(cf. Joppa as a coastal city, Josh. 19:46). As with some other tribes, they failed to
(esv footnote). Ephraim as a tribe took the central hill area, which the Amalekites had held with deep roots (see 12:15).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 5:17 Dan, why did he stay with the ships? Danites migrated from their territory to Laish north of the Lake of Chinneroth (Sea of Galilee) before the Israelite triumph of ch. 4, though details of it are not given until ch. 18. They became involved with Phoenicians of the northwest in ship commerce (cf. Joppa as a coastal city, Josh. 19:46). As with some other tribes, they failed to make the trek to assist in the battle of Judg. 4.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 5:20 stars fought. A poetic way to say that God used these heavenly bodies to help Israel. They are bodies representing and synonymous with the heavens, the sky from which he sent a powerful storm and flood (cf. "torrent" of the Kishon River, v. 21) that swept Syrians from their chariots. God also hid the stars by clouds, increasing Syrian ineffectiveness.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 5:24–27 Though this act was murder and a breach of honor, likely motivated by her desire for favor with the conquering Israelites, and though it was without regard for God on her part, God's overruling providence caused great blessing to flow from it. Thus the words of vv. 24–27 in the victory song.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 5:31 The intercessory prayer committed to God's will ends a song that has other aspects: blessing God (v. 2), praise (v. 3), affirming God's work in tribute (vv. 4, 20), and voicing God's curse (v. 23).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 6:1 Midian. These wandering herdsmen from east of the Red Sea had been dealt a severe blow in Moses' time (Num. 31:1–18) and still resented the Israelites. They became the worst scourge yet to afflict Israel.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 6:8 the Lord sent a prophet. He used prophets in isolated cases before Samuel, the band of prophets Samuel probably founded (1 Sam. 10:5), and later such prophets as Elijah, Elisha, and the writing prophets—major and minor. Here the prophet is sent to bring the divine curse because of their infidelity (Judg. 6:10).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 6:11 the angel. This angel (lit., "messenger") of the Lord is identified as "the Lord" himself (vv. 14, 16, 23, 25, 27). Cf. Gen. 16:7–14; 18:1; 32:24–30 for other appearances. See note on Ex. 3:2. Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it. This indicated a situation of serious distress;
also it indicated a small amount of grain. This is clear because he is doing it rather than having cattle tread it. It is on bare ground or in the winepress rather than on a threshing floor made of wood, and is done remotely under a tree out of view. The fear of the Midianites caused this.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 6:13 Gideon's language here indicates a weak theology. The very chastisements of God were proof of his care for and presence with Israel.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 6:17 Like Moses (Ex. 33), Gideon desired a sign; in both incidents revelation was so rare and wickedness so prevalent that they desired full assurance. God graciously gave it.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 6:18–23 In the realization of the presence of God, the sensitive sinner is conscious of great guilt. Fire from God further filled Gideon with awe and even the fear of death. When he saw the Lord, he knew the Lord had also seen him in his fallenness. Thus he feared the death that sinners should die before Holy God. But God graciously promised life (v. 23). For a similar reaction to the presence of God, see Manoah in 13:22–23 (cf. Ezek. 1:26–28; Isa. 6:1–9; Rev. 1:17).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 6:27 was too afraid. Very real human fear and wise precaution interplay with trust in an all-sufficient God.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 6:32 Jerubbaal (lit., "let Baal contend") became a fitting and honorable second name for Gideon (7:1; 8:29; 9:1–2). This was a bold rebuke to the nonexistent deity, who was utterly unable to respond.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 6:36–40 Gideon's two requests for signs in the fleece should be viewed as weak faith; even Gideon recognized this when he said, "Let not your anger burn against me" (v. 39) since God had already specifically promised his presence and victory (vv. 12, 14, 16). But they were also legitimate requests for confirmation of victory against seemingly impossible odds (6:5; 7:2, 12). God nowhere reprimanded Gideon, but was very compassionate in giving what his inadequacy requested. In 7:10–15, God volunteered a sign to boost Gideon's faith. He should have believed God's promise in 7:9 but needed bolstering, so God graciously gave it without chastisement.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 7:2 The people . . . are too many. Those of faith, though inadequate by human weakness, gain victory only through God's power (cf. 2 Cor. 3:5; 4:7; 12:7–9). Three hundred men win against an incredible Midianite
host (Judg. 7:7, 16–25). God gains the glory by making the outcome conspicuously his act, and no sinful pride is cultivated.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 7:5 Every one who laps. Soldiers who lapped as a dog, scooping water with their hands as a dog uses its tongue, were chosen; while those who sank to their knees to drink were rejected. No reason for such distinction is given, so that it showed nothing about their ability as soldiers. It was merely a way to divide the crowd. Their abilities as soldiers had no bearing on the victory anyway since the enemy soldiers killed themselves and fled without engaging Gideon's men at all.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 7:10 if you are afraid. God sensitively recognized Gideon's normal fear since he was the commander. God encouraged him to take his servant as protection. See note on 6:36–40.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 7:15 Arise. God said this in v. 9. Infused with courage, Gideon is in step with the Lord.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 7:16 Trumpets and torches at first concealed within clay pitchers were suddenly displayed at the most startling moment. The impression caused by blaring noise, the always terrible shouts of Israel (cf. Num. 23:21), and sudden lights surrounding the sleeping hosts and shattering the stillness conveyed one idea: Each light could mean a legion behind it, so that they believed an incredible host had moved in to catch the awaking army in a death trap.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 7:19 beginning . . . middle watch. About 10 P.M.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 7:20 A sword for the Lord and for Gideon! Here was the power of God in harmony with the obedience of man. Such shouts reminded the enemies that the threat of the sword of Gideon and of God was for real. The impression was one of doom and terror.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 7:22 every man's sword against his comrade. Panic followed shock. Every soldier was on his own, in desperate retreat. In the darkness and crash of sounds the soldiers were unable to distinguish friend from enemy, and with their swords they slashed a path of escape through their own men.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 8:2 gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim. Ephraim resented
