The Pulpit Commentary — Ruth — Section 61

CHAPTER IV. with Ruth the entire details of Naomi's plans, e.nd could thus speak authoritatively. Ver. 1. -And :Boaz went up to the gate, Naomi, we must suppose, had previously e.nd sat there. He " went up," for the city taken Ruth into full con.fi,dence, so that stood, as it still stands, on a ridge (see on Boaz could learn at second• hand what in eh. i 1; iii 6). "And sat there," on one other circumstances he would have learned of the stones, or stone benches, that were set from Naomi herself. The verb which we for the accommodation of the townsfolk. have rendered " has resolved to sell," is The gateway in the East often corresponded, literally "has sold," e.nd has been so ren• as a place of meeting, to the forwn, or the dered by many expositors, inclusive of market-place, in the West. Boaz had reason Riegler and Wright. The Syriac translator to believe that his kinsman would be either gives the expression thus, "has sold to me." passing out to his fields, or passing in from The subsequent context, however, makes it his threshing-floor, through the one gate of evident that the property had not been sold the city. And lo, the kinsman of whom to any one, and consequently not to Boaz. Jloaz he.d spoken was passing ; and he said, The perlect verb is to be accounted for on Ro, such a one ! turn hither and sit here. the principle explained by Driver when he And he turned and ee.t down. Boaz called says, " The perfect is employed to indicate his kinsman by his name ; but the writer does actions, the accomplishment of which lies not IlJLille him, either because he could not, indeed in the future, but is regarded as or because he would not. The phrase " such dependent upon such an unalterable deter• a one," or "so and so," is a purely idiomatic mination of the will that it may be spokeu English equivalent for the purely idiomatic of as having actually taken place : thus a Hebrew phrase •;ib?~ ''t-~~- A literal trans- resolution, promise, or decree, especially a lation is impossible. The Latin N. N. corre• Divine one, is very frequently announced in 11ponds. the perfect tense. A striking instance is Ver. 2.-And he took ten men 'of the afforded by Ruth (iv. 3) when Boe.z, speak- elderly inh&bitants of the city, and he said, ing of Naomi's determination to sell her Bit ye here ; and they sat down. Boaz land, says 11?,P,~ n~:;i!i, literally, 'has sold' wished to he.ve a full complement of witnesses (has resolved to sell The English idiom to the important transaction which he con- would be 'is selling')" ('Treatise on the Uas templated. of the Tenses in Hebrew,' pp. 13, 14). In Ver. 3.-And he ea.id to the kinsman, King James's English version the verb is Naomi, who has returned from the land of thus freely rendered " selleth." Luther'a Koab, has resolved to sell the portion of version ie equivalent-beut feil, "offers for land which belonged to our brother Elime- sale;" or, as Coverdale renders it, '' offereth lech. Boaz, it ill evident, had talked over to sell" Ve.table freely renders it as WI OB IV, 1-22.) THE BOOK OF RUTH. 61