Ruth 3:8

Rth 3:8 And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.

Ver. 8. That the man was afraid.] Timor est constrictio cordis ex sensu mali instantis. Fear is a passion of the soul, shrinking in itself from some imminent evil. The Greeks call it δειμα, quasi ligamentum, a bond: quasi gelu astringit, saith Nazianzen, it binds up the heart as a frost doth the earth. Boaz might possibly fear that it was some evil spirit that had assumed a body, and got to bed to him. Alexander from Alexandria {a} telleth of such things that have happened. And another writeth of a gallant, who meeting with a beautiful dame, and having enjoyed his fleshly desires of her, found her in the morning to be the dead body of one that he had formerly sinned with, which had been acted by the devil all night, and left dead again in the morning.

And turned himself.] Or, Took hold on: sc., her clothes, or her headgear; whereby he perceived that it was a woman. But he was a mortified man, and an elder, πρεσβυτης, that is, one in whom the fire of lust was put out.

{a} Lib. ii. cap. 9; lib. iv. cap. 19.

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 3:8-9. At midnight — He did not discover her sooner; the man was afraid — Feeling something unusual at his feet. Behold a woman lay at his feet — He perceived by her clothes, and, when she spake, by her voice, that it was a woman. Spread therefore thy skirt over thy handmaid — A kind of proverbial expression, signifying, Take me to be thy wife, and perform the duty of a husband to me. From this answer of Ruth, and from what Boaz says in the two following verses, it is plain that she had no design of any thing but what was honest and lawful.

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

3:8 He was surprised (literally He was terrified): Boaz knew that a woman lay at his feet, but he did not know who she was or why she was there.

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

Or, turned himself from one side to another.

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

Verse 8. The man was afraid, and turned himself] The verb ילפת yillapheth, which we render he turned himself, has puzzled even the Targumist, who translates the clause thus: "The man trembled, and his flesh became like a (boiled) turnip through fear." It is fully evident Boaz had no intimation of the present proceedings. To this verse the Targumist adds much; he says, "Boaz subdued his concupiscence, and acted towards her as Joseph did to the Egyptian wife of his master, and as Pelatiel, the son of Laish the pious, did to Michal, the daughter of Saul, the wife of David, who put a sword between Michal and himself, because he would not approach to her."

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

(8) Was afraid.—Was startled. See the use of the word in Gen_27:33.

Turned.—Literally, bent himself. (Comp. Jdg_16:29.) He wakes with a start, and in turning sees a woman at his feet.

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

8. and turned himself] A reflexive from of the verb, which means ‘to grasp with a twisting motion’; the verb occurs again only in Jdg_16:29 (‘took hold of’), Job_6:18 (‘are turned aside’ mg.).

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 it came to pass at midnight,.... So long Boaz slept without knowledge of any person being at his feet, and so long Ruth had lain there; but awaking, and perceiving something at his feet, which pressed them, it made him look about and feel, and so affected him:

that the man was afraid; though a man, and a man of spirit, he was afraid, a panic seized him, not knowing but it might be a spectre, a spirit, or a demon, as Jarchi; and such an instance we have in history (s) of an apparition, which seemed to put off clothes, and place itself in a bed where a man lay, &c.

and turned himself; to see who it was:

and, behold, a woman lay at his feet; which he knew by putting his hand upon her head, as Jarchi thinks, and so knew her by her headdress, or vail; or rather by her voice, as Aben Ezra, and who supposes the moon might shine, and he might be able to discern she had no beard, as well as also discover her by her clothes.

(s) Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 2. c. 9.

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

Turned himself - Rather, “bent forward,” so as to feel what it was which was at his feet. The same word is translated “took hold of,” in Jdg 16:29.

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

Troubled. Hebrew may be rendered, "and turned himself, or felt," &c. (Calmet) --- He perceived something at his feet, when he awoke, and was in consternation, particularly when he perceived, through the glimmering light, a woman at his feet. (Haydock).

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).

At midnight; he did not discover her sooner, though she did not uncover his feet, being it seems in a deep sleep, as is usual after feasts, and she doing no more that her mother commanded her, and using no words or gestures which might provoke his lust; wherein she showed her temperance and modesty, and that what she did was only by her mother’s instigation and advice, which plainly appeared from her desire expressed, Rth 3:9, which he knew, she being a stranger, was unacquainted with. And this was the reason why Boaz was not in the least offended with her, but only commends her virtue, without any reflection upon her for this fact.