being slighted in the call to battle but was placated by Gideon's compliment. His figures of speech implied that Ephraimite capital punishment of the two fleeing Midianite leaders (7:25) was "the vintage of Ephraim," to use an image drawn from their grape horticulture. It played a more strategic role than taking part in "the vintage of Abiezer," the suicide of the enemy under Gideon's leadership (cf. 8:3).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 8:7 thorns. Gideon's threatened discipline of Succoth's leaders for refusing to help their brothers came due. He had them dragged under heavy weights over thorns and briers, which painfully tore their bodies. This was a cruel torture to which ancient captives were often subjected. He did it on his return, not wanting to delay the pursuit (v. 16).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 8:9 tower. They probably had defiantly boasted of their strength and defensibility because of the tower. He kept his promise and more (v. 17).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 8:20 Jether . . . kill them. Gideon desired to place a great honor on his son by killing the enemies of Israel and of God.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 8:21 killed Zebah and Zalmunna. The earlier Midianite scourge inflicted on Israel was the worst, so this victory lived long in their minds (cf. Ps. 83:11).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 8:22–23 Rule over us. Israelites sinned by the misguided motive and request that Gideon reign as king. To his credit, the leader declined, insisting that God alone rule (cf. Ex. 19:5–6).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 8:24 Ishmaelites. Synonymous with Midianites (cf. Gen. 37:25–28).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 8:24–27 Gideon made an ephod. This was certainly a sad end to Gideon's influence as he, perhaps in an expression of pride, sought to lift himself up in the eyes of the people. Gideon intended nothing more than to make a breastpiece as David did (1 Chron. 15:27) to indicate civil, not priestly rule. It was never intended to set up idolatrous worship, but to be a symbol of civil power. That no evil was intended can be noted from the subduing of Midian (Judg. 8:28), quietness from wars (v. 28), and the fact that idolatry came after Gideon's death (v. 33) as well as the commendation of Gideon (v. 35).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 8:26 the weight of the golden earrings. The total was about 42 pounds.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 8:30–31 many wives. Gideon fell severely into the sin of polygamy, an iniquity tolerated by many but which never was God's blueprint for marriage (Gen. 2:24). Abimelech, a son by yet another illicit relationship, grew up to be the wretched king in Judg. 9. Polygamy always resulted in trouble.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 9:5 killed . . . brothers. This atrocity, common in ancient times, eliminated the greatest threat in the revolution—all the legitimate competitors.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 9:6 Beth-millo. Lit., "house of the fortress." This was a section of Shechem, probably involving the tower stronghold of v. 46.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 9:14 You come and reign over us. In Jotham's parable of trees asking for a king (vv. 7–15), the olive, fig, and vine decline. They do not represent specific men who declined, rather they build the suspense and heighten the idea that the bramble (thornbush) is inferior and unsuitable. The bush represents Abimelech (vv. 6, 16).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 9:23 God sent an evil spirit. In the course of God's providence, there appeared jealousy, distrust, and hate. God allowed it to work as punishment for the idolatry and mass murder.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 9:26–45 A failed coup.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 9:37 Diviners' Oak. A tree regarded superstitiously where mystical ceremonies and soothsaying were done.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 9:45 sowed it with salt. An act polluting soil and water, as well as symbolizing a verdict of permanent barrenness (Deut. 29:23; Jer. 17:6). Abimelech's intent finally was nullified when Jeroboam I rebuilt the city as his capital (1 Kings 12:25), c. 930–910 B.C.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 9:57 That curse was pronounced in v. 20 for the pervasive idolatry.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 10:3–5 Most likely, the judgeship of Jair was the time period of Ruth.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 10:10 We have sinned. Confession is followed by true repentance (vv. 15–16).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 10:13–14 Here is the form of God's wrath, by which he abandons persistent, willful sinners to the consequences of their sins. This aspect of divine judgment is referred to in the case of Samson (16:20), as well as the warnings of Prov. 1:20–31 and Rom. 1:24–28. It is a pattern of rejection seen throughout history (cf. Acts 14:15–16) even among the Jews (cf. Hos. 4:17; Matt. 15:14).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 10:15 do to us whatever seems good. Genuine repentance acknowledges God's right to chasten, so his punishment is seen as just and he is thereby glorified. It also seeks the remediation that chastening brings, because genuine contrition pursues holiness.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 11:1 mighty warrior. In a military situation, this means a strong, adept warrior, such as Gideon (6:12). In response to their repentance, God raised up Jephthah to lead the Israelites to freedom from the 18 years of oppression (11:8).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 11:3 went out. Such attacks would be against the Ammonites and other pagan peoples and brought fame to Jephthah.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 11:11 spoke . . . before the Lord. Refers to confirming the agreement in a solemn public meeting with prayer, invoking God as witness (v. 10).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 11:13 Israel . . . took away my land. The Ammonite ruler was claiming rights to the lands occupied by the Israelites. Jephthah's answer was direct: 1) those lands were not in the possession of Ammonites when Israel took them, but were Amorite lands; 2) Israel had been there 300 years in undisputed possession; 3) God had chosen to give them the lands, and thus they were entitled to them, just as the Ammonites felt they received their lands from their god (cf. v. 24).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 11:15 Israel did not take away the land. These people
initiated the hostility, and being at fault, invited loss of possession (vv. 16–22). This fit perfectly the will of God, who has ultimate rights (cf. Gen. 1:1; Ps. 24:1) to give the land to Israel.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 11:26 300 years. With an early exodus from Egypt (c. 1445
