SUMMARY
BoazHusband of Ruth and great-grandfather of David. More and RuthThe great-grandmother of David. More speak with one another and Boaz offers her blessingBlessing is the asking for or the giving of God's favor. Isaac was tricked into blessing Jacob instead of his firstborn Esau. At the Last Supper Jesus offered a blessing over bread and wine. To be blessed is to be favored by God. More and food.
ANALYSIS
Boaz begins his understanding of law in a different place than might be expected. Rather than seeing Ruth as a Moabite to be shunned or a foreign widowA widow is a woman whose spouse has died, often plunging her into poverty and putting her in a vulnerable position in society. Jesus, in his concern for the poor, regards widows with compassion and concern. More who is fair game, he sees her as a sojourner in need of help, looking to laws such as Leviticus 23:22 about gleaningGleaning is the act of collecting leftover crops from farmers' fields after they have been harvested. In some ancient cultures, like Israel, gleaning was a form of welfare. The book of Ruth contains an account of gleaning in which Ruth met her future husband, Boaz. More.
Boaz begins with compassion. He recognizes goodness and loyalty even in a Moabite immigrant. His speech in 2:11-12 parallels Ruth’s speech in 1:16-17. Boaz recognizes Ruth’s relationship with her mother-in-law as taking precedence over her relationship with her own mother and father because of her act of devotion. He offers not only charity but also recognition and the sustenance of sharing a meal, communion. Ruth, herself, recognizes Boaz’ treatment of her as remarkable, noting in particular that he could have seen her merely as a “foreign woman” or “prostitute.” (2:10)
(See Josef Anton Koch https://www.flickr.com/photos/ishootreno/8334688738 and Jean-Francois Millet https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harvesters_Resting_%28Ruth_and_Boaz%29,_Jean-Fran%C3%A7ois_Millet.jpg)
