In the first two chapters of this book, Ruth has proved to be loyal and hardworking. As the story progresses into the third chapter, Naomi comes up with a daring plan to see Ruth married and settled into a good home, but it requires Ruth to be quite bold. Thus far, Ruth has never shied away from a challenge and she is up for the task that Naomi has set for her.
Naomi’s Advice
1 Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? 2 Now isn’t Boaz our kinsman, with whose maidens you were? Behold, he will be winnowing barley tonight on the threshing floor. 3 Therefore wash yourself, anoint yourself, get dressed, and go down to the threshing floor; but don’t make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 It shall be, when he lies down, that you shall note the place where he is lying. Then you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lay down. Then he will tell you what to do.”
5 She said to her, “All that you say, I will do.” 6 She went down to the threshing floor, and did everything that her mother-in-law told her.
Ruth 3:1-6 (WEB)
At first glance, this plan seems quite scandalous. Naomi is asking Ruth to go find a man while he is sleeping, uncover him, lie next to him, then do whatever he says. While some people think that this means that she is to try to seduce him while he is drunk, then force him him to marry her, others think that she is being told to humbly and respectfully ask Boaz to marry her. Or it could be that Naomi was encouraging Ruth to be scandalous, but Ruth obediently found a way around it.
Discussion Question #1: Do you think that Ruth was asking for a marriage proposal or something else? Consider the role of kinsman redeemers as found in Leviticus 25:25 and Genesis 38:8.
In Leviticus, God set up the idea of a kinsman redeemer. The idea is that the property that God gave to each Israelite family was a permanent possession and even when it was sold, the family had the right to eventually reclaim it.
25 “‘If your brother becomes poor, and sells some of his possessions, then his kinsman who is next to him shall come, and redeem that which his brother has sold.
Leviticus 25:25 (WEB)
While Ruth’s deceased husband had lost his land, she is asking for more than just restoration of land, she is asking him to marry her and give her a child that she can pass the land onto. In Genesis, we see that part of a kinsman redeemer’s responsibility is to marry the widow and give her a child that would have the name of the deceased husband.
8 Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.”
Genesis 38:8 (WEB)
To our modern sensibilities, this seems crazy! Isn’t marriage supposed to be about love? Isn’t is wrong to marry your brother’s widow? Well in Biblical times, marriage often started as a responsibility with the hope that love would follow. Naomi knows about this duty and is instructing Ruth to take action and ask for it (charitable), demand it (less charitable), or trick him into it (somewhat sinister).
If we take the charitable view, the basic idea is that:
- Ruth should go to Boaz when he is alone so that he can save face if his answer is no. Proves humility.
- Ruth should lie at his feet rather than next to him so that he wouldn’t think she is a prostitute. Proves noble character.
- Ruth should present her request of marriage, then allow Boaz to decide how to proceed from there. Proves humility and obedience.
Given Boaz’s response later in the chapter, I tend to think that this theory is correct.
Discussion Question #2: Have you ever been in a situation where you have had to ask for something significant? How did you ask and how did the other person respond?
Discussion Question #3: Try to place yourself in cultural context and imagine Ruth’s thoughts as Naomi presents this plan. How do you think Ruth felt? How would you respond if you were placed in a similar situation? Would you have the courage to approach another person in this way?
A Marriage Proposal
7 When Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. She came softly, uncovered his feet, and laid down. 8 At midnight, the man was startled and turned himself; and behold, a woman lay at his feet. 9 He said, “Who are you?”
She answered, “I am Ruth your servant. Therefore spread the corner of your garment over your servant; for you are a near kinsman.”
Ruth 3:7-9 (WEB)
Discussion Question #4: How does Ruth ask for this very big favor?
As we look at what Ruth actually does, I will approach the passage with the idea that Ruth is proposing marriage, rather than trying to trick him into it. Wearing perfume and dressed in her best clothing, we see that she is trying to make a good impression.
Discussion Question #5: When you are asking for a favor, how do you try to create a good impression?
Now, we get to the strangest part of the passage where Ruth uncovers Boaz’s feet and lies down next to them. Some people have theorized that Boaz is passed out drunk on the threshing floor, but a more likely scenario is that he is sleeping on the threshing floor to protect the barley from thieves. Maybe he did have a couple of drinks at dinner, but it would be quite irresponsible to act as a guard while drunk. This would not match Boaz’s character in the rest of the passage.
As for the uncovering of the feet, there are a couple of possibilities. First, she may have simply wanted to make Boaz a little cold – in a way that wouldn’t completely uncover him – so that he would wake up and then they could talk without waking the other men.
Second, the Bible uses feet as a representation for many different things. The foot as the mechanism of following a particular path is found in passages in Psalms, Proverbs, and more. Ruth could have been trying to respectfully show that she wanted to be put onto a path of marriage with Boaz.
Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.
Psalm 119:105 (WEB)
Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established. Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.
