
20 And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon,
21 And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,
22 And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.
Ruth 4 (ASV)
1 Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the near 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.
2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.
3 And he said unto the near kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s:
4 and I thought to disclose it unto thee, saying, Buy it before them that sit here, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is none to redeem it besides thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.
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.
6 And the near kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: take thou my right of redemption on thee; for I cannot redeem it.
7 Now this wasthe customin former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: a man drew off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel.
8 So the near kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thyself. And he drew off his shoe.
9 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.
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.
11 And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. Jehovah make the woman that is come into thy house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Beth-lehem:
12 and let thy house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which Jehovah shall give thee of this young woman.
13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife; and he went in unto her, and Jehovah gave her conception, and she bare a son.
14 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be Jehovah, who hath not left thee this day without a near kinsman; and let his name be famous in Israel.
15 And he shall be unto thee a restorer of life, and a nourisher of thine old age, for thy daughter-in-law, who loveth thee, who is better to thee than seven sons, hath borne him.
16 And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.
17 And the women her neighbors gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18 Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez begat Hezron,
19 and Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,
20 and Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon,
21 and Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,
22 and Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.
Summary
Boaz goes up to the city gate, the place of legal business, and waits for the nearer kinsman to pass by. Gathering ten elders as witnesses, he lays out the matter: Naomi is selling the parcel of land that belonged to Elimelech, and the nearer kinsman has the first right to redeem it. The man readily agrees—until Boaz adds that buying the field also means taking Ruth the Moabitess to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance. Fearing harm to his own estate, the kinsman declines and transfers his right to Boaz, sealing it by the old custom of removing his sandal. Boaz then declares before all the people that he has bought everything that was Elimelech's and has taken Ruth to be his wife, so that the name of the dead will not be cut off. The witnesses bless the union, praying that Ruth will be like Rachel and Leah who built up Israel, and that the house will be like that of Perez. So Boaz takes Ruth as his wife, and Yahweh gives her a son. The women of Bethlehem bless God, who has not left Naomi without a redeemer, and they rejoice that her daughter-in-law, who loves her and is better than seven sons, has borne him. Naomi takes the child to her bosom, and the once-empty widow becomes a nurse to him. The boy is named Obed, the father of Jesse, the father of David—and the closing genealogy lifts the whole story into God's great plan.
Main Characters
- Boaz — The kinsman-redeemer who settles the matter publicly at the gate, redeems Elimelech's land, and takes Ruth as his wife to carry on the name of the dead.
- Ruth — The faithful Moabite widow who becomes the wife of Boaz, bears Obed, and is honored by the women of Bethlehem as better to Naomi than seven sons.
- Naomi — The widow whose emptiness is reversed as she receives a grandson, a restorer of life, and takes the child to her bosom as nurse and grandmother.
- The nearer kinsman — The relative with the prior right to redeem, who is willing to buy the land until it requires marrying Ruth, and so yields his right to Boaz.
Key Verse
Ruth 4:14 (WEB)
The women said to Naomi, “Blessed be Yahweh, who has not left you this day without a near kinsman; and let his name be famous in Israel.
Lessons Learned
- Redemption is a public, costly act in which the redeemer takes on what is not his own.
- Self-protection can keep us from blessings that loyal love would gladly embrace.
- God reverses our emptiness, often through the very people and means we overlooked.
- The faithful love of ordinary people becomes a thread in God's plan to bring the King.
- Redemption is settled openly and lawfully. Boaz declares at the gate, “You are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s” (Ruth 4:9, WEB). True redemption is no private deal but a public, binding act.
- Counting the cost can shrink the heart. The nearer kinsman refuses, “lest I mar my own inheritance” (Ruth 4:6, WEB). Fear for self can forfeit the blessing that self-giving love would have gained.
- God restores the empty. The women bless Yahweh, who has given Naomi “a restorer of life” (Ruth 4:15, WEB). The Lord brings fullness where there was bitterness and life where there was loss.
- Small stories serve God's great plan. Obed becomes “the father of Jesse, the father of David” (Ruth 4:17, WEB). A widow's redemption in Bethlehem becomes a link in the line of Israel's king and the Messiah.
- Why does the nearer kinsman change his mind once Ruth is included in the redemption, and what does his decision reveal about him?
- What exactly does Boaz take on when he redeems the land and marries Ruth? In what ways does this cost him?
- The women bless God for giving Naomi a near kinsman and a restorer of life. How does the ending answer the bitterness of chapter 1?
- The book closes by tracing the line to David. How does this genealogy reframe everything that has happened, and how does it point beyond David (see Matthew 1:5-6)?
- Reflecting on the whole book, where do you most need to trust that God is quietly weaving your ordinary faithfulness into something larger than you can see?
- The kinsman happily redeems the land until he learns it comes with the duty of marrying Ruth and raising an heir for the dead, which would complicate his own estate (4:5-6). His self-protection causes him to step aside, leaving the blessing—and the place in David's line—to Boaz. Note how caution can cost us what love would gain.
- Boaz buys Elimelech's land, takes on a Moabite widow as his wife, and commits to raising up a son who will carry the dead man's name and inherit, not his own (4:9-10). Redemption costs the redeemer; he gives himself for the sake of those who could not help themselves—a foreshadowing of Christ.
- In chapter 1 Naomi went out full and came home empty, calling herself Mara. Now the women bless Yahweh for a redeemer and a restorer of life, and Naomi cradles a grandson (4:14-16). God has answered her emptiness with fullness, her bitterness with joy. Let the group savor this reversal of grace.
- The final verses reveal that this tender domestic story was part of God's plan to bring King David—and through David, the Christ (Matthew 1:5-6). Ruth the outsider stands in the Messiah's lineage. The genealogy shows that God's redemptive purposes run through humble, faithful lives like Ruth's and Boaz's.
- This is a personal-application question with no single answer. As leader, invite members to consider how their small, faithful choices might serve purposes they cannot yet see. Close by resting in the God of hesed, who redeemed Naomi and Ruth and who, in Christ, has redeemed us.