Ruth 2:3 So Ruth departed and went out into the field and gleaned after the harvesters. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.

◄ Ruth 2:3 ►

New International Version
So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek.

New Living Translation
So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech.

English Standard Version
So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech.

Berean Standard Bible
So Ruth departed and went out into the field and gleaned after the harvesters. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.

King James Bible
And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

New King James Version
Then she left, and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

New American Standard Bible
So she left and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

NASB 1995
So she departed and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

NASB 1977
So she departed and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

Legacy Standard Bible
So she went. And she came and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And it so happened that she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

Amplified Bible
So Ruth went and picked up the leftover grain in a field after the reapers; and she happened to stop at the plot of land belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

Christian Standard Bible
So Ruth left and entered the field to gather grain behind the harvesters. She happened to be in the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from Elimelech’s family.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So Ruth left and entered the field to gather grain behind the harvesters. She happened to be in the portion of land belonging to Boaz, who was from Elimelech’s family.

American Standard Version
And she went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on the portion of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

English Revised Version
And she went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on the portion of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So Ruth went. She entered a field and gathered the grain left behind by the reapers. Now it happened that she ended up in the part of the field that belonged to Boaz, who was from Elimelech's family.

Good News Translation
So Ruth went out to the fields and walked behind the workers, picking up the heads of grain which they left. It so happened that she was in a field that belonged to Boaz.

International Standard Version
So she went out, proceeded to the field, and gleaned behind the harvesters. And it happened that she came to the portion of land belonging to Boaz, of the family of Elimelech.

Majority Standard Bible
So Ruth departed and went out into the field and gleaned after the harvesters. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.

NET Bible
So Ruth went and gathered grain in the fields behind the harvesters. Now she just happened to end up in the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.

New Heart English Bible
She went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

Webster's Bible Translation
And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her lot was to light on a part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

World English Bible
She went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And she goes and comes and gathers in a field after the reapers, and her chance happens—the portion of the field is Boaz’s who [is] of the family of Elimelech.

Young's Literal Translation
And she goeth and cometh and gathereth in a field after the reapers, and her chance happeneth -- the portion of the field is Boaz's who is of the family of Elimelech.

Smith's Literal Translation
And she will go, and come and gather in the field after the reapers; and she will happen from chance upon a part of the field to Boaz, who was from the family of Elimelech.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
She went therefore and gleaned the ears of corn after the reapers. And it happened that the owner of that field was Booz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And so she went and gathered the ears of grain after the completion of the reaping. But it happened that this field was owned by Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

New American Bible
So she went. The field she entered to glean after the harvesters happened to be the section belonging to Boaz, of the clan of Elimelech.

New Revised Standard Version
So she went. She came and gleaned in the field behind the reapers. As it happened, she came to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
So Ruth went to glean ears of wheat after the reapers; and it happened that she came upon a portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimeleck.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Ruth went to collect the gleaning after the reapers, and she came into a section of the field of Baaz, son of the family of Alimalek

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And she went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and her hap was to light on the portion of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And she went; and came and gleaned in the field behind the reapers; and she happened by chance to come on a portion of the land of Booz, of the kindred of Elimelech.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Boaz Meets Ruth
…2And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go into the fields and glean heads of grain after someone in whose sight I may find favor.” “Go ahead, my daughter,” Naomi replied. 3So Ruth departed and went out into the field and gleaned after the harvesters. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech. 4Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and said to the harvesters, “The LORD be with you.” “The LORD bless you,” they replied.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Proverbs 16:9
A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

Genesis 24:27
saying, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not withheld His kindness and faithfulness from my master. As for me, the LORD has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.”

Psalm 37:23
The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD who takes delight in his journey.

1 Samuel 9:16-17
“At this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you are to anoint him ruler over My people Israel; he will save them from the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to Me.” / When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke; he shall rule over My people.”

Matthew 10:29-31
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. / And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. / So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Romans 8:28
And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

Genesis 50:20
As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.

1 Kings 19:19
So Elijah departed and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve teams of oxen, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah passed by him and threw his cloak around him.

2 Kings 8:1-6
Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Arise, you and your household; go and live as a foreigner wherever you can. For the LORD has decreed that a seven-year famine will come to the land.” / So the woman had proceeded to do as the man of God had instructed. And she and her household lived as foreigners for seven years in the land of the Philistines. / At the end of seven years, when the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, she went to the king to appeal for her house and her land. ...

Acts 17:26-27
From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands. / God intended that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.

Ephesians 1:11
In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will,

Genesis 24:12-14
“O LORD, God of my master Abraham,” he prayed, “please grant me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. / Here I am, standing beside the spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. / Now may it happen that the girl to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who responds, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels as well’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. By this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”

1 Samuel 6:7-12
Now, therefore, prepare one new cart with two milk cows that have never been yoked. Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up. / Take the ark of the LORD, set it on the cart, and in a chest beside it put the gold objects you are sending back to Him as a guilt offering. Then send the ark on its way, / but keep watching it. If it goes up the road to its homeland, toward Beth-shemesh, it is the LORD who has brought on us this great disaster. But if it does not, then we will know that it was not His hand that punished us and that it happened by chance.” ...

