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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Ruth 2:23 So Ruth stayed close to the servant girls of Boaz to glean grain until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/ruth/2-23.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/10/08_Rut_02_23.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Ruth 2:23 - Boaz Meets Ruth" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="So Ruth stayed close to the servant girls of Boaz to glean grain until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. 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And she lived with her mother-in-law.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/ruth/2.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />So Ruth worked alongside the women in Boaz’s fields and gathered grain with them until the end of the barley harvest. Then she continued working with them through the wheat harvest in early summer. And all the while she lived with her mother-in-law.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/ruth/2.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />So she kept close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/ruth/2.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />So Ruth stayed close to the servant girls of Boaz to glean grain until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/ruth/2.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/ruth/2.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz, to glean until the end of barley harvest and wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/ruth/2.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />So she stayed close by the young women 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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/ruth/2.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/ruth/2.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/ruth/2.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />So she stayed close by the young women 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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/ruth/2.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />So she stayed close to the maids of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/ruth/2.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />Ruth stayed close to Boaz’s female servants and gathered grain until the barley and the wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/ruth/2.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />Ruth stayed close to Boaz&#8217s female servants and gathered grain until the barley and the wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/ruth/2.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz, to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/ruth/2.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />And so, Ruth stayed close to the women, while picking up grain in his field. Ruth worked in the fields until the barley and wheat were harvested. And all this time she lived with Naomi. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/ruth/2.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother in law.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/ruth/2.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />So Ruth stayed with the young women who were working for Boaz. She gathered grain until both the barley harvest and the wheat harvest ended. And she continued to live with her mother-in-law.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/ruth/2.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />So Ruth worked with them and gathered grain until all the barley and wheat had been harvested. And she continued to live with her mother-in-law. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/ruth/2.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />So Ruth continued to stay close to the young women who worked for Boaz, gathering grain until both the barley and wheat harvests were complete, all the while living with her mother-in-law.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/ruth/2.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />So Ruth worked beside Boaz's female servants, gathering grain until the end of the barley harvest as well as the wheat harvest. After that she stayed home with her mother-in-law. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/ruth/2.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />So she stayed close to the maidens of Boaz, to glean to the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and she lived with her mother-in-law.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/ruth/2.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean to the end of barley-harvest and of wheat-harvest; and dwelt with her mother-in-law.<div class="vheading2"><b>Majority Text Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/ruth/2.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />So Ruth stayed close to the servant girls of Boaz to glean grain until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/ruth/2.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />So she stayed close to the maidens of Boaz, to glean to the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and she lived with her mother-in-law. