Ruth 3:15

Rth 3:15 Also he said, Bring the vail that [thou hast] upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six [measures] of barley, and laid [it] on her: and she went into the city.

Ver. 15. Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast.] Pallium, peplum: some render it the mantle, others the apron, others the sheet. Our west country women wear mantles when they go abroad: the women of the Isle of Man sheets, as was before observed out of Speed.

He measured six measures of barley.] Six ephahs, saith Bibliander: six gallons, saith Bunting. The Hebrew is, Six barleys; as much as she could well carry. God also sendeth not away his suitors without their bosoms full of blessings, even as many as they can bring faith to bear away. And in that Boaz gave not Ruth this at random, but measured it out, one well observeth, that liberality is not lavish of God’s blessings, but giveth in judgment, and not without consideration: for every virtue either is or should be guided with prudence.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Rth_3:15-17

Six measures of barley.

Exact reckonings of mercies

1. True virtue or grace makes persons universally good. Boaz was a gracious or virtuous man. He is good in his charity as well as in his chastity: he adds one grace to another (2Pe_1:5).

2. Gods blessings bestowed on us should be received by us in an exact reckoning: we should receive them by number, weight and measure; and to behold the quantity of them is an excellent way to get a thankful heart (Psa_116:12).

3. As charity is no churl, so neither must it be blind or extravagant. His liberality is not lavish in laying out Gods blessings, but he giveth in judgment with discretion, not without consideration. Prudence is the general guide and universal mistress in all acts and exercises of virtue (Psa_112:5).

4. As Boaz, so much more our God never sends home true suitors empty. He giveth, and He giveth liberally--He giveth grace, He giveth more grace (Jam_4:6). Every Sabbath, and sermon or sacrament, Christ cries to us, as Boaz to Ruth, Bring hither thy vail, that I may fill it. Faith is the receiving grace. God proportions His performing to our believing: as thou believest so be it unto thee (Mat_8:13). (C. Ness.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3:15 six scoops: There were two scoop sizes. The smaller measure (the omer) was 1/10 of an ephah (about 2 quarts); the larger measure (the seah) was 1/3 of an ephah (about 6 2/3 quarts). The latter quantity is more likely and indicates a very generous gift, twice the amount that Ruth gleaned on her first day (2:17); it was a significant token of good faith.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Or, mantle.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Bring the veil that thou hast upon thee, and hold it--Eastern veils are large sheets--those of ladies being of red silk; but the poorer or common class of women wear them of blue, or blue and white striped linen or cotton. They are wrapped round the head, so as to conceal the whole face except one eye.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 15. Bring the veil] המט פחת hammit pachath; this seems to have been a cloak, plaid, or what the Arabs call hayk, which has been largely explained elsewhere. See Jdg 14:12.

Six measures of barley] We supply the word measures, for the Hebrew mentions no quantity. The Targum renders six seahs, שית סאין shith sein, which, as a seah was about two gallons and a half, must have been a very heavy load for a woman; and so the Targumist thought, for he adds, And she received strength from the Lord to carry it. If the omer be meant, which is about six pints, the load would not be so great, as this would amount to but about four gallons and a half; a very goodly present. The Targum says, that on receiving these six measures "it was said in the spirit of prophecy, that from her should proceed the six righteous persons of the world, viz., David, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and the King Messiah; each of whom should be blessed with six benedictions." It is, however, remarkable, that the Targum makes the Messiah to spring from her through the line of David, and goes down to Daniel and his companions; which Daniel prophesied so clearly, not only of the advent of Messiah the prince, but also of the very time in which he was to come, and the sacrificial death he was to die.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(15) Vail—Rather a mantle, so in Isa_3:22.

She went.—This should be, if we follow the current Hebrew text, he went. The verb is masculine (yabho), and the distinction is shewn in the Targum, which inserts the name Boaz as the nominative. It must be allowed that a fair number of Hebrew MSS., as well as the Peshito and Vulgate, take the verb in the feminine. The LXX. is from the nature of the Greek language unable to mark the distinction. The clause. if we accept the current reading, will mean that Boaz went to the city to find the kinsman whose claim lay before his own, while Ruth, laden with six measures of barley, goes to her mother-in-law.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

15. the mantle] Only again in Isa_3:22; apparently a large wrap worn over the ordinary clothes.