Turned himself; from the place where he lay, he raised and turned himself towards the feet, to learn who or what was there. Or, he was troubled, or afraid, or wondered; for the Hebrew word being but once used, is diversely rendered.

A woman lay at his feet; which he might understand, either by some glimmerings of light which were after midnight, which discovered her; or rather, by her voice, or out of her own mouth, who being asked, told him so much in general, before he made particular inquiry.

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

8. The man was afraid — Finding the covering of his feet removed, he feared that robbers might have entered his floor; but not knowing what was the matter he turned himself, that is, bent over or forward, to see and feel who or what the intruder was.

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

And it came to pass at midnight that the man started in a fright; and he bent himself over, and lo, a woman was lying at his feet. He had awaked, and, feeling something soft and warm at his feet, he was startled and affrighted. What could it be? In a moment or two he recovered his self-possession, and bending himself up and over, or "crooking himself, to see and to feel, lo, a woman was lying at his feet. The Chaldee Targumist tumbles into a ludicrous bathos of taste when endeavoring to emphasize the startle and shiver which Boas experienced. He says, "He trembled, and his flesh, became soft as a turnip from the agitation. How could the most peddling and paltering of Rabbis succeed in betraying himself into such a laughable puerility and absurdity? The explanation, though of course it is not the least atom of justification, lies in the fact that the Chaldee word for "turnip" is tpl while the verb that de notes "he bent himself" is the niphal of tpl. The use of the expression the man," in this and several of the adjoining verses, is apt to grate a little upon English ears. Let us explain and vindicate the term as we may, the grating is still felt. No matter though we know that the rank is but the guinea stamp," the grating is felt inevitably. It is a result of that peculiar growth in living language that splits generic terms into such as are specific or semi-specific. We have gentleman as well as man, and embarrassment is not infrequently the result of our linguistic wealth. In the verse before us, and in some of those that go before, we should be disposed, in our English idiom, to employ the proper name: And it came to pass at midnight that "Boaz" started in a fright.

When it is said that "the man was afraid, and turned himself," the meaning of the latter clause, as it stands in King James"s version, would require some modification. The idea is not that Boaz turned from one side to another. It is that, having started in a fright, in consequence of the presence, to his indistinct consciousness, of something unusual about his feet, he raised himself up and bent forward to feel what it was.

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

At midnight - He did not discover her sooner.

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

About midnight the man was startled, namely, because on awaking he observed that there was some one lying at his feet; and he "bent himself" forward, or on one side, to feel who was lying there, "and behold a woman was lying at his feet." מרגּלתיו is accus. loci.

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.)

It came about

This phrase is used here to mark an important event in the story. If your language has a way for doing this, you could consider using it here.

at midnight

"in the middle of the night"

was startled

It is not clear what startled Boaz. Perhaps he suddenly felt the cold air on his feet.

He turned over

He looked to see what startled him. (See: Idiom)

a woman was lying at his feet

The woman was Ruth, but Boaz could not recognize her in the darkness.

your female servant

Ruth spoke with humility to Boaz.

Spread your cloak over your female servant

This was a cultural idiom for marriage. AT: "Marry me" (See: Idiom)

near kinsman

a close relative with special responsibilities toward their extended family

translationWords

Ruth

servant

kin

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

and the man quaked He thought it was a demon and attempted to scream, but she held him and enveloped him with her arms.

and was taken around Heb. וַיִלָפֵת, and he was seized, like (Jud. 16: 29): “And Samson seized (וַיִלָפֹת). “

and behold a woman He placed his hand on her head and recognized that she was a woman.

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.

"וילפת (and turned over):" From the Nifal (passive) verb form, like in 'ילפתו ארחות דרכם' (their paths are twisted). The meaning is twisted or turned. Similarly, 'וילפת שמשון' (Samson turned). It does not mean joy. The idea is that he turned from one side to the other.

"והנה אשה (and behold, a woman):" It is possible that she said to him, 'Do not be afraid,' as a woman's voice is always recognizable; or the moonlight was bright, and he saw that she had no beard. He could also recognize her by her clothing.

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.