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/ruth/2.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />And she cleaves to the young women of Boaz to glean, until the completion of the barley-harvest, and of the wheat-harvest, and she dwells with her mother-in-law.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/ruth/2.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> And she cleaveth to the young women of Boaz to glean, till the completion of the barley-harvest, and of the wheat-harvest, and she dwelleth with her mother-in-law.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/ruth/2.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />And she will adhere to the maidens of Boaz, to gather even to the end of the harvest of barley and the harvest of wheat; and she will dwell with her mother-in-law.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/ruth/2.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />So she kept close to the maids of Booz: and continued to glean with them, till all the barley and the wheat were laid up in the barns. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/ruth/2.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />And so, she joined with the young women of Boaz, and from then on reaped with them, until the barley and the wheat were stored in the barns.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/ruth/2.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />So she stayed gleaning with Boaz’s young women until the end of the barley and wheat harvests.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/ruth/2.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />So she stayed close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests; and she lived with her mother-in-law.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/ruth/2.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />So she kept close by the maidservants of Boaz to glean until the end of the barley harvest and of the wheat harvest; and Ruth dwelt with her mother-in-law.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/ruth/2.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />But she joined the Maids of Baaz to glean until the harvest of barley and of wheat would end <div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/ruth/2.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/ruth/2.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />And Ruth joined herself to the damsels of Booz to glean until they had finished the barley-harvest and the wheat-harvest.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/ruth/2-23.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LT1nlCXT1mU?start=486" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/ruth/2.htm">Boaz Meets Ruth</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">22</span>And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law Ruth, “My daughter, it is good for you to work with his young women, so that nothing will happen to you in another field.” <span class="reftext">23</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/1692.htm" title="1692: wat·tiḏ·baq (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3fs) -- To cling, cleave, keep close. A primitive root; properly, to impinge, i.e. Cling or adhere; figuratively, to catch by pursuit.">So Ruth stayed close</a> <a href="/hebrew/5291.htm" title="5291: bə·na·‘ă·rō·wṯ (Prep-b:: N-fpc) -- A girl, maiden. Feminine of na'ar; a girl.">to the servant girls</a> <a href="/hebrew/1162.htm" title="1162: bō·‘az (N-proper-ms) -- From an unused root of uncertain meaning; Boaz, the ancestor of David; also the name of a pillar in front of the temple.">of Boaz</a> <a href="/hebrew/3950.htm" title="3950: lə·laq·qêṭ (Prep-l:: V-Piel-Inf) -- To pick or gather up, glean. A primitive root; properly, to pick up, i.e. to gather; specifically, to glean.">to glean</a> <a href="/hebrew/5704.htm" title="5704: ‘aḏ- (Prep) -- As far as, even to, up to, until, while. Properly, the same as ad; as far as, whether of space or time or degree.">grain until</a> <a href="/hebrew/8184.htm" title="8184: haś·śə·‘ō·rîm (Art:: N-fp) -- Barley. Or snowrah; and; also s or; or s-owr; from sa'ar in the sense of roughness; barley.">the barley</a> <a href="/hebrew/7105.htm" title="7105: ū·qə·ṣîr (Conj-w:: N-msc) -- From qatsar; severed, i.e. Harvest, the crop, the time, the reaper, or figuratively; also a limb."></a> <a href="/hebrew/2406.htm" title="2406: ha·ḥiṭ·ṭîm (Art:: N-fp) -- Wheat. Of uncertain derivation; wheat, whether the grain or the plant.">and wheat</a> <a href="/hebrew/7105.htm" title="7105: qə·ṣîr- (N-msc) -- From qatsar; severed, i.e. Harvest, the crop, the time, the reaper, or figuratively; also a limb.">harvests</a> <a href="/hebrew/3615.htm" title="3615: kə·lō·wṯ (V-Qal-Inf) -- To be complete, at an end, finished, accomplished, or spent. A primitive root; to end, whether intransitive or transitived.">were finished.