B.C.), one can approximate the 480 years covered in Judges to 1 Kings 6:1, Solomon's fourth year 967/966 B.C.: 38 from the exodus to Heshbon; 300 from Heshbon to Jephthah in Judg. 11:26; possibly seven more years for Jephthah; 40 for Samson, 20 for Eli, 20 for Samuel, 15–16 beyond Samuel for Saul, 40 for David, and four for Solomon, which totals about 480 years. It is quite possible that 300 has been rounded off.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 11:29 the Spirit . . . was upon Jephthah. That the Lord graciously empowered Jephthah for war on behalf of his people does not mean that all of the warrior's decisions were of God's wisdom. The rash vow (vv. 30– 31) is an example.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 11:30 made a vow to the Lord. This was a custom among generals to promise the god of their worship something of great value as a reward for that god's giving them victory.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 11:31 I will offer it. Some interpreters reason that Jephthah offered his daughter as a living sacrifice in perpetual virginity. With this idea, v. 31 is made to mean "shall be the Lord's" or "I will offer it up as a burnt offering." The view sees only perpetual virginity in vv. 37–40, and rejects his offering a human sacrifice as being against God's revealed will (Deut. 12:31). On the other hand, since he was 1) beyond the Jordan, 2) far from the tabernacle, 3) a hypocrite in religious devotion, 4) familiar with human sacrifice among other nations, 5) influenced by such superstition, and 6) wanting victory badly, he likely meant a burnt offering. The translation in Judg. 11:31 is "and," not "or." His act came in an era of bizarre things, even inconsistency by leaders whom God otherwise empowered (cf. Gideon in 8:27).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 11:34 his daughter came out to meet him. She was thus to be the sacrificed pledge.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 11:35 Alas. Here is indicated the pain felt by her father in having to take the life of his only daughter to satisfy his pious but unwise pledge.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 12:1 Why did you . . . fight . . . did not call us . . . ?
Ephraim's newest threat (cf. 8:1) was their jealousy of Jephthah's success and possibly a lust to share in his spoils. The threat was not only to burn the house, but to burn him.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 12:4 fugitives. Here was a mockery referring to the Gileadites as low lifes, the outcasts of Ephraim. They retaliated with battle.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 12:6 Shibboleth. The method used for discovering an Ephraimite was the way in which they pronounced this word. If they mispronounced it by an "s" rather than "sh" sound, it gave them away, being a unique indicator of their dialect.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 12:9 thirty sons. Very large families suggest the father's marriage to several wives, a part of life tolerated but never matching God's blueprint of one wife at a time (Gen. 2:24). To have many children had the lure of extending one's human power and influence.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 13:3 the angel of the Lord. In this case, it was a preincarnate appearance of the Lord himself (vv. 6–22), as elsewhere (see note on 6:11). See note on Ex. 3:2.
The Judges of Israel
c. 1375–1050/1210–1050 B.C.
The judges came from various tribes and regions of Israel, and they likely held varying degrees of influence over their neighboring regions and tribes.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 13:5 Nazirite. The word is from the Hebrew "to separate." For rigid Nazirite restrictions, such as here in Samson's case, see note on Num. 6:2. God gave two restrictions: no wine (Judg. 13:4) and no razor cutting the hair (v. 5). An additional restriction for a Nazirite was not to touch a dead body (Num. 6:6). Such outward actions indicated an inner dedication to God.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 13:16 offer it to the Lord. Manoah needed this explanation
because he was going to offer this to him, not as the Lord himself, or even an angel, but just a human messenger. The instruction is intended to emphasize that this visitor is indeed the Lord.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 13:17 What is your name . . . ? This secret name is again indicative that the angel is the Lord.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 13:18 Why do you ask my name . . . ? That the angel would not divulge his name reminds one of the angel (God) whom Jacob encountered (Gen. 32:24–30), who likewise did not give his name.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 13:20 flame went up toward heaven. This miraculous act points to divine acceptance of the offering.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 13:22 We shall surely die. This reaction of the fear of death is familiar with those who come into God's presence. Many did die when facing God, as the OT records. It is the terror in the heart of the sinner when in the presence of holy God. Cf. Ezekiel (Ezek. 1:28), Isaiah (Isa. 6:5), the 12 (Mark 4:35–41), Peter (Luke 5:8), and John (Rev. 1:17–18).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 14:1–4 she is right in my eyes. The Philistines were not among the seven nations of Canaan which Israel was specifically forbidden to marry. Nonetheless Samson's choice was seriously weak. Samson sins here, but God is sovereign and was able to turn the situation to please him (v. 14). He was not at a loss, but used the opportunity to work against the wicked Philistines and provided gracious help to his people. He achieved destruction of these people, not by an army, but by the miraculous power of one man.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 14:7 talked. Such conversation was not acceptable in the east, unless a couple was betrothed.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 14:8 to take her. Usually a year until the wedding.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 14:9 He scraped it out into his hands. Some scholars suggest that Samson violated his Nazirite standard by coming in contact with a dead body (see note on 13:5). Others reason that Num. 6 specifies the body of a person, not an animal. Whether or not he sinned here, the context does show instances of him sinning.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 14:10 feast. The wedding feast usually lasted a week.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 14:16–18 Samson's wife wept. She cheated and manipulated, working against Samson's expectations that the men must come up with the answer. The men also cheated and threatened, having murder in their hearts (v. 15) and putting pressure on the woman.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 14:19 hot anger. God blesses the one who had been wronged. Samson's anger may be legitimate—righteous indignation against deceit (cf. Mark 3:5). The battle with the men at Ashkelon, about 23 miles away, was a part of the war between Israel and Philistia.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 14:20 Samson's wife was given. Another act of treachery was done. The Philistine father had no reason to assume that Samson would not be back, nor had Samson given word about not returning. He, as a Philistine, did not want his daughter marrying the enemy.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 15:1 wheat harvest. Samson tactfully made his move when wheat harvest kept men busy. This was probably around May. A token of reconciliation was offered as he brought a young goat, showing the father and the daughter that they had nothing to fear.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 15:2 I . . . thought. This flimsy excuse by the father was an effort to escape the trap he was in. He feared the Philistines if he turned on the new husband, yet feared Samson, so he offered his second daughter as a way out. This was insulting and unlawful (cf. Lev. 18:18).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 15:3 The cycle of retaliation began, and it ends in 16:30–31.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 15:4 caught 300 foxes. Samson, insulted and provoked to fleshly resentment, took vengeance on the Philistines. It must have taken a while to catch so many foxes or jackals and to keep them penned and fed until the number reached 300. Apparently he tied them in pairs with a slow-burning torch, sending the pairs down the hills into fields thrashing with fire, igniting all the standing grain so dry at harvest. This was a loss of great proportion to the Philistine farmers.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 15:6 the Philistines . . . burned her and her father. The general principle of reaping what is sown is apropos here (cf. Gal. 6:7).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 15:15 struck 1,000 men. Cf. 3:31. God gave miraculous power to Samson for destruction, but also to show fearful Israelites (15:11) that
