The Pulpit Commentary — Ruth — Section 51

R.ssume the.t, with unmistaking feminine ness a stronger resolution than ho had ev,t :intuition, she saw, on the one hand, that forn1ed befot·e to make known his affection. Tloa.z was nlrcady deeply attached to Ruth, At length he slept. 'l'ho Syrie.c translntct n.nd, on the other, the.t Ruth reciprocated adds interprot.atively, "in a sweet sleep or; his attachment with pure intensity. Most the floor." Ruth then stopped cautiously probably we should also assume thet she forth to play her delicate part. She stole detected in Boaz a peculiar diffidence that softly to the sheltered spot where ho lay. caused him to shrink from making decisive She gently uncovered the margin of tho edve.nce.s in the way of declaring bis affec- cloak, which lay over the place where his t.ion. He had, however, unconsciously feet were laid. Sho laid herself doWll noise- revealed himself, and made it clear to lessly. The Arabic translator adds, '' nnd Naomi that he wished to divulge in words slept beside him "-a most unhappy inter- the depth of his honourable feelings. But pretation. Nothing but sin would be so fe.r ~ n and again, as we may suppose, his away as sleep from the eyes, and mind, and scnsiti,encss overcame his resolutions. Hence heart of the anxious suitor. Naomi's scheme to bring him to the point of Ver. 8.-And it came to pass at midnight declaration. It would have been repre- that the man started in a fright; and he hensible in the extreme had she not been bent himself over, and lo, a woman was absolutely certain of l1is wishes, on the one lying at his feet. He had awaked, and, hand, aud of his perfect honour and un- feeling something soft and warm at his feet, conta.minable purity on the other. And he was startled and affrighted. Whe.t could even with that qualification, the scheme it be 1 In a moment or two he recovered would have been imprudent and improper, his self-possession, e.nd bending himself up end utterly unfeminine, had it not been the and over, or " crooking himself," to see case that, in virtue of au ancient and much- and to feel, lo, a woman was lying at his pri.zed Hebrew law, Ruth was entitled to call feet. The Chaldee Targumist tumbles into upon her nearest of kin to fulfil the various a lndicrons bathos of taste when endeavour- duties of a responsible kinsman. Still, ing to emphasise the startle and shiver which notwithstanding the existence of this law, Boaz experienced. He says, "He trembled, we may rest assured that the sensitive and his flesh became sojl as a turnip from gleaner would never have summoned up the agitation." How could the most peddling courage to ask Boaz to discharge to her the and paltering of Rabbis succeed in betraying duties of kinship, unless she had been sure himself into such a laughable puerility and that the thrills that vibrated within her own absurdity 1 The explanation, though of heart were responsive to subtle touches, on course it is not the least atom of justification, his pa.rt, of spirit with spirit. lies in the fact that the Chaldee word for Ver. 5.-And she said, All that thou "turnip" is n!;)i, while the verb that de- sayest I will do. There is no need for notes " he bent himself" is the niphe.l of adopting into the text the K'ri " to me," after the expression " All that tliou sayest." noS. Theuseoftheexpression "theman," It is a mere "tittle," indeed, whether we ~-this and several of the adjoining verses, is omit or insert the pronoun ; yet it was not a.pt to grate a little upon English ears. Let found in the manuscripts that lay before the us explain anJ vindicate the term as we may, Septuagint e.nd Vulgate translators. the grating is still felt. No matter though Vers. 6, 7.-And she went down to the we know tbat " the rank is but the guinea. threshing-floor, and did accordi.Dg to all stamp " the grating is felt inevitably. It is that her mother-in-law had enjoined. And a result of that peculiar growth in living Boaz ate and drank, and his heart was language that splits generic terms into such comfortable; and he went to lie down at as are specific or semi-specific. We have the end of the heap; and she came softly, gentleman as well as man, and embarra~sme!1t and uncovered the parts about his feet, and is not infrequently the result of our lm~- laid herself down. The translation in King tic wealth. In the verse before us, and m Ja.mes's version, "and his heart was 'TMrrJI," some of those that go before, we should be is perhaps stronger than there is any occasion disposed, in our English idiom, to employ the for. The word rendered "was merry,"-viz., proper name: "And it ca1;11e to )?RBS ~.t mid- :J.~ 1~-is literally " was good." The Septua- night that 'Boaz' started m a fright. gint word is ,iya.9-vv~.,. .After the labours of Ver. 9.-And he said, Who art thou 1 the evening, Boaz had a relish for his simple And she said, I am Ruth, thy handmaid i repast. It was good to him. Hence he ate and thou hast spread thy wings over thy e.nd drank to his heart's content, enjoying handmaid, for thou art kinsman. The Syriac witli grateful spirit the bounties of a gracioue translator spoils the question of Boo.z br, Providence. By and by he retired to rest, metamorphosing it from "Who art thou i ' e.mid visions perchance of e. brighte,,ed home, into " What ia thy message 1" Tremulous which just helped to reflect on his conscious- would 1:e the voice of Ruth as she replied, OH. Ill. 1--1 A. J THE BOOK OF RUTH. 49