Ruth 3:16

Rth 3:16 And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who [art] thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her.

Ver. 16. And when she came to her mother-in-law.] To whom she now made haste for three reasons, as is well observed: {a} (1.) For the danger of the way, being so early before day; (2.) The burden she bare, to be eased thereof; (3.) Her joy, to impart to her mother her happy success. The same reasons should prevail with us, to flee home to heaven: (1.) The danger we are in while in this dark world; (2.) The burden of sin; (3.) The joy we conceive of our future happiness.

Who art thou, my daughter?] Poor folk fear no robbing. It is bootless, we say, to rob a spittle.

All that the man had done unto her.] That is, Said unto her. Dei (sic et bonorum) dicere est facere. A good man’s promise is a done thing, as we call it.

{a} Bernard.

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 3:16-17. Who art thou, my daughter? — Or rather, Is it thou, my daughter? He said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother-in-law — There is no mention made before of Boaz thus speaking to her, but it is not unusual for the sacred writers, in the relation of a fact or event, to omit many little circumstances which they occasionally mention afterward. It is likely that Boaz intended this corn chiefly for Naomi, as he was that day either about to marry Ruth himself, or to provide her another husband.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Perceiving by her coming home, that he had not taken her to his wife, she was astonied.

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

(16) who art thou?—We can hardly view this as a simple question as to Ruth’s identity, but rather as meaning, how hast thou fared?

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

16. Who art thou] i.e. how art thou? how hast thou fared? Cf. Gen_27:18.

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.

And when she came to her mother in law,.... To Naomi, in Bethlehem:

she said, who art thou, my daughter? it being near dusk, she could not discern her, or perhaps she put the question before she opened the door and saw her; though one would think, if Ruth had called to her, she would have known her voice: rather therefore the particle may be rendered, "what" or "how" (c), instead of "who"; and the sense be, what had befallen her? what success had she had? how had things gone with her? was she married or not? or rather, had she got a promise of it? or was it likely that she should be married? with which the answer agrees:

and she told her all that the man had done to her; what kindness he had shown her, what promises he had made to her, that either he, or a nearer kinsman, would marry her, and redeem her husband's estate.

(c) "quid egisti?" V. L. "quid tibi?" Tigurine version; so R. Jonah in Aben Ezra, & Abendana in loc. "quomodo tu filia mea?" Nold. p. 602. No. 1626.

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

Who art thou, my daughter? - In the dim twilight Rth 3:14 her mother was not sure at first who the young woman was, who sought admittance into the house.

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

What, &c. Hebrew, "Who art thou?" It was yet so dark that she did not know her. (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).

Who art thou, my daughter? either, first, She did not distinctly know who she was, because it was dark, and so calls her daughter only in general, as elder women call the younger. But she could as easily have discerned who she was, as what her age was. Or, secondly, This is not a question of doubting, but of wonder, as if she had said, Art thou in very deed my daughter? I can hardly believe it. How comest thou hither in this manner, and thus early?

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

16. Who art thou, my daughter — That is, In what character dost thou return — as the espoused of Boaz, or only still a desolate widow?

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

And she went to her mother-in-law. And she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she narrated to her all that the man had done to her. The question, "Who art thou, my daughter?" is not put by Naomi, as Drusius supposes, because it was still so dusk that she could not properly distinguish Ruth. The address, "My daughter," shows that she had no difficulty in determining who the visitor was. But there is something arch intended. "Art thou Boaz"s betrothed?" Michaelis translates, "What art thou?" Unwarrantably as regards the letter, but correctly as regards the spirit of the interrogatory.

The question Who art thou? sprang from Naomi"s hope that the entire scheme would issue in success.

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

Who art thou? - This is not a question of doubting, but of wonder, as if she had said, Art thou in very deed my daughter? I can hardly believe it. How camest thou hither in this manner, and thus early?

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

When Ruth returned home, her mother-in-law asked her, "Who art thou?" i.e., as what person, in what circumstances dost thou come? The real meaning is, What hast thou accomplished? Whereupon she related all that the man had done (cf. Rut 3:10-14), and that he had given her six measures of barley for her mother. The Masorites have supplied אלי after אמר, as at Rut 3:5, but without any necessity. The mother-in-law drew from this the hope that Boaz would now certainly carry out the matter to the desired end. "Sit still," i.e., remain quietly at home (see Gen 38:11), "till thou hearest how the affair turn out," namely, whether the nearer redeemer mentioned by Boaz, or Boaz himself, would grant her the Levirate marriage. The expression "fall," in this sense, is founded upon the idea of the falling of the lot to the ground; it is different in Ezr 7:20. "For the man will not rest unless he has carried the affair to an end this day." כּי־אם, except that, as in Lev 22:6, etc. (see Ewald, 356, b).

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.)

How did you do, my daughter?

What Ruth meant by this question can be made more clear. AT: "What happened, my daughter?" or "How did Boaz act toward you?" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

all that the man had done

"all that Boaz had done"

Do not go empty

"Do not go empty-handed" or "Do not go with nothing" or "Be sure to take something"

finished this thing

This refers to the decision about who will buy Naomi's property and marry Ruth.

translationWords

barley

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

"Who are you, my daughter?" It is possible that she didn't see her until she opened the door for her to enter, as is customary. The scripture abbreviates it to say 'I am Ruth, your daughter'. Similar to 'they called him and he ate bread', and it's written 'and Moses agreed'. Rabbi Jonah the grammarian says, 'מי' means 'what', and the meaning is 'what happened to you'. He told me that it is similar to 'What is your name?' (Judges 13:17), because the use of 'מי' in such a context is not found with a human. In my opinion, 'שמך' (your name) is a proper noun, and therefore 'מי' relates to the context.

"What the man did to her. The oath."

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.