he was with them, despite their lack of trust.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 15:19 water came out. God worked a miracle of supplying a spring in response to Samson's prayerful cry in thirst. He called the place "the spring of him who called" (see esv footnote; cf. Jer. 33:3).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 16:1–3 God was merciful in allowing Samson to be delivered from this iniquity, but chastening was only postponed. Sin blinds and later grinds (v. 21).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 16:3 hill . . . in front of Hebron. This place was about 38 miles from Gaza.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 16:4 loved . . . Delilah. His weakness for women of low character and Philistine loyalty reappeared (cf. Prov. 6:27–28). He erred continually by going to her daily (Judg. 16:16), allowing himself to be entrapped in her deceptions.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 16:5 1,100 pieces of silver. Since there were five rulers of the Philistines, each giving that amount, this was a large sum.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 16:7 Samson said. Samson played a lying game and gave away his manhood, here a little, there a little. He also played with giving away his secret—and finally gave it up, i.e., "told her all" (v. 17). He could be bought for a price, and Delilah paid it. Compare Esau selling his birthright (Gen. 25:29– 33) and Judas denying Jesus (Matt. 26:14–16).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 16:11 new ropes. Cf. 15:13.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 16:17 If my head is shaved. His strength came from his unique relation to God, based on his Nazirite pledge. His long hair was only a sign of it. When Delilah became more important to him than God, his strength was removed.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 16:20 he did not know that the Lord had left him. Here was the tragedy of the wrath of abandonment. His sin had caused him to forfeit the power of God's presence. This principle is seen in Gen. 6:3; Prov. 1:24–31; Matt. 15:14; Rom. 1:24–32. See note on Judg. 10:13–14.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 16:21 Gaza. The last town encountered in southwest Palestine
as a traveler went from Jerusalem toward Egypt, near the coast. It was nearly 40 miles from Samson's birthplace, Zorah. There he was humiliated.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 16:22 hair . . . began to grow. His hair grew with his repentance, and his strength with his hair.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 16:23 Dagon. He was a sea-god, an idol with the head of a man and the body of a fish.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 16:24 they praised their god. It is tragic when a person's sin contributes to the unsaved community giving praise to a false god, for God alone is worthy of praise.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 16:28 remember me. A prayer of repentance and trust pours from Samson.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 16:29–30 Some Philistine temples had roofs overlooking a courtyard, above wooden columns planted on stone foundations. The central pillars were set close to furnish extra support for the roof. Here the victory celebration and taunts flung at the prisoner below drew a big crowd. The full strength of Samson, renewed by God, enabled him to buckle the columns. As a result, the roof collapsed and the victory was Israel's, not Philistia's. He died for the cause of his country and his God. He was not committing suicide, but rather bringing God's judgment on his enemies and willing to leave his own life or death to God. He was the greatest champion of all Israel, yet a man of passion capable of severe sin. Still, he is in the list of the faithful (cf. Heb. 11:32).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 17:1 Chapters 17–21 give miscellaneous appendixes to illustrate the pervasively depraved conditions in the era of the judges.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 17:5 Micah had a shrine. A counterfeit shrine and personal idols with a private priest is set up within the tribe of Ephraim (v. 1), whereas God's priests were of the tribe of Levi (cf. v. 13). The defection is one example of personal and family idolatry.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 17:6 Everyone did . . . own eyes. This is the general characterization of the time, and of sinful behavior in all times. This attitude had been mentioned much earlier in Israel's history (cf. Deut. 12:8; Judg. 21:25).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 17:7–13 a Levite. He compromised in departing from one of
the 48 cities God gave for Levite service to Israel (Josh. 21). Then he sinned grossly by prostituting himself as a priest in a private idolatry.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 18:2 On the migration by the tribe of Dan to a new territory, see note on 1:34. Dan was an example of tribal idolatry.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 18:5 Inquire of God, please. The passage does not say if the Levite did in fact seek God's counsel before giving reassurance (v. 6); the Danites should have prayed to seek God's counsel before making this trip or consulting a disobedient priest as one would an oracle.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 18:7 Laish. Known also as Leshem (cf. Josh. 19:47), this was a secluded, rich land.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 18:14–26 The Danites sinfully seized the idols of Micah by force, probably because they believed those false idols were the source of power to give them the land they had spied. The apostate Levite who had served Micah as priest, named Jonathan, sold out again to be a priest for the Danites (vv. 18– 20, 30), who were not bothered by his defection, but rather believed in his spiritual power.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 18:29 named the city Dan. This was in the northernmost extremity of the land of Canaan, hence the origin of the phrase, "from Dan to Beersheba," as indicating the land from north to south (cf. 20:1).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 18:30 son of Moses. Some manuscripts say "son of Manasseh" (see esv footnote), others "son of Moses," which may be more probable as Gershom was a son of Moses (Ex. 2:22; 18:3). This idolatrous priestly service continued until the captivity. This is most likely 1) the captivity of Israel by Assyria in 722 B.C. (2 Kings 15:29; 17:1–6), or possibly 2) the Philistine captivity of the ark from Shiloh (see Judg. 18:31) in 1 Sam. 4:11.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 18:31 the house of God was at Shiloh. The ark of God was far away from them, so they justified their idolatry by their distance from the rest of Israel. This caused perpetual idolatry for many generations.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 19:1–10 Here is an example of the kind of personal immorality that went on during this era.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 19:1 concubine. Priests could marry (Lev. 21:7, 13–14).
