Ruth 4:16

Rth 4:16 And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.

Ver. 16. And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom.] Next her heart, to show her great love and tender affection, though she were but mother-in-law to his mother. What, then, may we think of Ruth, own mother to Obed? There is an ocean of love in a parent’s heart.

“φιλτρω μεν συνεδησε θεος γονεας τε τοκους τε.”

Grandfathers and grandmothers oft love their grandchildren better than their own, for love descendeth.

And became his nurse.] A dry nurse no doubt, a foster nurse, a faithful nurse, as the Hebrew word importeth, not a milk nurse, for she was too old to give it suck. That was a miracle, if true, that is reported of the old woman of Bolton in Lancashire, who, when that town was plundered by Prince Rupert in our late unnatural wars, took up a child that lay pitifully crying at the breasts of her slain mother, and having neither food for herself nor for the infant in that common calamity, to still the child, laid it to her breast: and although she were aged above seventy years, and had not given suck above twenty years before, yet the child sucking, milk came into her breasts wherewith she nourished it, to the admiration and astonishment of all beholders. This, saith my reverend author, {a} is attested by three godly ministers, and various others of good credit, who were eyewitnesses of the same.

{a} Mr Clark’s Mirror, edit. 2, p. 16.

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.

Verse 16. Naomi took the child] This might do for Naomi, but it was bad for the child. A child, unless remarkably healthy and robust, will suffer considerably by being nursed by an old woman, especially if the child sleep with her. The aged gain refreshment and energy by sleeping with the young; and from the same means the young derive premature decrepitude. The vigour which is absorbed by the former is lost by the latter. It is a foolish and destructive custom to permit young children, which is a common case, to sleep with aged aunts and old grandmothers. Bacon's grand secret of the cure of old age, couched in so many obscure and enigmatical terms, is simply this: Let young persons sleep constantly with those who are aged and infirm. And it was on this principle that the physicians of David recommended a young healthy girl to sleep with David in his old age. They well knew that the aged infirm body of the king would absorb a considerable portion of healthy energy from the young woman.

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

(16) Nurse.—The verb (aman) here is that used in Isa_49:23, “and kings shall be thy nursing fathers.” That ordinarily used for the natural nursing of a woman is different.

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

16. took the child, and laid it in her bosom] to shew that she adopted the child of Ruth as her own; cf. the phrase ‘born upon the knees’ Gen_30:3; Gen_50:13.

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 Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom,.... As a token of her most tender love and affection for it; this it is probable she did quickly after the birth of it:

and became a nurse unto it; that is, after the mother had suckled and weaned it, then she took it from her, and brought it up.

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

CHAPTER IV.

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).

And Naomi took the boy, and placed him in her bosom, and she became his foster-mother. She became his nurse in chief.

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

Naomi took the child

This refers to Naomi holding the child. Make sure it does not sound like she took him away from Ruth.

laid him in her bosom

"held him close against her chest." This is a statement of love and affection for the child.

A son has been born to Naomi

"The child is like a son to Naomi." It was understood that the child was Naomi's grandson, not her physical son.

father of David

"father of King David." Though "king" is not stated, it was clear to the original audience that David was King David. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

translationWords

name

Jesse

David

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 she nourished." It means to care for and sustain, as in the phrase "And Joseph nourished his father." Some also interpret it as "to provide," as in "And who will provide for the day of his coming."

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.