5) The Virtuous Woman Series

5) The Virtuous Woman, Ruth 3:9-18

We’re in Ruth chapter 3 where the widow Ruth, at the advice of her mother-in-law Naomi, is approaching her kinsman, Boaz. She is appealing to him to fulfill his role as her nearest kinsman and raise up an heir to her deceased husband.

This scene takes place in the middle of the night on the village threshing floor where Boaz is sleeping to guard his grain. We left off last time in Ruth 3:8 where Boaz was startled out of his sleep when he discovered that a stranger was lying at his feet.

Now in verse 9, you can see his natural reaction.

9 And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.

Obviously the first thing the startled farmer wants to know is who this woman lying at his feet is.

Ruth immediately dispels any alarm saying, I am Ruth thine handmaid.

Back in Ruth 2:10, when Ruth was a new woman in town, and she first introduced herself to Boaz, she called herself a stranger. The word meant a foreigner, an outsider, an alien from Jewish society – one who could not even legally be married to a Jew. The word had a strong negative connotation to it – like someone today calling another a heathen or a pagan. In fact, the word could even be used to mean an adulteress.

But now, months later, Ruth has come to know these locals and they have made her feel at home among them. She no longer sees herself as an outsider but as one of them. So now she uses a different phrase to identify herself to him – thine handmaid. It is still a humble description – a word used of a servant but not of an alien. A handmaid could marry a Jewish man.

Ruth’s willingness to change and adapt to the culture of God’s people reflects the change that took place within her when she first came to trust under the wings of the God of Israel back in Ruth 2:12. And now she identifies herself as an Israelite as much as anyone born in Bethlehem from the start.

From Boaz’ response in the next few verses, it is clear that he understood her to be asking him to marry her as her near kinsman. The Hebrew word she uses is Goel, a Kinsman Redeemer. Spreading his skirt over her would mean that he was assuming responsibility for her protection and provision – as a husband would. We see this same custom in Ezekiel 16:8 where God describes how He took the nation of Israel under His provision and protection as His wife. He says, when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.

One other interesting thing here – Ruth says, spread... thy skirt over thine handmaiden, the skirt being the extra length of his cloak extending beyond his feet. The Hebrew word is “kanaph” – spread thy kanaph over thine handmaiden. This word has appeared before in the story, back in Ruth 2:12 where Boaz said to her, a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust. The word wings in that verse was also the word “kanaph”. Just as Ruth had come to trust under the protecting wings of the Lord, she wants the same kind of covering protection from the Lord’s servant, Boaz.

Rashi, a medieval French Rabbi and scholar who wrote extensive commentaries on the Old Testament, wrote this about Ruth’s request:

“When she said, ‘Spread your kanaph over your maidservant’ this was an allusion to what (God) said to the Jewish people at the time of the giving of the Torah (the Law of Moses), ‘I have borne you on the kanaphei (wings) of eagles, and brought you to me.’ Just as (God) showed his love for the Jewish people in this way, Ruth asked Boaz to show her the love of marriage.”

You know, when a person truly changes his attitude about God, it cannot help but change his attitude about God’s people as well. In fact, one of the proofs that the apostle John gives of a genuinely saved person is found in I John 3:14, we know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

That’s why back in chapter 1 Naomi could not persuade Ruth to go back home and marry a nice Moabite boy. Ruth had already come to trust in the God of Israel, so Moabite boys just weren’t good enough for her anymore. She longed for something better – she longed for a Boaz!