</a> <a href="/hebrew/3427.htm" title="3427: wat·tê·šeḇ (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3fs) -- A primitive root; properly, to sit down; by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry.">And she lived</a> <a href="/hebrew/854.htm" title="854: ’eṯ- (Prep) -- With (denoting proximity). Probably from 'anah; properly, nearness, near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc.">with</a> <a href="/hebrew/2545.htm" title="2545: ḥă·mō·w·ṯāh (N-fsc:: 3fs) -- Husband's mother. Or chamoth; feminine of cham; a mother-in-law.">her mother-in-law.</a> </span><div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ruth/1-22.htm">Ruth 1:22</a></span><br />So Naomi returned from the land of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess. And they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ruth/3-2.htm">Ruth 3:2</a></span><br />Now is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been working, a relative of ours? In fact, tonight he is winnowing barley on the threshing floor.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/leviticus/19-9.htm">Leviticus 19:9-10</a></span><br />When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. / You must not strip your vineyard bare or gather its fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/24-19.htm">Deuteronomy 24:19-22</a></span><br />If you are harvesting in your field and forget a sheaf there, do not go back to get it. It is to be left for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. / When you beat the olives from your trees, you must not go over the branches again. What remains will be for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow. / When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you must not go over the vines again. What remains will be for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/13-30.htm">Matthew 13:30</a></span><br />Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat into my barn.’”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/13-39.htm">Matthew 13:39</a></span><br />and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/leviticus/23-22.htm">Leviticus 23:22</a></span><br />When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap all the way to the edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the foreign resident. I am the LORD your God.’”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/16-9.htm">Deuteronomy 16:9-12</a></span><br />You are to count off seven weeks from the time you first put the sickle to the standing grain. / And you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with a freewill offering that you give in proportion to how the LORD your God has blessed you, / and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God in the place He will choose as a dwelling for His Name—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within your gates, as well as the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widows among you. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/galatians/6-9.htm">Galatians 6:9</a></span><br />Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/james/5-7.htm">James 5:7</a></span><br />Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the soil—how patient he is for the fall and spring rains.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/proverbs/10-5.htm">Proverbs 10:5</a></span><br />He who gathers in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/proverbs/14-4.htm">Proverbs 14:4</a></span><br />Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but an abundant harvest comes through the strength of the ox.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_corinthians/3-6.htm">1 Corinthians 3:6-9</a></span><br />I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. / So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. / He who plants and he who waters are one in purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_corinthians/9-10.htm">2 Corinthians 9:10</a></span><br />Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your store of seed and will increase the harvest of your righteousness.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/17-5.htm">Isaiah 17:5-6</a></span><br />as the reaper gathers the standing grain and harvests the ears with his arm, as one gleans heads of grain in the Valley of Rephaim. / Yet gleanings will remain, like an olive tree that has been beaten—two or three berries atop the tree, four or five on its fruitful branches,” declares the LORD, the God of Israel.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean to the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelled with her mother in law.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/proverbs/6-6.htm">Proverbs 6:6-8</a></b></br> Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: … </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/proverbs/13-1.htm">Proverbs 13:1,20</a></b></br> A wise son <i>heareth</i> his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/1_corinthians/15-33.htm">1 Corinthians 15:33</a></b></br> Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/ruth/2-17.htm">Barley</a> <a href="/ruth/1-22.htm">Barley-Harvest</a> <a href="/ruth/2-19.htm">Boaz</a> <a href="/ruth/2-19.htm">Bo'az</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/14-6.htm">Cleaveth</a> <a href="/ruth/2-21.htm">Close</a> <a href="/ruth/2-9.htm">Cutting</a> <a href="/ruth/1-4.htm">Dwelt</a> <a href="/ruth/2-7.htm">Early</a> <a href="/ruth/1-5.htm">End</a> <a