six measures of barley] The measure to be supplied is uncertain: six seahs=two ephahs (i.e. bushels), which the Targ. gives, or six ephahs, would be too heavy to carry; hence it is suggested that six omers are meant = 3/6 of an ephah, Exo_16:36. The gift is intended for Naomi, who would have to consent to the marriage, as standing in the relation of parent to Ruth. Mr S. A. Cook points out a parallel in a Babylonian tablet (KB. iv. P. 187, xi. lines 1–6), where the widowed mother is approached by the intending bridegroom; The Laws of Moses and the Code of H̬ammurabi, p. 75 n.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Also he said,.... Which seems to confirm the first sense, that what he had said before was to Ruth, beside which he also said to her what follows:

bring the vail which thou hast upon thee, and hold it; by which it appears that he rose also thus early, since he ordered her to bring her vail to him, and hold it with both her hands, while he filled it from the heap of corn: this vail was either what she wore on her head, as women used to do, or a coverlet she brought with her to cover herself with, when she lay down; the Septuagint renders it a "girdle", that is, an apron she tied or girt about her; which is as likely as anything: and when she held it, he measured six measures of barley; what these measures were is not expressed; the Targum is six seahs or bushels, as the Vulgate Latin version, but that is too much, and more than a woman could carry; unless we suppose, with the Targum, that she had strength from the Lord to carry it, and was extraordinarily assisted by him in it, which is not very probable; rather six omers, an omer being the tenth part of an ephah, and so was a quantity she might be able to carry:

and laid it upon her; upon her shoulder, or put it on her head, it being, no doubt, as much as she could well bear, and which required some assistance to help her up with it:

and she went into the city; of Bethlehem, with her burden; or rather he went (b); for the word is masculine, and to be understood of Boaz, who accompanied her to the city, lest she should meet with any that should abuse her; and so the Targum expresses it,"Boaz went into the city.''

(b) "et ingressus est", Tigurine version. Drusius, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The vail - Quite a different word from that rendered “vail,” in Gen 38:14. It seems rather to mean a kind of loose cloak, worn over the ordinary dress (see the margin).

Six measures - i. e. six seahs, in all two ephahs, twice as much as she gleaned Rth 3:17, and a heavy load to carry; for which reason he laid it on her, probably placed it on her head. It is well known that women can carry great weights when duly positioned on their heads.

And she went into the city - The Hebrew has “he went,” namely, Boaz, where, accordingly, we find him Rth 4:1.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Mantle. The Syrian and Arabian ladies cover themselves all over with a large white veil, or piece of cloth, which has no hole", so that Ruth might conveniently carry the barley in it. --- Measures is not in [the] Hebrew or Septuagint. Most people supply ephi. St. Jerome, who has translated six bushels, (allowing three to the ephi; chap. ii. 17,) has understood that Booz gave Ruth two ephi. If we explain it of six ephi, the burden would be great enough, consisting of 180 pints or pounds of barley. Bonfrere would supply six gomers, each of which consisted of only the tenth part of the ephi, or three pints, in all 18. But such a present seems too inconsiderable. We may therefore stick to St. Jerome, whose six measures (Calmet--- modios, bushels; Haydock.) make about 60 pints; (Calmet) or, according to others, 160 pounds, which, though heavy, a woman might carry. The Septuagint insinuate, that Ruth carried the barley in her apron. (Menochius) --- And. Hebrew, "he went." But the text is probably corrupted. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The veil, or, the apron, such as women ordinarily wear.

Six measures; known and usual measure: it is not determined how large those measures were, but this the nature of the thing shows, that they were no larger than one woman could carry in her veil, or apron.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

15. Bring the veil — The long loose wrapper in which the eastern women envelope themselves when out of doors. Among the poorer classes its material is strong and coarse enough not to be at all damaged by the use here made of it.

Six measures — How large the measures were we have no means of ascertaining, and conjecture is vain. The Chaldee paraphrase has the following: “He measured six seahs (nearly two bushels!) of barley, and placed it upon her, and she received strength from the Lord to carry it, and immediately it was said in prophecy that there should come of her the six righteous ones of the world, each one of whom should be blessed with six benedictions — David, and Daniel and his companions, and King Messiah.”

