And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.
Parallel translations
- WEB At midnight, the man was startled and turned himself; and behold, a woman lay at his feet.
- BSB At midnight, Boaz was startled, turned over, and there lying at his feet was a woman!
- NKJV Now it happened at midnight that the man was startled, and turned himself; and there, a woman was lying at his feet.
- NASB And it happened in the middle of the night that the man was startled and bent forward; and behold, a woman was lying at his feet.
- NLT Around midnight Boaz suddenly woke up and turned over. He was surprised to find a woman lying at his feet!
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
At midnight Boaz wakes startled to find a woman at his feet. The moment of discovery brings the encounter to its turning point.
Overview
Boaz is roused and surprised to find someone lying at his feet in the dark. The scene's tension is real, but the narrative's restraint signals that nothing improper has occurred. This awakening leads directly to Ruth's bold yet humble request that Boaz redeem her.
Cross-references & the web
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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 3:8 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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