href="/ruth/2-21.htm">Ended</a> <a href="/ruth/2-21.htm">Harvest</a> <a href="/genesis/47-24.htm">Harvests</a> <a href="/judges/21-14.htm">Kept</a> <a href="/ruth/2-22.htm">Law</a> <a href="/ruth/2-22.htm">Maidens</a> <a href="/ruth/2-22.htm">Maids</a> <a href="/ruth/2-19.htm">Mother</a> <a href="/ruth/2-19.htm">Mother-In-Law</a> <a href="/judges/20-33.htm">Order</a> <a href="/ruth/2-22.htm">Ruth</a> <a href="/ruth/2-13.htm">Servant</a> <a href="/ruth/2-22.htm">Servant-Girls</a> <a href="/judges/15-1.htm">Wheat</a> <a href="/judges/15-1.htm">Wheat-Harvest</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/ruth/3-2.htm">Barley</a> <a href="/ruth/1-22.htm">Barley-Harvest</a> <a href="/ruth/3-2.htm">Boaz</a> <a href="/ruth/3-7.htm">Bo'az</a> <a href="/2_kings/18-6.htm">Cleaveth</a> <a href="/ruth/3-9.htm">Close</a> <a href="/1_samuel/6-13.htm">Cutting</a> <a href="/1_samuel/12-11.htm">Dwelt</a> <a href="/1_samuel/1-19.htm">Early</a> <a href="/ruth/3-3.htm">End</a> <a href="/1_samuel/10-13.htm">Ended</a> <a href="/1_samuel/6-13.htm">Harvest</a> <a href="/isaiah/16-9.htm">Harvests</a> <a href="/1_samuel/1-6.htm">Kept</a> <a href="/ruth/3-1.htm">Law</a> <a href="/ruth/3-2.htm">Maidens</a> <a href="/ruth/3-2.htm">Maids</a> <a href="/ruth/3-1.htm">Mother</a> <a href="/ruth/3-1.htm">Mother-In-Law</a> <a href="/ruth/4-5.htm">Order</a> <a href="/ruth/3-5.htm">Ruth</a> <a href="/ruth/3-2.htm">Servant</a> <a href="/1_samuel/8-16.htm">Servant-Girls</a> <a href="/1_samuel/6-13.htm">Wheat</a> <a href="/1_samuel/6-13.htm">Wheat-Harvest</a><div class="vheading2">Ruth 2</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/ruth/2-1.htm">Ruth gleans in the field of Boaz</a></span><br><span class="reftext">4. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/ruth/2-4.htm">Boaz takes notice of her</a></span><br><span class="reftext">8. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/ruth/2-8.htm">and shows her great favor</a></span><br><span class="reftext">18. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/ruth/2-18.htm">That which she got, she carries to Naomi</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; 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In the ancient Near Eastern context, gleaning was a provision for the poor, widows, and foreigners, as outlined in <a href="/leviticus/19-9.htm">Leviticus 19:9-10</a> and <a href="/deuteronomy/24-19.htm">Deuteronomy 24:19-22</a>. Ruth's actions demonstrate her obedience to God's law and her integration into the community of Israel. Boaz's field represents a place of safety and provision, foreshadowing the protection and provision found in Christ.<p><b>to glean grain</b><br>Gleaning was a practice that allowed the less fortunate to gather leftover crops after the harvesters had passed through. This reflects God's care for the marginalized and His command for His people to show compassion. Ruth's gleaning is symbolic of God's grace, as she finds favor in Boaz's eyes, much like believers find grace through faith in Christ.<p><b>until the barley and wheat harvests were finished</b><br>The barley harvest typically began in April, followed by the wheat harvest in May and June. This timeframe indicates Ruth's diligence and perseverance over several months. The completion of these harvests signifies a period of provision and sustenance, paralleling the spiritual nourishment and fulfillment found in a relationship with God.<p><b>And she lived with her mother-in-law</b><br>Ruth's continued residence with Naomi underscores her loyalty and commitment to her family. This relationship is a testament to the covenantal love and faithfulness that mirrors God's relationship with His people. Naomi's presence in Ruth's life also serves as a guiding influence, much like the role of the Holy Spirit in guiding believers.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/r/ruth.htm">Ruth</a></b><br>A Moabite widow who has shown great loyalty to her mother-in-law, Naomi, by staying with her and adopting her people and God. Ruth is a central figure in this account, demonstrating faithfulness and hard work.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/n/naomi.htm">Naomi</a></b><br>Ruth's mother-in-law, who has returned to Bethlehem from Moab after the death of her husband and sons. Naomi represents the Israelite community and the covenant relationship with God.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/b/boaz.htm">Boaz</a></b><br>A wealthy and influential relative of Naomi's late husband, Elimelech. Boaz is a man of integrity and kindness, who provides for Ruth and Naomi.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/b/bethlehem.htm">Bethlehem</a></b><br>The town in Judah where Naomi and Ruth return to and where the events of the book take place. It is significant as the future birthplace of King David and Jesus Christ.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/b/barley_and_wheat_harvests.htm">Barley and Wheat Harvests</a></b><br>The agricultural seasons during which Ruth gleans in the fields of Boaz. These harvests symbolize God's provision and the timing of His plans.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/f/faithfulness_in_the_ordinary.htm">Faithfulness in the Ordinary</a></b><br>Ruth's consistent work in the fields teaches us the value of faithfulness in everyday tasks. God often works through our daily routines to bring about His purposes.