Proverbs 4:26-27 (WEB)
Discussion Question #6: Consider Psalm 119:105, Proverbs 4:26-27, and other Bible verses dealing with using your feet to stay on the correct path. How are you using your feet to follow Jesus and stay true to his teachings? As Ruth lies at Boaz’s feet, how might she be trying to show him that she is trying to follow the correct path?
If Ruth was trying to show respectful humbleness, she may have placed herself at Boaz’s feet to demonstrate that she was asking for marriage rather than demanding it by trying to seduce him. Jesus uses the feet as a symbol of humility when he washes the disciples feet.
If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should also do as I have done to you.
John 13:14-15 (WEB)
Also, when Mary wants to listen to Jesus’ teaching, she places herself respectfully at Jesus’ feet.
She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.
Luke 10:39 (WEB)
Discussion Question #7: Consider John 13:14-15, Luke 10:39, and other Bible verses dealing with feet as a symbol of humbleness. How and in which situations do you express humbleness?
A Response from Boaz
10 He said, “You are blessed by Yahweh, my daughter. You have shown more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, because you didn’t follow young men, whether poor or rich. 11 Now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do to you all that you say; for all the city of my people knows that you are a worthy woman. 12 Now it is true that I am a near kinsman. However, there is a kinsman nearer than I. 13 Stay this night, and in the morning, if he will perform for you the part of a kinsman, good. Let him do the kinsman’s duty. But if he will not do the duty of a kinsman for you, then I will do the duty of a kinsman for you, as Yahweh lives. Lie down until the morning.”
Ruth 3:10-13 (WEB)
Discussion Question #8: How does Boaz respond to Ruth’s request?
Boaz’s response is the best indicator that Ruth was not trying to seduce him, but was instead humbly and respectfully asking for marriage. He affirms that it is common knowledge that she is a “woman of noble character,” which he would not do if she was playing the part of a seductress. When he says, “I will do for you all you ask,” he is referring to her request for him to be her kinsman/guardian redeemer. Both of these lead me to believe that Ruth’s actions were completely above board.
It should be acknowledged that Boaz does ask her to sleep on the threshing floor overnight, which could be a reference to the idea that they did more than just sleep, but it is more likely that even though it could put the two of them in a compromising situation, Boaz wants to offer his protection from whatever may happen if she chooses to wander around at night.
Ruth was probably hoping for an immediate yes answer, but if so, she was probably slightly disappointed. Boaz listened to her request and let her know that if she was looking for a kinsman redeemer, there was a relative with a closer claim than he had. Boaz told Ruth that he would find out in the morning if this other man wanted to act as a redeemer, but then quickly reassured Ruth that if this other man wouldn’t do it, then Boaz would.
Discussion Question #9: Has anyone ever asked you for a very large favor? How did you respond?
The Wait
14 She lay at his feet until the morning, then she rose up before one could discern another. For he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” 15 He said, “Bring the mantle that is on you, and hold it.” She held it; and he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her; then he went into the city.
16 When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did it go, my daughter?”
She told her all that the man had done for her. 17 She said, “He gave me these six measures of barley; for he said, ‘Don’t go empty to your mother-in-law.’”
18 Then she said, “Wait, my daughter, until you know what will happen; for the man will not rest until he has settled this today.”
Ruth 3:14-18 (WEB)
Now the wait begins. First, Ruth is asked to spend the night on the threshing floor, but is told to leave before sunrise and wait for him to get back to her.
Discussion Question #10: How does Ruth respond to being asked to wait for an answer?
Most likely Boaz’s request is to protect Ruth’s reputation. If Boaz is going to go to another kinsman redeemer, it would not look good for her to have spent the night sleeping in a location reserved for men, so he asks her to leave at the earliest hour that he deems safe. Ruth follows Naomi’s advice and is obedient to Boaz’s instructions, further proving that she would make a good wife.
Boaz also gives Ruth and Naomi a gift of food. Some have considered this payment for sexual services, but this doesn’t make a lot of sense given claims of noble character and respectfully asking for marriage. If she might marry someone else, it does not fit her character or Boaz’s character to indulge in a night of promiscuity. More likely is the idea that he is demonstrating that he with continue to care for both Ruth and Naomi, no matter the outcome of his conversation with the other kinsman redeemer.
Ruth goes home and tells her mother-in-law everything. Naomi appears to take this to mean that Boaz is a man of his word and that the matter will be resolved quickly.
Discussion Question #11: Have you ever asked for a big favor only to be told that you needed to wait for an answer? How did you respond?
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As you considered themes of asking for help in a time of need, are there any Bible verses that came to mind? Consider posting them in the comments!
Related Resources
Read: Ruth 1 – A Bible Study about Choosing God
Read: Ruth 2 – A Bible Study about Care and Compassion
Read: Musings about Asking for Help
Read: A Prayer about Asking for Help in Times of Need
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English Standard Version (ESV): Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.
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