Limitless Word
Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?
Ruth 2:5 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Then Boaz said to his servant who was set over the reapers, “Whose young lady is this?”
  • BSB And Boaz asked the foreman of his harvesters, “Whose young woman is this?”
  • NKJV Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?”
  • NASB Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?”
  • NLT Then Boaz asked his foreman, “Who is that young woman over there? Who does she belong to?”

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 notices Ruth and asks his foreman who she is. His attentiveness begins the divinely arranged encounter.

Overview

Boaz's question shows a master who knows and watches over his fields and people. His interest in the unknown young woman is the first step toward the relationship that will redeem Naomi's family. God's providence, having brought Ruth to this field, now draws Boaz's attention to her.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 2

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Ruth videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Ruth 2:5YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on RuthMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    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 2:5 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.