While she was there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. “The Lord be with you!” he said. “The Lord bless you!” the harvesters replied.
Parallel translations
- WEB Behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, “May Yahweh be with you.” They answered him, “May Yahweh bless you.”
- KJV And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee.
- BSB Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and said to the harvesters, “The LORD be with you.” “The LORD bless you,” they replied.
- NKJV Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!” And they answered him, “The Lord bless you!”
- NASB Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, “May the Lord be with you.” And they said to him, “May the Lord bless you.”
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
Boaz arrives and exchanges blessings with his workers in the LORD's name. The greeting reveals his godly character and a community marked by faith.
Overview
Boaz's greeting, 'May Yahweh be with you,' and the reapers' reply show a workplace where genuine piety shapes relationships. This first glimpse of Boaz confirms the worthiness already noted in verse 1. His evident faith and kindness make him a fitting redeemer and a foreshadowing of Christ, who blesses and cares for His own.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Ps 129:7–8with which the reaper doesn’t fill his hand, nor he who binds sheaves, his bosom.
- Judg 6:12Yahweh’s angel appeared to him, and said to him, “Yahweh is with you, you mighty man of valor!”
- Luke 1:28Having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, you highly favored one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!”
- 2 Th 3:16Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with you all.
- 2 Tim 4:22The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.
- Ps 118:26Blessed is he who comes in Yahweh’s name! We have blessed you out of Yahweh’s house.
- Gen 18:19For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him.”
- Josh 24:15If it seems evil to you to serve Yahweh, choose today whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.”
- Ruth 4:11All 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 both built the house of Israel; and treat you worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Bethlehem.
- Ps 133:1–3A Song of Ascents. By David. See how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to live together in unity!
- 2 Jn 1:10–11If anyone comes to you, and doesn’t bring this teaching, don’t receive him into your house, and don’t welcome him,
- 1 Tim 6:2Those who have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brothers, but rather let them serve them, because those who partake of the benefit are believing and beloved. Teach and exhort these things.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 2:4 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.