Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, a prominent man of noble character from the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.
Parallel translations
- WEB Naomi had a relative of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz.
- KJV And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.
- NKJV There was a relative of Naomi’s husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz.
- NASB Now Naomi had a relative of her husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.
- NLT Now there was a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem named Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi’s husband, Elimelech.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The narrator introduces Boaz, a worthy and wealthy kinsman of Elimelech. His arrival signals the coming agent of redemption.
Overview
Boaz is described as a 'mighty man of wealth' and a relative of Naomi's late husband—two facts essential to the plot. As a near kinsman he is a potential 'redeemer' (goel) able to rescue the family. His introduction here, before Ruth even meets him, shows the reader that God has already provided the means of restoration; Boaz will foreshadow Christ, our kinsman-Redeemer.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Ruth 4:21Salmon was the father of Boaz, Boaz was the father of Obed,
- Ruth 3:2Now is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been working, a relative of ours? In fact, tonight he is winnowing barley on the threshing floor.
- Ruth 3:12Yes, it is true that I am a kinsman-redeemer, but there is a redeemer nearer than I.
- Matt 1:5Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse,
- Ruth 1:2The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah, and they entered the land of Moab and settled there.
- 1 Chr 2:10–12Ram was the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab was the father of Nahshon, a leader of the descendants of Judah.
- Deut 8:17–18You might say in your heart, “The power and strength of my hands have made this wealth for me.”
- Luke 3:32the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon,
- Job 1:3and he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man of all the people of the East.
- Judg 12:8–10After Jephthah, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.
- Job 31:25if I have rejoiced in my great wealth because my hand had gained so much,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Boaz the kinsman-redeemer who buys back the destitute and takes a bride foreshadows Christ, our Redeemer who pays the price to make a people his own; and from Ruth's line comes David, and David's greater Son.
How Ruth 2:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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