Ruth 4:1
What does Ruth 4:1 mean?
A plain-English look at Ruth 4:1 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Ruth 4:1 means
Boaz takes prompt, deliberate action. He goes to the city gate—the public court of the town—because redemption matters must be handled openly and lawfully. When the nearer kinsman comes by, Boaz courteously calls him to sit. This shows Boaz’s wise, orderly character: he will not seize Ruth or the land by stealth, but will honor God’s law and the rights of others. The anonymous designation, “Ho, such a one!” suggests the man’s role is procedural rather than personal. The stage is set for a fair hearing, where duty to family, the law of redemption, and God’s providence will intersect in plain sight before witnesses.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And Boaz went up to the public place of the town, and took his seat there: and the near relation of whom he had been talking came by; and Boaz, crying out to him by name, said, Come and be seated here. And he came and was seated.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862And Boaz hath gone up to the gate, and sitteth there, and lo, the redeemer is passing by of whom Boaz had spoken, and he saith, `Turn aside, sit down here, such a one, such a one;' and he turneth aside and sitteth down.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Then Booz went up to the gate, and sat there. And when he had seen the kinsman going by, of whom he had spoken before, he said to him, calling him by his name: Turn aside for a little while, and sit down here. He turned aside, and sat down.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And Boaz went up to the gate, and sat down there. And behold, he that had the right of redemption, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. And he said, Thou, such a one, turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside and sat down.
Context
After Ruth’s nighttime request at the threshing floor, Boaz promised to settle the matter with the nearer kinsman. Verse 1 begins the legal resolution. The gate, with its flow of traffic and officials, was the proper place for judgments. The nearer kinsman appears at just the right moment, showing providence at work. Next, Boaz will gather elders and outline the case. The flow moves from private promise to public process, moving the story from personal intentions to formal, binding decisions.
v.1This passage
v.2And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Deuteronomy 21:19
then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;
- Ruth 3:12
And now it is true that I am a near kinsman; howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.
- Deuteronomy 25:7
And if the man like not to take his brother’s wife, then his brother’s wife shall go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband’s brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband’s brother unto me.
- Amos 5:15
Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish justice in the gate: it may be that Jehovah, the God of hosts, will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.
- Amos 5:10
They hate him that reproveth in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.
- Job 29:7
When I went forth to the gate unto the city, When I prepared my seat in the street,
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