Though a concubine wife (usually a slave) was culturally legal, the practice was not acceptable to God (Gen. 2:24).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 19:2 unfaithful. She should have been killed as the law required and could have been if there was a devotion to holiness and obedience to Scripture (cf. Lev. 20:10). A priest was not allowed to marry a harlot (Lev. 21:14), so his ministry was greatly tainted. Yet, he made little of her sin and separation and sought her back sympathetically (Judg. 19:3).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 19:10 Jebus. An early title for Jerusalem because of Jebusite control (1:21) until David wrested it away to become his capital (2 Sam. 5:6–9). Another early name for the city was Salem (Gen. 14:18; cf. Ps. 76:2).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 19:12 Gibeah. Jerusalem was still partially out of the control of Israelites. Gibeah was under Israelite control and safer.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 19:15 People of the Benjamite town of Gibeah failed to extend the expected courtesy of a lodging. This opened the door to immorality.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 19:18 going to the house. He was headed for Shiloh to return to priestly duty.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 19:20 night in the square. The old man knew the danger of such a place at night.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 19:22 worthless fellows. Lit., "sons of Belial," i.e., base and perverse men, who desired to commit sodomy against the Levite. The phrase elsewhere is used for idolaters (Deut. 13:13), neglecters of the poor (Deut. 15:9), drunks (1 Sam. 1:16), immoral people (1 Sam. 2:12), and rebels against the civil authority (2 Sam. 20:1; Prov. 19:28). "Belial" can be traced to the false god Baal, and is also a term for yoke (they cast off the yoke of decency), and a term for entangling or injuring. It is used in the NT of Satan (2 Cor. 6:15).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 19:24 Let me bring them out. The host showed a disgraceful compromise in his exaggerated desire to extend hospitality to his male guest. He should have protected all in his house, and so should the Levite, even at the risk of their own lives in guarding the women. His sad estimate of women was demonstrated by his willingness to hand his daughter or the guest concubine over to indecent men. Lot's plunge from decency was similar (Gen. 19). Here, repeated rape and finally murder were the pitiful sequel.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 19:25 the man seized his concubine and made her go out to them. This is unthinkable weakness and cowardice for any man, especially a priest of God. Apparently he even slept through the night, or stayed in bed out of fear, since he didn't see her again until he awakened and prepared to leave (cf. v. 28).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 19:29 divided her . . . into twelve pieces. The Levite's bizarre butchery to divide the woman's body into 12 parts was his shocking summons for aroused Israelite redress. No doubt a message went with each part, and the fact that he "sent" assumes messengers (cf. 1 Sam. 11:7). As he calculated, many were incensed and desired to avenge the atrocity (cf. Judg. 20:30). Nothing could have aroused universal indignation and horror more than this radical summons from the Levite.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 20:1 all the people of Israel came out. As a result of this horrible tragedy, a national assembly was convened with people coming from the north (Dan) and the south (Beersheba). as one man to the Lord. This indicated a humble attitude and desire to seek help from God for the nation.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 20:13 the Benjaminites would not listen. They hardened their hearts against the justice and decency of turning over the criminals. Even greatly outnumbered in war, they would not yield to what was right (cf. vv. 15– 17). So civil war resulted.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 20:18 inquired of God. The Lord gave his counsel from the location of the ark at Shiloh, probably through the Urim and Thummim (vv. 27– 28). The tribe of Judah was responsible to lead in battle since God had chosen a leadership role for that tribe (Gen. 49:8–12; 1 Chron. 5:1–2). See note on Ex. 28:30.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 20:22–25 The Lord twice allowed great defeat and death to Israel to bring them to their spiritual senses regarding the cost of tolerating apostasy. Also, while they sought counsel, they placed too much reliance on their own prowess and on satisfying their own outrage. Finally, when desperate enough, they fasted and offered sacrifices (v. 26). The Lord then gave victory with a strategy similar to that at Ai (Josh. 8).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 20:32 Here was a battle strategy that lured the Benjamite army into a disastrous ambush (cf. vv. 36–46).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 20:46 25,000. A rounded number for the more exact 25,100 (cf. v. 35).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 20:47 The number of Benjaminites adds up to the 26,700 (v. 15) in a reasonable way: 18,000 killed (v. 44); 5,000 (v. 45); 2,000 (v. 45); 600 survived (v. 47); leaving an estimated 1,100 lost the first two days (v. 48).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 21:1 sworn at Mizpah. The Israelites made an oath not to "give" their daughters to the 600 surviving Benjamites (20:47). But they realized that the latter would fade as a tribe unless they had wives (cf. 21:6–7), since the Benjamite women had died in the total sack of Gibeah (20:37). Cf. 21:9.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 21:8 No one had come from Jabesh-gilead, so the Israelites
conquered Jabesh-gilead, which did not help against the Benjamites, and gave 400 virgins from there to the tribe (vv. 12–14).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 21:8–16 Jabesh-gilead. Israelites placed such a premium on the unity of their tribes that they saw this city's non-cooperation in battle as worthy of widespread death. The passage does not give God's approval to this destruction of men, women and children (vv. 10–11). It is another of the bizarre actions of men when they do what is right in their own eyes, which is the point that both begins and ends this dark final section (17:6; 21:25).