She went into the city — Rather, He went, etc., for the form of the verb is masculine, and the meaning is, that he gave her the barley and sent her away, and then he also went into the city.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he said, Allow me the wrapper which is upon thee, and hold on by it; and she held on by it; and he measured six measures of barley; and he put it on her, and went to the city. The expression "Allow me," literally, "Give (me)," was a current phrase of courtesy. The verb employed bhy was common Semitic property, ere yet the mother-tongue was subdivided into Hebrew, Syriac, Chaldee, Arabic. The wrapper which is upon thee. The word for wrapper occurs nowhere else except in Isa_3:22, where it is translated, in King James"s version, "wimple." Here it is rendered "vail," and, in the margin, "sheet or apron, all of them unhappy translations. So is the rendering of the Targumist, ardWs, i.e. sudarium, or "napkin." N.G. Schroder discusses the word at great length in his masterly "Commentarius Philologico-Criticus de Vestitu Mulierum Hebraearum," pp. 247-277. He would render it pallium or palla In consequence of national peculiarities in articles of dress, especially in ancient times, it is best to avoid a specific, and to employ a generic translation. When Boaz said, "Give me the wrapper," he did not ask that it should be handed to him. He had already put his hand upon it, and was engaged in hollowing out a scoop or cavity. Hence he said, on the one hand, "Allow me," and, on the other, "Hold on by it." And he measured six measures of barley. The particular measure referred to is unspecified. It is not only mere dream on the part of the Targumist, but it is dream involving almost sheer impossibility, that the measures were seahs, i.e. two ephahs. The Targumist had to bolster up his dream by adding another, viz., that Ruth got miraculously strength to carry the load. Load, indeed, there undoubtedly was; and no doubt it would be as great as she could conveniently carry. And likewise, in accordance with the primitive simplicity of manners, the magnitude of the burden would be demonstration to Naomi of Boaz"s satisfaction with the measures" which, in full motherliness of spirit, she had planned. And he went to the city. The Vulgate and Syriac versions, as also Castellio, Coverdale, and various other translators, but not Luther, have assumed that we should read aObTw, "and she went," instead of aOBYw, "and he went." So too Wright. But there seems to be no good reason for making the change. If there had been no division into verses, then the departure of both Boaz and Ruth on their respective routes, or in their respective order of sequence, would have been recorded close together: "and "he" went to the city, and "she" went to her mother-in-law each, let us bear in mind, with the heart elate.

He wished that Naomi might have some tangible evidence of his satisfaction.

Vers. 15-17. Generosity.

Boaz was "a mighty man of wealth," and Naomi and Ruth were poor, widowed, friendless, and comparatively strangers. All through the narrative Boaz appears as thoughtful, liberal, unselfish, honorable, munificent. He is an example to those whom Providence has endowed with wealth.

I WEALTH IS GIVEN TO THE RICH not for their own sake only, but FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERS. Men are not the owners, but the stewards, of their possessions. How imperfectly this truth is recognized! The only way in which we can give to Christ is by giving to his people.

II GENEROSITY SHOULD BE PROPORTIONATE TO THE MEANS OF THE GIVER. Both his means absolutely and his means relatively, i.e. considering the claims upon him by virtue of his family, his position, &c. ;

III GENEROSITY SHOULD BE PROPORTIONATE TO THE NEEDS OF THE RECIPIENT. Those should have the preference who are old, crippled, and helpless; the widow and the orphan.

IV GENEROSITY SHOULD BE UNOSTENTATIOUS AND SYMPATHETIC in its spirit., Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth." Hardness of manner may spoil beneficence. "Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind. T.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Veil - Or, the apron.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

He then said, "Bring the cloak that thou hast on, and lay hold of it" (to hold it open), and measured for her six measures of barley into it as a present, that she might not to back empty to her mother-in-law (Rut 3:17). מטפּחת, here and Isa 3:22, is a broad upper garment, pallium, possibly only a large shawl. "As the cloaks worn by the ancients were so full, that one part was thrown upon the shoulder, and another gathered up under the arm, Ruth, by holding a certain part, could receive into her bosom the corn which Boaz gave her" (Schrder, De vestit. mul. p. 264). Six (measures of) barley: the measure is not given. According to the Targum and the Rabbins, it was six seahs = two ephahs. This is certainly incorrect; for Ruth would not have been able to carry that quantity of barley home. When Boaz had given her the barley he measured out, and had sent here away, he also went into the city. This is the correct rendering, as given by the Chaldee, to the words העיר ויּבא; though Jerome referred the words to Ruth, but certainly without any reason, as יבא cannot stand for תּבא. This reading is no doubt found in some of the MSS, but it merely owes its origin to a mistaken interpretation of the words.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

six barleys It is impossible to say six seah, because it is not customary for a woman to carry such a load; it refers literally to six barleycorns, and he hinted to her that a son who would be blessed with six blessings was destined to emerge from her. [The blessings are:] (Isa. 11:2): “a spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and heroism, a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord,” [referring to the King Messiah].

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

"וימד שש שעורים (and he measured six measures of barley):" The text narrates what he gave her. And in the Midrash, it is interpreted that six righteous men will descend from her.

Ibn Ezra on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0); and “Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.