Chapter 2:19-23
"Glad for Blessing"
J. Deering, AncientPath.net

Visualized Text and Questions Only
(Answers are in the Master Study section)

THE VISUALIZED TEXT (NASB)  (conjunctions & prepositions (and other important words) underlined, words not in original text in italics)  (alternate text in purple)

(2:19)
Her mother-in-law

            then

                        said to her,

                                    "Where did you glean today and

                                    where did you work?

                                    May he who took notice of you be blessed."

So

            she told her mother-in-law

                        with whom she had worked and said,

                        "The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz."

1. Who's mother-in-law
   (Ruth's)

2. What is the importance of the word "then"?
   (Places the action as directly after Ruth had provided Naomi with grain)

3. When is "then"?
   (Later evening, after sundown)

4. Who is "her"?
   (Ruth)

5. Where did Ruth glean and work?
   (The Field of Boaz)

6. Why did Naomi place a blessing upon "he who took notice of you"?
   (It is obvious to Naomi that someone took notice of Ruth because of the very large amount of grain she returned from work with, and that person, being so very generous, should be blessed by the Lord for helping these two widows)

7. What does the word "so" indicate?
   (that Ruth was about to answer Naomi's question – the question was asked, SO, Ruth answers)

8. Who is "she"?
   (Ruth)

9. Who is her mother-in-law?
   (Naomi)

10. Who did Ruth work with?
    (Ruth completely ignores the servants and concentrates on the one who brought her so much blessing – Boaz)

11. Notice that Ruth considers that she "worked with" Boaz and not that she worked in the field of Boaz.

(2:20)

And

            Naomi said

                        to her daughter-in-law,

                                    "May he be blessed

                                                of the LORD

                                    who has not withdrawn his kindness

                                                to the living and

                                                to the dead."

Again

            Naomi said

                        to her,

                                    "The man is our relative,

                                    he is one of our closest relatives."

1. What does the word "and" mean here?
   (This time just a simple continuation of Naomi dialog)

2. Who is speaking?
   (Naomi)

3. Who is she speaking to?
   (Ruth)

4. Compare this blessing with the blessing in Ruth 1:8 and the words of 2:11.

5. Why would this theme repeat in the book?
   (The character of God is family based [Father, Son, Holy Spirit] [Adam, Eve, children] [Jesus, The church / Husband and Wife] etc., The Blessings of God are intended to be from generation to generation, continuing down through the ages. In the large picture also is the – He is the God of the Living and the Dead. He is the God, whom Abraham believed, who could bring Isaac back to life if God has asked Abraham to really slay him. He is the God who brings life from dead things. He is the God of living believers and those who are spiritually dead.)

6. What does the word "again" mean here? Is this the second time she says "the man is our relative…."?
   (No, but is the second time "Naomi said.")

7. Is Boaz Naomi's closest relative?
   (No, c.p. 3:12)

8. What is the importance of Boaz being a relative of Naomi?
   (The Kinsman-Redeemer is the central theme of the book)

9. Who's blood relative is Boaz?
   (Elimelech's)

10. Work out on paper the possible relationships between Elimelech and Boaz and keep in mind Deuteronomy 25:5-10.

(2:21)

Then

            Ruth

                        the Moabitess

                        said,

                                    "Furthermore,

                                                he said to me,

                                                            'You should stay close to my servants

                                                                        until they have finished all my harvest.'"

1. What is the importance of the word "Then"?
   (Continuing story line but changing the speaker to Ruth)

2. Why does the narrator bring up the Moabitess issue again?
   (A real big issue with the book is that the GENTILE is part of God's Program for His genealogy and His plan for the ages.)

3. What does "furthermore" indicate?
   (It is interesting that in the original Hebrew this phrase does not happen here. It has been inserted by the translators of the NASB to indicate the still continuing nature of this conversation between Naomi and Ruth.)

4. Who said to "me"?
   (he, Boaz)

5. Who is "me"?
   (Ruth)

6. What should Ruth do?
   ("Stay close to my servants")

7. Whose servants?
   (Boaz's)

8. How long should she stay close?
   (Daily until the Harvest season is finished.)

9. Why?
   (Boaz does not want anything to happen to Naomi. Apparently his notice of Ruth in the Field has grown.)

(2:22)

And

            Naomi

                        said to

                                    Ruth

                                    her daughter-in-law,

                                                "It is good,

                                                            my daughter,

                                                that you go out

                                                            with his maids,

                                                            lest others fall upon you

                                                                        in another field."

1. In the Ruth story who would be the "others" who would fall upon her?
   (foreigners, vagrants, trouble makers, workers in and from other fields)

2. In the Ruth story where would the other fields be?
   (Starting with next to Boaz's field and working around in a big circle around the City)

3. If we see this as the story of Judah, who would be the "others" who would fall upon her?
   (The unbelieving nations around Israel – They would love to get their hands on those who are faithful to The LORD of Israel)

4. If we see this as the story of Judah, where would the other fields be?
   (Moab, Ammon, Egypt, Assyria, Syria, Middian, Philistia, etc.)

5. If we see this as the story of the repentant confessing believer, who would the "others" be?
   (The workers of The World, The Flesh and The Devil – purveyors of false doctrine and lies, etc.)

6. If we see this as the story of the repentant confessing believer, where would the other fields be?
   (All around)

(2:23)

So

            she stayed close by the maids of Boaz

                        in order to glean

                        until the end of

                                    the barley harvest and

                                    the wheat harvest.

And she lived with her mother-in-law.

1. What does the word "so" indicate?
   (a transition to the Result)

2. Did Ruth go to another field?
   (No, she stayed close to the Maids of Boaz)

3. Did others fall upon her?
   (No, she did not give them opportunity)

4. What field did she return to?
   (The Field of Boaz)

5. Who was working there?
   (Boaz, Boaz's Harvest workers)

6. Why did she go?
   (To continue to glean [and to see Boaz])

7. How long did she continue to glean?
   (Until the end of the Harvests)

8. What crops were they harvesting?
   (Barley and Wheat)

9. When she wasn't gleaning, where was she?
   (At home with Naomi)

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