JUDGES—NOTE ON 21:16 wives for those who are left. Having recognized that the 200 others needed wives (vv. 17–18), they decided to allow them to snatch brides on their own at a dance in Shiloh (vv. 16–22), not believing that this violated their oath of not directly "giving" their daughters.
JUDGES—NOTE ON 21:25 Judges 17–21 vividly demonstrates how bizarre and deep sin can become when people throw off the authority of God as mediated through the king (cf. 17:6). This was the appropriate, but tragic, conclusion to a bleak period of Israelite history (cf. Deut. 12:8).
Ruth
Ruth 1 • Ruth 2 • Ruth 3 • Ruth 4 Introduction to Ruth
Title Author and Date Background and Setting Historical and Theological Themes Interpretive Challenges Outline Footnotes Study Notes
Introduction to Ruth
Title
Ancient versions and modern translations consistently entitle this book after Ruth the Moabitess heroine, who is mentioned by name 12 times (1:4 to 4:13). Only two OT books receive their names from women—Ruth and Esther. The OT does not again refer to Ruth, while the NT mentions her just once—in the context of Christ's genealogy (Matt. 1:5; cf. Ruth 4:18–22). "Ruth" most likely comes from a Moabite and/or Hebrew word meaning "friendship." Ruth arrived in Bethlehem as a foreigner (2:10), became a maidservant (2:13), married wealthy Boaz (4:13), and was included in the physical lineage of Christ (Matt. 1:5).
Author and Date
Jewish tradition credits Samuel as the author, which is plausible since he did not die (1 Sam. 25:1) until after he had anointed David as God's chosen king (1 Sam. 16:6–13). However, neither internal features nor external testimony conclusively identify the writer. This exquisite story most likely appeared shortly before or during David's reign in Israel (1011–971 B.C.), since David is mentioned (Ruth 4:17, 22) but not Solomon. Goethe reportedly labeled this piece of anonymous but unexcelled literature as "the loveliest, complete work on a small scale." What Venus is to statuary and the Mona Lisa is to paintings, Ruth is to literature.
The Setting of Ruth
Set in the period of the judges, the book of Ruth records how a famine in Judah forces Naomi and her husband to leave Israel and move to Moab, where their sons marry Moabite women. When Naomi's husband and sons die, she decides to return to her home in Bethlehem in Judah, and her daughter-in-law Ruth chooses to go with her.
Background and Setting
Aside from Bethlehem (1:1), Moab (the perennial enemy of Israel, which was east of the Dead Sea), stands as the only other mentioned geographic/national entity (1:1–2). This country originated when Lot fathered Moab by an incestuous union with his oldest daughter (Gen. 19:37). Centuries later the Jews
encountered opposition from Balak, king of Moab, through the prophet Balaam (Num. 22–25). For 18 years Moab oppressed Israel during the time of the judges (Judg. 3:12–30). Saul defeated the Moabites (1 Sam. 14:47) while David seemed to enjoy a peaceful relationship with them (1 Sam. 22:3–4). Later, Moab again troubled Israel (2 Kings 3:5–27; Ezra 9:1). Because of Moab's idolatrous worship of Chemosh (1 Kings 11:7, 33; 2 Kings 23:13) and its opposition to Israel, God cursed Moab (Isa. 15–16; Jer. 48; Ezek. 25:8–11; Amos 2:1–3).
The story of Ruth occurred in the days "when the judges ruled" Israel (Ruth 1:1), c. 1370 to 1041 B.C. (Judg. 2:16–19), and thus bridges time from the judges to Israel's monarchy. God used "a famine in the land" of Judah (Ruth 1:1) to set in motion this beautiful drama, although the famine does not receive mention in Judges, which causes difficulty in dating the events of Ruth. However, by working backward in time from the well known date of David's reign (1011–971
B.C.), the time period of Ruth would most likely be during the judgeship of Jair, c. 1126–1105 B.C. (Judg. 10:3–5).
Ruth covers about 11 or 12 years according to the following scenario: 1) Ruth 1:1–18, 10 years in Moab (1:4); 2) 1:19–2:23, several months (mid-April to midJune) in Boaz's field (1:22; 2:23); 3) 3:1–18, one day in Bethlehem and one night at the threshing floor; and 4) 4:1–22, about one year in Bethlehem.
Historical and Theological Themes
All 85 verses of Ruth have been accepted as canonical by the Jews. Along with Song of Solomon, Esther, Ecclesiastes, and Lamentations, Ruth stands with the OT books of the Megilloth or "five scrolls." Rabbis read these books in the synagogue on five special occasions during the year—Ruth being read at Pentecost due to the harvest scenes of Ruth 2–3.
Genealogically, Ruth looks back almost 900 years to events in the time of Jacob (4:11) and forward about 100 years to the coming reign of David (4:17, 22). While Joshua and Judges emphasize the legacy of the nation and their land of promise, Ruth focuses on the lineage of David back to the patriarchal era.
At least seven major theological themes emerge in Ruth. First, Ruth the Moabitess illustrates that God's redemptive plan extended beyond the Jews to Gentiles (2:12). Second, Ruth demonstrates that women are co-heirs with men of God's salvation grace (cf. Gal. 3:28). Third, Ruth portrays the virtuous woman
of Prov. 31:10 (cf. Ruth 3:11). Fourth, Ruth describes God's sovereign (1:6; 4:13) and providential care (2:3) of seemingly unimportant people at apparently insignificant times which later prove to be monumentally crucial to accomplishing God's will. Fifth, Ruth along with Tamar (Gen. 38), Rahab (Josh. 2), and Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11–12) stand in the genealogy of the messianic line (Ruth 4:17, 22; cf. Matt. 1:5). Sixth, Boaz, as a type of Christ, becomes Ruth's kinsman-redeemer (Ruth 4:1–12). Finally, David's right (and thus Christ's right) to the throne of Israel is traced back to Judah (4:18–22; cf. Gen. 49:8–12).
