And Naomi her mother-in-law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be

well with thee? And now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he

winnoweth barley to-night in the threshing-floor. (Ruth 3:1-2 ASV)

Naomi and Ruth are now in Bethlehem, surviving on the grain Ruth is able to glean from the fields of

Boaz. It is in this setting that Naomi expresses her concern for Ruth’s welfare, that she might find rest.

The idea of rest here has to do with Ruth’s well-being – with the experience of rest in every aspect of life

– and echoes the Hebrew understanding of shalom (peace). Naomi has taken note of the favor which

Boaz has already shown Ruth in having his men leave her extra, good grain as she gleaned grain in his

fields. So, she says to Ruth: What about Boaz? You do realize that he is our kinsman, don’t you?

There are two Jewish laws that form the background for what Naomi will suggest to Ruth in the coming

verses. The first of these is the law of the kinsman redeemer found in Leviticus 25. If an Israelite fell into

poverty and sold his land or even himself into slavery, a near relative had the right to redeem – or buy

back – both the person and his property. The word translated kinsman in reference to Boaz in this

passage is the same word used for the redeemer in Leviticus 25.

The second of these Jewish laws is that of the levirate marriage found in Deuteronomy 25. This law

provided for redeeming the posterity of a brother who had died and left his widow childless. The widow

could claim one of her deceased husband’s brothers to marry her and provide an heir to carry on the

family line.

Naomi understood that Boaz was in a position to provide a covering for Ruth, to redeem all of the things

that looked bleak in her life and about her future. She also understood that the next move belonged to

Ruth, that Boaz was not going to react until Ruth went to him and asked for his covering.

Much like Ruth, we often wander in a foreign land trying to make it on what we can glean on our own;

and all the while there is a Redeemer in waiting. He is able, ready, and willing to provide His covering,

His covenant of grace in which we find peace and provision for every area of life. If you find yourself

without peace, or in desperate circumstances you’re trying to navigate on your own, have you

considered Jesus? He is our Redeemer.



By Jesse Smith