s The place where Controverſies were decided, and the people aſſembled, and where they uſed to go out, and come into the Town; where he was moſt likely to find his K.nſman. 6 Doubtleſs Boaz beth knew his Name, and called himby it, but it is omitted by the holy Writer ; partly becauſe it was unneceſſary to know ir ; and principally in way of contempt, as 1s uſual, and asa juſt puniſhment up9n him, that he whbo would not preſerve his Brothers Name, might loſe his own, and lie buried in the Grave of perpetual Obl:- vioa. c I have ſome Buſineſs of importance with you.
2 And he tuok ten men 4, of the elders of the
ET 7A
city, and faid, Sit ye down here, And they ſite down. |
4 To be Umpires or Witneſſes between them ; for though two or three Witneſſes were ſufficient, yer in weightier Matters they uſed more. And tex was the uſual] Number among the Jews, in Cauſes of Matrimony and Divorce, and tranſlaticn of Inheritincec; who were both Judges of the Cauſes, and Witneſſes of the Fi, See 1 King, 21, 8: |
3 And he faid unto the kinſman, Naomi e, that is comeagain out of the country of Moab, ſclleth a par- cel of land f, which was our brother Elimelechs.
e Both Naom: and Ruth had an Intereſt in this Land during their Lives, but he mentions only Naom?, partly becauſe all was done by her dire&ion, to which Ruth wholly fubmitted her ſelf; and pirt= ly leſt the mention of Ruth ſhould raiſe a ſuſpicion of the neceſſity of his marrying Ruth, before he had given his Anſwer to the firit Propoſitions f Which ſhe might do becaule of her poverty, Levie. 25+ 250
4 And F I thought to advertiſe thee, ſaying, Buy i: t Heb. ;
before the inhabitants, and before the eiders of my 1 il
. 2 . - - tNcover
people g. If thou wilt redeem zr, redeem zr, but if thou :1;, ,,
wilt not redeem z#, hex tel] me, that I may know ; for Rewaliy
there is none to redeem #t belides thee, and I am after thine wr thee. And he ſaid, I will redeem #7.
g Before this Aſſembly, that it may be Legally, and firmly made over to thee.
5 Then ſaid Boaz, What day thou buyeſt the field of the hand of Naomi, thou muft buy it alſo of Ruth the Moabiteſs, the wife of the dead h, to raiſe up the name of the dead 3; upon his inheritance.
_ þ According to the Law, Deut» 25: 5, ©'c. Matth. 22: 24, Ofc 7 To revive his Name, which was Icſt and buried with his Body, by raiſing up a Seed ro him, to be called by his Name.
6 CT Andche kinſman ſaid, 1 cannot redeem #t for my ſelf, leſt I mar mine own inheritance & ; redeem thou my right / to thy ſelf, for I cannot redeem 3:7.
& Either, Firſt, Becauſe having no Childrenof his own, he might have one. and but one Son by Ruth; who, though he ſhould carry away his Inheritance yer ſhould nor bear his Name, bur the Name of Ruth's Husband ; and ſo by preſerving another Man's Name, he ſhould loſe his own: Or, Secondly, Becanſe as his Inheritance would be but very litr'e increaſed by this Marriage, ſo it might be much diminiſhed by being divided amongſt his many Children, which he poſſibly had already, and might probably have more by Ruch. I Which I freely renounce and reſign to thee. :
7 * Now this was the manner in former time in Iſrael, * Deut concerning redeeming, and concerning changing, for 257% to confirm all things 2 ; a man plucked off his ſhoe, and gave 7 to his neighbour »z and this was a teſti- mony in [Iſrael o.
m (1.e. ) Inall Alienation of Lands: So that it js no wonder ;jf this Ceremony differ a little from that Devur. 25: 9: becauſe that con- cerned only one Cafe, but this is more general. Beſides. he pleads not the Command of God, but only ancient cuſtom for rhi« p:attice.
» He who relinquiſhed his Right ro another, plucked off his own Shoe and gaveit to him- This was Symbolicz', and a ſignificanc and convenient Ceremony, as if he ſaid, Take this Shoe wherewith I uſed togo and tread upon my Land, and inthat Shoe dothou en-
ter upon it, and take poſſeſſion of it. o This was admitted for ſuf- ficient Edvidence 1n all ſuch caſes
8 Therefore the kinſman ſaid unto Boaz, thee: ſo he drew off his ſhoe.
9 \ And Boaz faid unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witneſſes this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelechs, and all that was Chilions, And Mahlons, of the hand of Naomi.
to Moreover, Ruth the Moabiteſs, the wife of Mah- lon 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 cff from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place p : ye are witneſſes this days
p (i e.) From among the Tnhabitants dwelling within the Gate of this Cuy, which was Bethlehem- Judah.
11 Andall the people that were in the gate, and the elders ſaid, We are wirneſles: The LORD make the woman that is come into thine houſe, like Rachel, and like Leah q, which two did build the houſe r of Iſrae!: and || do thou worthily in Ephratah {; and + be famous lor, # 1n Bethlehem s. thee rich
94 Amiable and Fruitful. Thoſe two are ſingled out; partly be- or, f% | cauſe they were of a Foreign and Heathniſh Original. and yet in- FHeb.f grafced into Gods people, as Ruth alſo was: and partly, becauſe of claim that ſingular Fertility which Goa vouchſafed unt? them above their namt: predeceſſors, Sarah and Rebecca. Rachel is p'accd before Leah, be cauſe ſhe was his moſt Jawful, and only intended, and choſen, and beſt-beloved Wife. 7 i. e. Increaſe the poſterity. See Gen. 16. 2.
Exod. 1: 21: 5 Two Names of one and the ſame place; of which fee on Ruth 1: 2.
12 And let thy houſe be like the houſe of Pharez 1, _ (* whom Tamar bare unto Judah ) ot the ſeed which * we” the LORD ſhall give thee of this young woman. _ _ © As honourable and numerous as his Family was ; whom, though , he allo was born of a Stranger, God ſo.far blfſ-d,ri.ar bis Famuly
Buy zt for
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Chap. 1y,
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He js eaſe { tht, [0t, redetr
*i( 6: 21
> How _ Matel4 was one of tne five Families to which all the Trib- of Judah belong- ; cd, and the progenicor of the Inhabitants of this City. ;
13 © co
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* Deut. x6. 6.
Tf Heb. from days to days.
Lev. 2 5 :
| hap. f
C: 27, 34:
1; © So Boaz took Ruth 4, and ſhe was his wife:
and when he went in unto herx, the LORD gave her
conception y, and in due time ſhe bare a ſon. _