About Ruth

Ruth tells the beautiful story of loyalty and redemption, showing how a Moabite woman became part of the lineage of David and ultimately Christ.

Author: Samuel (traditionally)Written: c. 1050-1000 BCReading time: ~3 minVerses: 22
LoyaltyRedemptionProvidenceLoveKindnessFaith

King James Version

Ruth 4

22 verses with commentary

Boaz Marries Ruth

Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.

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KJV Study Commentary

Public legal process begins: <strong>'Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there'</strong>. The city gate served as ancient Israel's courthouse and public meeting place where business was conducted before witnesses. Boaz went immediately (fulfilling his promise to act 'this day'), demonstrating integrity and urgency. <strong>'And, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto who...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(1) **Went up.**—Inasmuch as the town stood on a hill: so in Ruth 3:3, Ruth is bidden to *go down *to the threshing-floor. **The kinsman.**—The *Goel. *(See Ruth 3:12). **Turn aside.**—The form of the imperative is such as to give a hortatory turn, pray turn aside and sit down. **Such a one.**—Heb.,*p’l*oni *almoni. *This phrase is used like the English so-and-so, such-and-such, of names which it ...
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And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.

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KJV Study Commentary

Witnesses assembled: <strong>'And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here'</strong>. Boaz gathered required witnesses—ten elders representing the community. This number ensured legal validity and demonstrated the transaction's public, official nature. The specific number 'ten' later became the minimum for Jewish legal proceedings (minyan). Boaz's careful assembly of p...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**7. Samson said ..., If they bind me with seven green withs--**Vine tendrils, pliant twigs, or twists made of crude vegetable stalks are used in many Eastern countries for ropes at the present day.

And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's:

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KJV Study Commentary

The proposition: <strong>'And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's'</strong>. Boaz reveals that Naomi has property rights to Elimelech's land, which she's selling (likely due to poverty necessitating liquidation). The phrase 'our brother Elimelech' emphasizes family connection and redemption resp...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(3) **Naomi selleth . . .**—Rather, *the portion of land, which belonged to our brother Elimelech. has Naomi sold. *The present tense of the English Version seems to suggest that the sale is taking place at this particular time, but the meaning clearly is that Naomi, as the representative of the dead Elimelech had, so far as it was possible for an Israelite to part with a family estate, sold the l...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**8. she bound him with them--**probably in a sportive manner, to try whether he was jesting or in earnest.

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 beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it. I thought: Heb. I said, I will reveal in thine ear

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KJV Study Commentary

First offer: <strong>'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 beside thee; and I am after thee'</strong>. Boaz formally presents the redemption opportunity, noting the kinsman's first rights and his own ...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(4) **And I thought . . .**—literally, *and I said I will uncover thy ear.* **The inhabitants.**—This should perhaps rather be, *those who are sitting here *[the Hebrew word *yashabh *has the two meanings of *dwelling *and *sitting, *see *e.g., *Genesis 23:10, where the latter meaning should certainly be taken]. So the LXX., Peshito and Vulg. **If thou wilt not.**—The current Hebrew text has here,...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**9. there were men lying in wait, abiding ... in the chamber--**The Hebrew, literally rendered, is, "in the inner," or "most secret part of the house."

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 inheritance.

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KJV Study Commentary

Full disclosure: <strong>'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 inheritance'</strong>. Boaz reveals the complete obligation—redeeming property requires marrying Ruth to produce heir who will inherit the land, perpetuating Elimelech/Mahlon's name. This changes ...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(5) **What day . . .**—When the person had been bought out to whom Naomi had sold the land until the year of Jubilee should restore it to her family, there remained Naomi’s own claim on the land, and after wards that of Ruth, as the widow of the son of Elimelech. But further, this last carried with it the necessity of taking Ruth to wife, so that a child might be born to inherit, as the son of Mah...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**10. And Delilah said--**To avoid exciting suspicion, she must have allowed some time to elapse before making this renewed attempt.

And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.

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KJV Study Commentary

Refusal: <strong>'And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it'</strong>. The kinsman refuses when he understands full obligation. His concern about marring 'mine own inheritance' means producing heir for Mahlon would complicate his estate—children from Ruth would compete with children from his existin...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(6) **Lest I mar . . .**—The redemption of the land would involve the spending of money, drawn away from the *Goel’s *own estate; but the land thus acquired would not belong to the *Goel *himself, but to the son he should have by Ruth, who would yet be, in the eyes of the law, the son of Mahlon. It would, therefore, be like mortgaging one’s own estate, and that for the benefit of another. Josephus...
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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 testimony in Israel.

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KJV Study Commentary

Legal custom: <strong>'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 testimony in Israel'</strong>. The narrator explains ancient custom (no longer practiced in narrator's time—'former time') where sandal exchange confirmed transactions. This physical...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(7) **In former time.**—Arguments have been built on this word in favour of our assigning a late date to the book, but the inference seems hardly warranted. The same Hebrew word occurs in Deuteronomy 2:10, Judges 1:10, &c. **Plucked off his shoe.**—The idea of this act apparently is that the man resigns the right of walking on the land as master, in favour of him to whom he gives the shoe. A simil...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**12. new ropes--**It is not said of what material they were formed; but from their being dried, it is probable they were of twigs, like the former. The Hebrew intimates that they were twisted, and of a thick, strong description.

Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe.

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KJV Study Commentary

Transaction sealed: <strong>'Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe'</strong>. The kinsman transfers redemption rights through sandal removal, formally relinquishing claim. Boaz now legally holds exclusive redemption right. This simple act changes Ruth's fate, Naomi's future, and ultimately enables Davidic and messianic lineage. God's sovereignty works throu...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(8) **Drew.**—The same word in the Hebrew as *plucked *in Ruth 4:7.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**13. If thou weavest the seven locks of my head--**braids or tresses, into which, like many in the East, he chose to plait his hair. Working at the loom was a female employment; and Delilah's appears to have been close at hand. It was of a very simple construction; the woof was driven into the warp, not by a reed, but by a wooden spatula. The extremity of the web was fastened to a pin or stake fi...
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And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi.

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KJV Study Commentary

Public declaration: <strong>'And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi'</strong>. Boaz publicly declares property redemption before assembled witnesses. He specifies the comprehensive nature—'all' of Elimelech's, Chilion's, and Mahlon's property. Publi...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**14. went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web--**that is, the whole weaving apparatus.

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 place: ye are witnesses this day.

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KJV Study Commentary

Marriage declaration: <strong>'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 place: ye are witnesses this day'</strong>. Boaz publicly declares marriage to Ruth, using term 'purchased' in context of kinsman-redeemer law...
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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 Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem: do thou: or, get thee riches, or, power be famous: Heb. proclaim thy name

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KJV Study Commentary

Community blessing: <strong>'And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses'</strong>. The entire assembly affirms their witness role, creating legally unassailable transaction. Their blessing continues: <strong>'The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel'</strong>. This remarkable bless...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(11) **The Lord . . .**—In this way is the nuptial blessing invoked. **Is come.**—Rather, *is coming.* **Rachel**—though the younger sister and the junior wife—is put first, probably from her death and burial having associated her with Bethlehem (see Genesis 35:16; Genesis 35:19). In this way, too, we should explain the prophecy of Jeremiah as applied by St. Matthew (Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:18)....
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Jud 16:15-20. He Is Overcome. **16. she pressed him daily with her words--**Though disappointed and mortified, this vile woman resolved to persevere; and conscious how completely he was enslaved by his passion for her, she assailed him with a succession of blandishing arts, till she at length discovered the coveted secret.

And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman.

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KJV Study Commentary

Prophetic prayer: <strong>'And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman'</strong>. The blessing references Pharez (Perez), ancestor of Boaz's clan, born through unusual circumstances to Tamar and Judah (Genesis 38). Tamar, like Ruth, was foreigner who demonstrated covenant loyalty exceeding Israelites'. Th...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(12) **Pharez.**—(See Genesis 38:29). Judah having, though unwittingly, fulfilled the Levirate obligation to the widow of his eldest son, the child thus born becomes the heir of that eldest son, and therefore the head of the house of Judah.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**17. if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me--**His herculean powers did not arise from his hair, but from his peculiar relation to God as a Nazarite. His unshorn locks were a sign of his Nazaritism, and a pledge on the part of God that his supernatural strength would be continued.

The Genealogy of David

So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son.

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KJV Study Commentary

Marriage and conception: <strong>'So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son'</strong>. The narrative economically states marriage consummation and pregnancy. The phrase 'the LORD gave her conception' emphasizes divine action—fertility is God's gift, not automatic natural process. This is particularly significant given Ru...
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And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. left: Heb. caused to cease unto thee kinsman: or, redeemer

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KJV Study Commentary

The women's blessing of Naomi—'Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a redeemer'—celebrates God's covenantal faithfulness through the kinsman-redeemer system. The Hebrew go'el (redeemer) refers to the family member responsible for protecting vulnerable relatives by redeeming land, marrying the widow (levirate marriage, Deuteronomy 25:5-10), and preserving the family line. Boaz...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(14) **Left thee without.**—Literally, *not allowed to cease to thee.* **A kinsman.**—That is, *the child *(See next verse). The word *kinsman *here is *Goel, *a redeemer.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**19. she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head--**It is uncertain, however, whether the ancient Hebrews cut off the hair to the same extent as Orientals now. The word employed is sometimes the same as that for shearing sheep, and therefore the instrument might be only scissors.

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 seven sons, hath born him. a nourisher of: Heb. to nourish thine: Heb. thy gray hairs

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KJV Study Commentary

Ruth's value declared: <strong>'And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age'</strong>. The women prophesy that the child will restore Naomi's vitality and provide for her in old age—promises that David's eventual care for his family would fulfill. Then the remarkable statement: <strong>'For thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than ...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(15) **A nourisher.**—(See marginal renderings). **Daughter-in-law.**—The position of the nominative is emphatic. **Loveth.**—The verb is a perfect, *which hath ever loved thee.*

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**20. he wist not that the Lord was departed from him--**What a humiliating and painful spectacle! Deprived of the divine influences, degraded in his character, and yet, through the infatuation of a guilty passion, scarcely awake to the wretchedness of his fallen condition! Jud 16:21, 22. The Philistines Took Him and Put Out His Eyes.

