King James Version

What Does Ruth 4:13 Mean?

Ruth 4:13 in the King James Version says “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.” — study this verse from Ruth chapter 4 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“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.”

Ruth 4:13 · KJV

Context

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 Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem: do thou: or, get thee riches, or, power be famous: Heb. proclaim thy name

12

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.

13

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.

14

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

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

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Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
Marriage and conception: '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'. 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 Ruth's apparent barrenness during decade with Mahlon. Her previous childlessness could have resulted from God withholding conception until His appointed time and person. Now, in covenant marriage to Boaz, God opens her womb. This demonstrates that God's timing is perfect—delays aren't denials but divine scheduling for optimal fulfillment of redemptive purposes.

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Historical & Cultural Context

Ancient Israelites understood fertility as divine blessing and barrenness as either divine judgment or testing. Ruth's childlessness during marriage to Mahlon (neither she nor Orpah conceived despite ten-year marriages) could indicate God's withholding blessing from those marriages, possibly due to the family's Moab sojourn or marrying Moabites. Alternatively, God may have sovereignly delayed Ruth's fertility until the providentially appointed marriage to Boaz, ensuring her son would be born into the right lineage, family, and circumstances. The explicit statement 'the LORD gave her conception' emphasizes God's active role in opening wombs, a theme throughout Scripture (Genesis 29:31; 30:22; 1 Samuel 1:19-20).

Reflection Questions

  1. What does the LORD giving conception teach about recognizing God's sovereignty even in 'natural' biological processes?
  2. How does Ruth's earlier barrenness followed by conception illustrate that God's timing, though mysterious, is always perfect?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 15 words
וַיִּקַּ֨ח1 of 15

“took”

H3947

to take (in the widest variety of applications)

בֹּ֤עַז2 of 15

“So Boaz”

H1162

boaz, the ancestor of david; also the name of a pillar in front of the temple

אֶת3 of 15
H853

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

רוּת֙4 of 15

“Ruth”

H7327

ruth, a moabitess

וַתְּהִי5 of 15
H1961

to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)

ל֣וֹ6 of 15
H0
לְאִשָּׁ֔ה7 of 15

“and she was his wife”

H802

a woman

וַיָּבֹ֖א8 of 15

“and when he went in”

H935

to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)

אֵלֶ֑יהָ9 of 15
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

וַיִּתֵּ֨ן10 of 15

“gave”

H5414

to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)

יְהוָ֥ה11 of 15

“unto her the LORD”

H3068

(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god

לָ֛הּ12 of 15
H0
הֵֽרָי֖וֹן13 of 15

“her conception”

H2032

pregnancy

וַתֵּ֥לֶד14 of 15

“and she bare”

H3205

to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage

בֵּֽן׃15 of 15

“a son”

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Ruth. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Ruth 4:13 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Ruth 4:13 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Genesis 29:31Genesis 33:5Ruth 3:11Psalms 127:3Genesis 30:22-231 Samuel 1:27

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