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/g/god's_provision.htm">God's Provision</a></b><br>The provision of food through the harvests reminds us of God's faithfulness to provide for our needs. Trusting in His timing and methods is crucial.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/c/community_and_support.htm">Community and Support</a></b><br>Ruth's relationship with Naomi and Boaz highlights the importance of community and mutual support. We are called to care for one another, especially those in need.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/d/divine_timing.htm">Divine Timing</a></b><br>The timing of the harvests and Ruth's meeting with Boaz illustrate God's perfect timing. We are encouraged to be patient and trust in His plans.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_ruth_2.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Ruth 2</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/are_boaz's_actions_typical_in_the_ot.htm">Ruth 2:19-20 - Are Boaz's generous actions consistent with other Old Testament depictions of social norms, or do they present an uncharacteristically benevolent culture?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/ruth_2_14__idealized_meal_or_factual.htm">Ruth 2:14 - Does the abundant meal provided to Ruth suggest an idealized scenario rather than a factual account of limited agricultural resources?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/could_a_foreign_widow_freely_glean_fields.htm">Ruth 2:2-3 - Is it historically plausible that a foreign widow could freely glean in a stranger's field with no social or legal barriers?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/does_boaz's_wealth_fit_ancient_israel.htm">Ruth 2:1 - Does the description of Boaz as a 'man of great wealth' align with what we know of the economic conditions in ancient Israel?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/ruth/2.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(23) <span class= "bld">And dwelt.</span>--Unspoiled by mixing with her new society, she stops on quietly at the end of her task, and tends her mother-in-law at home with the same fidelity with which she had worked for her abroad.<p><span class= "bld">III.<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/ruth/2.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 23.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">And she kept close by Boaz's young women to glean.</span> Wright translates thus: "And she kept gleaning along with the maidens of Boaz." But the maidens of Boaz are not represented as gleaning. The historical statement of the verse is to be explained from the hortatory statement of ver. 8: "Keep close to my young women." <span class="cmt_word">Till the end of the barley-harvest and the wheat-harvest.</span> Ruth's gleaning labors extended to the close of the wheat-harvest, during which time, no doubt, there would be frequent opportunities for a growing intimacy between the beautiful gleaner and the worthy proprietor. Often too, we may rest assured, would Boaz be a visitor in the humble home of Naomi. "The harvest upon the mountains," says Dr. Robinson, "<span class="accented">ripens</span> of course later than in the plains of the Jordan and the sea-coast. The barley-harvest precedes the wheat-harvest by a week or fortnight. On the 4th and 5th of June the people of Hebron were just beginning to gather their wheat; on the 11th and 12th the threshing-floors on the Mount of Olives were in full operation. We had already seen the harvest in the same stage of progress on the plains of Gaza on the 19th of May; while at <span class="accented">Jericho</span>, on the 12th of May, the threshing-floors had nearly completed their work" ('Biblical Researches,' vol. 2. p. 99). "The Syrian harvest," says Dr. W. M. Thomson, "<span class="accented">ex</span>tends through several months. On the plain of Philistia it commences in April and ends in June; and this not only gives ample time, but it has this great advantage, that the villagers from the mountains can assist the farmers on the plain, since their own crops are not yet ripe. I was struck with this fact while at Mesmia. Several Christians from Bethlehem, who had thus come to reap, spent the evening at my tent, and one of them explained to me the advantages from thus laboring on the plain. He not only, received wages for his own and his wife s labor, but his children were permitted to follow after them and glean on their own account, as Boaz allowed Ruth to do in their native village" ('The Land and the Book, ' p. 544). When it is said, in the last clause of the verse, and <span class="cmt_word">she dwelt with her mother-in-law</span>, the reference is not to be restricted to the time that succeeded the period of harvesting. The Vulgate indeed connects the clause with the following verse, and renders it, "After she returned to her mother-in-law," pointing the verb thus <span class="hebrew">וַתָּשָׁב</span> instead of <span class="hebrew">וַתֵּשֶׁב</span>. The same translation is given to the verb by Luther and Coverdale. But there is no evidence whatever that Ruth slept anywhere else than under her mother-in-law's roof. The clause was written, apparently, for the very purpose of bringing out clearly before the mind of the reader her stainless innocence, and sweet simplicity, and never-tiring devotion to her noble mother-in-law. <p> <p> <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/ruth/2-23.