4:1 Then went Boaz up to the a gate, and sat him down there:
and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto
whom he said, b Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here.
And he turned aside, and sat down.
(a) Which was the place of judgment.
(b) The Hebrews here use two words which have no proper
meaning, but serve to denote a certain person, as we
would say, "Ho, so-and-so".
4:4 And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy [it] before the
inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou
wilt redeem [it], redeem [it]: but if thou wilt not redeem
[it, then] tell me, that I may know: for [there is] none to
redeem [it] c beside thee; and I [am] after thee. And he
said, I will redeem [it].
(c) For you are the next of kin.
4:5 Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand
of Naomi, thou must buy [it] also of Ruth the Moabitess, the
wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his
d inheritance.
(d) That his inheritance might bear his name that is dead.
4:7 Now this [was the manner] in former time in Israel
concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm
all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave [it] to his
neighbour: and this [was] a e testimony in Israel.
4:10 Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I
purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead
upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut
off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his f
place: ye [are] witnesses this day.
(f) Or, of the city where he remained.
4:11 And all the people that [were] in the gate, and the elders,
said, [We are] witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is
come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two
did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in g
Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:
(g) Ephratah and Bethlehem are both one.
4:14 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed [be] the LORD, which
hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that h his
name may be famous in Israel.
(h) He shall leave continual posterity.
4:15 And he shall be unto thee a restorer of [thy] life, and a
nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which
loveth thee, which is better to thee than i seven sons,
hath born him.
(i) Meaning, many sons.
4:18 Now these [are] the generations of k Pharez: Pharez begat
Hezron,
(k) This genealogy is brought in to prove that David by
succession came from the house of Judah.