Interpretive Challenges
Ruth should be understood as a true historical account. The reliable facts surrounding Ruth, in addition to its complete compatibility with Judges plus 1 and 2 Samuel, confirm Ruth's authenticity. However, some individual difficulties require careful attention. First, how could Ruth worship at the tabernacle then in Shiloh (1 Sam. 4:4), since Deut. 23:3 expressly forbids Moabites from entering the assembly for 10 generations? Since the Jews entered the land c. 1405 B.C. and Ruth was not born until c. 1150 B.C., she then represented at least the eleventh generation (probably later) if the time limitation ended at ten generations. If "ten generations" was an idiom meaning "forever" as Neh. 13:1 implies, then Ruth would be like the foreigner of Isa. 56:1–8 who joined himself to the Lord (Ruth 1:16), thus gaining entrance to the assembly.
Second, are there not immoral overtones to Boaz and Ruth spending the night together before marriage (3:3–18)? Ruth engaged in a common ancient Near Eastern custom by asking Boaz to take her for his wife, symbolically pictured by throwing a garment over the intended woman (3:9), just as Jehovah spread his garment over Israel (Ezek. 16:8). The text does not even hint at the slightest moral impropriety, noting that Ruth slept at his feet (Ruth 3:14). Thus, Boaz became God's answer to his own earlier prayer for Ruth (2:12).
Third, would not the levirate principle of Deut. 25:5–6 lead to incest and/or polygamy if the nearest relative was already married? God would not design a good plan to involve the grossest of immoralities punishable by death. It is to be assumed that the implementation of Deut. 25:5–6 could involve only the nearest relative who was eligible for marriage as qualified by other stipulations of the law.
Fourth, was not marriage to a Moabitess strictly forbidden by the law? The
nations or people to whom marriage was prohibited were those possessing the land that Israel would enter (Ex. 34:16; Deut. 7:1–3; Josh. 23:12) which did not include Moab (cf. Deut. 7:1). Further, Boaz married Ruth, a devout proselyte to Jehovah (Ruth 1:16–17), not a pagan worshiper of Chemosh—Moab's chief deity (cf. later problems in Ezra 9:1–2 and Neh. 13:23–25).
Outline
I. Elimelech and Naomi's Ruin in Moab (1:1–5) II. Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem (1:6–22) III. Boaz Receives Ruth in His Field (2:1–23) IV. Ruth's Romance with Boaz (3:1–18)
V. Boaz Redeems Ruth (4:1–12) VI. God Rewards Boaz and Ruth with a Son (4:13–17) VII. David's Right to the Throne of Judah (4:18–22)
Ruth
Naomi Widowed
RUTH 1 ‡†In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 2†The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. 3But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4†These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, 5†and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.
Ruth's Loyalty to Naomi
6‡†Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the LORD had visited his people and given them food. 7†So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. 8‡But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9The LORD grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!" Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 10And they said to her, "No, we will return with you to your people." 11‡But Naomi said, "Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? 12†Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, 13†would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me." 14‡Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
15†And she said, "See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law." 16‡†But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to
leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17†Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you." 18And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.
Naomi and Ruth Return
19†So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, "Is this Naomi?" 20‡She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; [1] call me Mara, [2] for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?"
22†So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.
Ruth Meets Boaz
RUTH 2 ‡†Now Naomi had a relative of her husband's, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. 2†And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, "Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor." And she said to her, "Go, my daughter." 3†So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech. 4‡†And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, "The LORD be with you!" And they answered, "The LORD bless you." 5Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reapers, "Whose young woman is this?" 6And the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, "She is the young Moabite woman, who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. 7‡†She said, 'Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.' So she came, and she has continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest." [1]
8†Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. 9†Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn." 10†Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?" 11†But Boaz answered her, "All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. 12†The LORD repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!" 13Then she said, "I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants."
14†And at mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine." So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over. 15†When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. 16And also pull out some from the bundles for her and leave it for her to glean, and do not rebuke her."
17†So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah [2] of barley. 18†And she took it up and went into the city. Her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also brought out and gave her what food she had left over after being satisfied. 19And her motherin-law said to her, "Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you." So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, "The man's name with whom I worked today is Boaz." 20†And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "May he be blessed by the LORD, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!" Naomi also said to her, "The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers." 21And Ruth the Moabite said, "Besides, he said to me, 'You shall keep close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.'" 22†And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, "It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, lest in another field you be assaulted." 23†So she kept close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law.
Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor
RUTH 3 ‡†Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? 2†Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3‡Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do." 5And she replied, "All that you say I will do."
6So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her. 7†And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down. 8At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet! 9†He said, "Who are you?" And she answered, "I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings [1] over your servant, for you are a redeemer." 10†And he said, "May you be blessed by the LORD, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. 11†And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. 12†And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. 13†Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the LORD lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning."
14†So she lay at his feet until the morning, but arose before one could recognize another. And he said, "Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor." 15†And he said, "Bring the garment you are wearing and hold it out." So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley and put it on her. Then she went into the city. 16And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, "How did you fare, my daughter?" Then she told her all that the man had done for her, 17saying, "These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said to me, 'You must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law.'" 18†She replied, "Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today."
Boaz Redeems Ruth
RUTH 4 ‡†Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, "Turn aside, friend; sit down here." And he turned aside and sat down. 2†And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, "Sit down here." So they sat down. 3†Then he said to the redeemer, "Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. 4†So I thought I would tell you of it and say, 'Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.' If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you [1] will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you." And he said, "I will redeem it." 5†Then Boaz said, "The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth [2] the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance." 6†Then the redeemer said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it."