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">So Ruth stayed close</span><br /><span class="heb">וַתִּדְבַּ֞ק</span> <span class="translit">(wat·tiḏ·baq)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1692.htm">Strong's 1692: </a> </span><span class="str2">To impinge, cling, adhere, to catch by pursuit</span><br /><br /><span class="word">to the servant girls</span><br /><span class="heb">בְּנַעֲר֥וֹת</span> <span class="translit">(bə·na·‘ă·rō·wṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5291.htm">Strong's 5291: </a> </span><span class="str2">A girl, maiden</span><br /><br /><span class="word">of Boaz</span><br /><span class="heb">בֹּ֙עַז֙</span> <span class="translit">(bō·‘az)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - proper - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1162.htm">Strong's 1162: </a> </span><span class="str2">Boaz -- 'quickness', an ancestor of David, also a pillar before the temple</span><br /><br /><span class="word">to glean</span><br /><span class="heb">לְלַקֵּ֔ט</span> <span class="translit">(lə·laq·qêṭ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3950.htm">Strong's 3950: </a> </span><span class="str2">To pick up, to gather, to glean</span><br /><br /><span class="word">grain until</span><br /><span class="heb">עַד־</span> <span class="translit">(‘aḏ-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5704.htm">Strong's 5704: </a> </span><span class="str2">As far as, even to, up to, until, while</span><br /><br /><span class="word">the barley</span><br /><span class="heb">הַשְּׂעֹרִ֖ים</span> <span class="translit">(haś·śə·‘ō·rîm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Article | Noun - feminine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_8184.htm">Strong's 8184: </a> </span><span class="str2">Barley</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and wheat</span><br /><span class="heb">הַֽחִטִּ֑ים</span> <span class="translit">(ha·ḥiṭ·ṭîm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Article | Noun - feminine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2406.htm">Strong's 2406: </a> </span><span class="str2">Wheat</span><br /><br /><span class="word">harvests</span><br /><span class="heb">קְצִֽיר־</span> <span class="translit">(qə·ṣîr-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7105.htm">Strong's 7105: </a> </span><span class="str2">Severed, harvest, the crop, the time, the reaper, a limb</span><br /><br /><span class="word">were finished.</span><br /><span class="heb">כְּל֥וֹת</span> <span class="translit">(kə·lō·wṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3615.htm">Strong's 3615: </a> </span><span class="str2">To be complete, at an end, finished, accomplished, or spent</span><br /><br /><span class="word">And she lived</span><br /><span class="heb">וַתֵּ֖שֶׁב</span> <span class="translit">(wat·tê·šeḇ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3427.htm">Strong's 3427: </a> </span><span class="str2">To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry</span><br /><br /><span class="word">with</span><br /><span class="heb">אֶת־</span> <span class="translit">(’eṯ-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_854.htm">Strong's 854: </a> </span><span class="str2">Nearness, near, with, by, at, among</span><br /><br /><span class="word">her mother-in-law.</span><br /><span class="heb">חֲמוֹתָֽהּ׃</span> <span class="translit">(ḥă·mō·w·ṯāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2545.htm">Strong's 2545: </a> </span><span class="str2">Husband's mother</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/ruth/2-23.htm">Ruth 2:23 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/ruth/2-23.htm">Ruth 2:23 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/ruth/2-23.htm">Ruth 2:23 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/ruth/2-23.htm">Ruth 2:23 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/ruth/2-23.htm">Ruth 2:23 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/ruth/2-23.htm">Ruth 2:23 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/ruth/2-23.htm">Ruth 2:23 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/ruth/2-23.htm">Ruth 2:23 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/ruth/2-23.htm">Ruth 2:23 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/ruth/2-23.htm">Ruth 2:23 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/ruth/2-23.htm">OT History: Ruth 2:23 So she kept fast by the maidens (Ru Rut.)</a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/ruth/2-22.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Ruth 2:22"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Ruth 2:22" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/ruth/3-1.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Ruth 3:1"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Ruth 3:1" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>