And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.

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KJV Study Commentary

Naomi as nurse: <strong>'And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it'</strong>. Naomi's taking the child demonstrates grandmother's joy and possibly legal adoption symbolism—the child would legally be considered heir to Elimelech through this act. Laying in bosom indicates intimate nurture and affection. The role of 'nurse' (<em>omenet</em>, אֹמֶנֶת) suggests both ...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(16) **Nurse.**—The verb (*aman*) here is that used in Isaiah 49:23, “and kings shall be thy *nursing fathers.” *That ordinarily used for the natural nursing of a woman is different.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**21. the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes--**To this cruel privation prisoners of rank and consequence have commonly been subjected in the East. The punishment is inflicted in various ways, by scooping out the eyeballs, by piercing the eye, or destroying the sight by holding a red-hot iron before the eyes. His security was made doubly sure by his being bound with fetters of brass (coppe...
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And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

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KJV Study Commentary

Naming and genealogy: <strong>'And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed'</strong>. The community names the child 'Obed' (<em>Oved</em>, עוֹבֵד, meaning 'servant' or 'worshiper'), perhaps indicating 'servant of God' or noting his future service to family line. The statement 'son born to Naomi' legally establishes him as heir to...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(17) **Obed.**—*i.e., *a serving one. (18–22). This short genealogy, abruptly added, may be due to a later hand, it being thought necessary to connect David’s line fully with Judah.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**22. Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again--**It is probable that he had now reflected on his folly; and becoming a sincere penitent, renewed his Nazarite vow. "His hair grew together with his repentance, and his strength with his hairs" [Bishop Hall].

Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,

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KJV Study Commentary

Genealogy begins: <strong>'Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron'</strong>. The formal genealogy connects Ruth's story to broader redemptive history, tracing from Pharez (Genesis 38) through Boaz to David. This literary inclusion demonstrates Ruth's canonical importance—not merely touching personal story but crucial link in messianic chain. The genealogy validates Davidic ki...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(18) **Hezron.**—See Genesis 46:12.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Jud 16:23-25. Their Feast to Dagon. **23. the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon--**It was a common practice in heathen nations, on the return of their solemn religious festivals, to bring forth their war prisoners from their places of confinement or slavery; and, in heaping on them every species of indignity, they would offer their grateful ...
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And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,

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KJV Study Commentary

Genealogy continues: <strong>'And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab'</strong>. These names connect Ruth's era (judges period) to earlier patriarchal period and later monarchy. Ram and Amminadab appear in Numbers 1:7; 2:3 as princes of Judah during wilderness wanderings, showing Ruth married into prominent lineage. The genealogy demonstrates God's providence positioning Ruth within the trib...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(19) **Ram.**—See 1Chronicles 2:9; St. Matthew 1:3. Amminadab.—It was to his daughter Elisheba that Aaron was married. (Exodus 6:23).

And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon, Salmon: or, Salmah

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KJV Study Commentary

Genealogy progresses: <strong>'And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon'</strong>. Nahshon was prince of Judah during the Exodus (Numbers 1:7; 7:12), brother of Aaron's wife Elisheba (Exodus 6:23), making him Moses and Aaron's brother-in-law. This connection shows Ruth's integration into Israel's leadership families. Salmon married Rahab the Canaanite (Matthew 1:5), making Boaz son of...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(20) **Nahshon **was the prince of the children of Judah in the wilderness. (See Numbers 1:7, &c). **Salmon**—Heb., *Salmah, *though called Salmon in the next verse. In 1Chronicles 2:11 he is called *Salma. *Salmon may very probably have been one of the two spies sent to Jericho, who having been sheltered by Rahab, had repaid her kindness by marrying her. It has been observed above that the smalln...
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And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,

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KJV Study Commentary

Genealogy continues: <strong>'And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed'</strong>. This verse formally includes Boaz and his son Obed in the genealogical record, cementing Ruth's integration and Obed's legitimacy. The economy of expression—'begat'—emphasizes the biological and legal continuity across generations. Boaz, son of Rahab the Canaanite, married Ruth the Moabitess, showing his family's p...
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And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.

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KJV Study Commentary

Genealogy concludes: <strong>'And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David'</strong>. The genealogy's climax reveals the story's ultimate human significance—Ruth is David's great-grandmother. This explains why her story was preserved and honored. David's Moabite ancestry might have been controversial (Deuteronomy 23:3), but Ruth's faithful conversion and the genealogy's careful documentation establ...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Jud 16:26-31. His Death. **27. there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport--**This building seems to have been similar to the spacious and open amphitheaters well known among the Romans and still found in many countries of the East. They are built wholly of wood. The standing place for the spectators is a wooden floor resting upon two pillars a...
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