7†Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel. 8So when the redeemer said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself," he drew off his sandal. 9†Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon. 10†Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day." 11†Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem, 12†and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the LORD will give you by this young woman."
Ruth and Boaz Marry
13†So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the
LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son. 14†Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15†He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him." 16†Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. 17†And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, "A son has been born to Naomi." They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
The Genealogy of David
18‡‡†Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, 19‡†Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, 20‡†Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, 21†Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, 22†Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.
Footnotes
Footnotes for Ruth, Chapter 1
[1] 1:20 Naomi means pleasant
[2] 1:20 Mara means bitter
Footnotes for Ruth, Chapter 2
[1] 2:7 Compare Septuagint, Vulgate; the meaning of the Hebrew phrase is
uncertain [2] 2:17 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters
Footnotes for Ruth, Chapter 3
[1] 3:9 Compare 2:12; the word for wings can also mean corners of a garment
Footnotes for Ruth, Chapter 4
[1] 4:4 Hebrew he
[2] 4:5 Masoretic Text you also buy it from Ruth
Study Notes
RUTH—NOTE ON 1:1–5 This introduction to Ruth sets in motion the following events, which culminate in Obed's birth and his relationship to the Davidic line of Christ. See Introduction: Background and Setting.
RUTH—NOTE ON 1:1 famine. This disaster sounds similar to the days of Abraham (Gen. 12), Isaac (Gen. 26), and Jacob (Gen. 46). The text does not specify whether or not this famine was God's judgment (cf. 1 Kings 17–18, esp. 18:2). Bethlehem in Judah. Bethlehem ("house of bread") lies in the territory given to the tribe of Judah (Josh. 15) about 6 miles south of Jerusalem. Rachel, the wife of Jacob, was buried nearby (Gen. 35:19; cf. Ruth 4:11). Bethlehem eventually received the title "city of David" (Luke 2:4, 11). Later, Mary delivered Christ (Luke 2:4–7; cf. Micah 5:2) and Herod slaughtered the infants here (Matt. 2:16). This title (Judg. 17:7, 9; 19:1–2, 18) serves to distinguish it from Bethlehem of Zebulun (Josh. 19:15). sojourn. Elimelech intended to live temporarily in Moab as a resident alien until the famine passed. Moab. See Introduction: Background and Setting.
RUTH—NOTE ON 1:2 Elimelech. His name means "my God is king," signifying a devout commitment to the God of Israel. Most likely, he was a prominent man in the community whose brothers might have included the unnamed close relative and Boaz (cf. 4:3). Naomi. Her name means "pleasant." Mahlon and Chilion. Their names mean "sick" and "pining" respectively. Ephrathites. A title used of people who lived in the area anciently known as Ephrath (Gen. 35:16, 19; 48:7) or Ephrathah (Ruth 4:11; Micah 5:2), but later more prominently called Bethlehem (Ruth 1:1). Jesse, father of David, is called "an Ephrathite of Bethlehem" (1 Sam. 17:12) and "Jesse the Bethlehemite" (1 Sam. 16:1, 18; 17:58).
RUTH—NOTE ON 1:4 Moabite wives. See Introduction: Interpretive Challenges. Orpah. Her name means "stubborn." Ruth. Her name means "friendship." about ten years. This period would seem to include the entire time of Naomi's residency in Moab.
RUTH—NOTE ON 1:5 woman was left without. Naomi, a widow in Moab whose two sons had died also, believed that the Lord had afflicted her with bitter days
until she would die (1:13, 20–21). No reason for the death of these three men in her life is given. Ruth married Mahlon, and Orpah united with Chilion (cf. 4:10).
RUTH—NOTE ON 1:6–22 The death of Elimelech and his two sons (vv. 3, 5) prepared the way for Naomi and Ruth to leave Orpah in Moab (vv. 6–14) and return together to Bethlehem (vv. 15–22).
RUTH—NOTE ON 1:6 the Lord had visited his people. Obviously the Lord had sent rain to break the famine. The sovereignty of Jehovah on behalf of Israel permeates the pages of Ruth in several ways: 1) actually for good (2:12; 4:12– 14), 2) perceived by Naomi for bad (1:13, 21), and 3) in the context of prayer/blessing (1:8–9, 17; 2:4, 12, 20; 3:10, 13; 4:11). The return of physical prosperity only shadowed the reality of a coming spiritual prosperity through the line of David in the person of Christ.
RUTH—NOTE ON 1:7 she set out. Naomi had friends (1:19), family (2:1), and prosperity (4:3) awaiting her in Bethlehem.
RUTH—NOTE ON 1:8–10 Naomi graciously encouraged her two daughters-in-law to return to their homes (v. 8) and to remarry (v. 9), but they emotionally insisted on going to Jerusalem (v. 10).
RUTH—NOTE ON 1:11–13 Naomi selflessly reasoned a second time for their return, because she would be unable to provide them with new husbands (possibly in the spirit of a levirate marriage as described in Deut. 25:5–6). If Orpah and Ruth waited, they would most likely have become as old as Naomi was then before they could remarry (cf. Gen. 38:11).
RUTH—NOTE ON 1:12 I am too old. Naomi was probably over 50.
RUTH—NOTE ON 1:13 the hand of the Lord. A figure of speech that describes the Lord's work. The Lord is spirit (John 4:24) and therefore does not have a literal hand.
RUTH—NOTE ON 1:14–15 At the second plea to return, Orpah turned back. Naomi pleaded with Ruth a third time to return.
RUTH—NOTE ON 1:15 her gods. Refers to Chemosh the chief Moabite deity who required child sacrifice (2 Kings 3:27) and other local deities.