2 Samuel 24:16
But when the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand now!” At that time the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

Esther 6:1-11
That night sleep escaped the king; so he ordered the Book of Records, the Chronicles, to be brought in and read to him. / And there it was found recorded that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the eunuchs who guarded the king’s entrance, when they had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. / The king inquired, “What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this act?” “Nothing has been done for him,” replied the king’s attendants. ...

Treasury of Scripture

And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

gleaned

1 Thessalonians 4:11,12
And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; …

2 Thessalonians 3:12
Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

hap was [heb] hap happened

2 Kings 8:5
And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.

Esther 6:1,2
On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king…

Matthew 10:29
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

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Allotment Belonging Boaz Bo'az Chanced Cutters Departed Elimelech Elim'elech Harvesters Heads Herself Kindred Light Part Portion Property Reapers Turned

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Allotment Belonging Boaz Bo'az Chanced Cutters Departed Elimelech Elim'elech Harvesters Heads Herself Kindred Light Part Portion Property Reapers Turned

Ruth 2

1. Ruth gleans in the field of Boaz
4. Boaz takes notice of her
8. and shows her great favor
18. That which she got, she carries to Naomi

Berean Study Bible

So Ruth departed
The phrase signifies Ruth's initiative and determination. In Hebrew, the word for "departed" is "yalak," which conveys a sense of purposeful movement. Ruth's decision to leave and seek sustenance reflects her courage and faithfulness to Naomi, her mother-in-law. This action is a testament to her character, showing her willingness to work hard and provide, despite being a foreigner in a strange land.

and went out into the field
The "field" in ancient Israel was a place of labor and sustenance, often owned by wealthy landowners. Fields were central to the agrarian society and were places where God's provision was tangibly experienced. Ruth's entry into the field symbolizes her stepping into God's providence and the unfolding of His plan for her life.

and gleaned after the harvesters
Gleaning was a practice commanded by God in Leviticus 19:9-10, allowing the poor and foreigners to gather leftover crops. The Hebrew word "laqat" means to gather or collect. This practice reflects God's compassion and provision for the marginalized. Ruth's gleaning is an act of humility and reliance on God's law, which provided for her needs.

And she happened to come
The phrase "happened to come" in Hebrew is "miqreh," suggesting chance or coincidence. However, from a theological perspective, this "chance" is seen as divine providence. God's unseen hand guides Ruth to Boaz's field, illustrating how God orchestrates events for His purposes, even when they seem coincidental to us.

to the part of the field belonging to Boaz
Boaz's field is significant because Boaz is a man of standing and integrity. The Hebrew word for "part" is "cheleq," indicating a portion or inheritance. This specific field is where God's plan for redemption and blessing begins to unfold for Ruth and Naomi. Boaz's ownership of the field sets the stage for his role as a kinsman-redeemer.

who was from the clan of Elimelech
The mention of Elimelech's clan ties Boaz to Naomi's deceased husband, establishing the legal and familial context for Boaz's potential role as a redeemer. The Hebrew term "mishpachah" for "clan" emphasizes the importance of family and kinship in Israelite society. This connection is crucial for understanding the cultural and legal backdrop of the story, where family loyalty and redemption are central themes.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(3) Her hap was to light on.--Literally, her hap happened. A chance in outward seeming, yet a clear shaping of her course by unseen hands. Her steps were divinely guided to a certain field, that God's good purposes should be worked out.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 3. - Ruth, having obtained the con. sent of her mother-in-law, went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers. That is, she "went forth," viz., from the city, "and came to the cornfields, and gleaned." "There are some," says Lawson, "whose virtue and industry lie only in their tongues. They say, and do not. But Ruth was no less diligent in business than wise in resolution." The later Jews had a set of fantastic bylaws concerning gleaning, detailed by Maimonides. One of them was, that if only one or two stalks fell from the sickle or hand of the reaper, these should be left lying for the gleaners; but if three stalks fell, then the whole of them belonged to the proprietor (see Carpzov's 'Collegium Rabbinico-Biblicum,' p. 242). Happily for Ruth, her steps were so ordered that the field which she entered as a gleaner belonged to Elimelech's kinsman, Boaz. And it so happened, runs the story, that it was the portion of the fields that belonged to Boas, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

So Ruth departed
וַתֵּ֤לֶךְ (wat·tê·leḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

and went out
וַתָּבוֹא֙ (wat·tā·ḇō·w)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

into the field
בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה (baś·śā·ḏeh)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7704: Field, land

and gleaned
וַתְּלַקֵּ֣ט (wat·tə·laq·qêṭ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3950: To pick up, to gather, to glean

after
אַחֲרֵ֖י (’a·ḥă·rê)
Preposition
Strong's 310: The hind or following part

the harvesters.
הַקֹּצְרִ֑ים (haq·qō·ṣə·rîm)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 7114: To dock off, curtail, to harvest

And she happened
וַיִּ֣קֶר (way·yi·qer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7136: To light upon, to bring about, to impose timbers

to come
מִקְרֶ֔הָ (miq·re·hā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 4745: Something met with, an accident, fortune

to the part
חֶלְקַ֤ת (ḥel·qaṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 2513: Smoothness, flattery, an allotment

of the field
הַשָּׂדֶה֙ (haś·śā·ḏeh)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7704: Field, land

[belonging] to Boaz,
לְבֹ֔עַז (lə·ḇō·‘az)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1162: Boaz -- 'quickness', an ancestor of David, also a pillar before the temple

who [was]
אֲשֶׁ֖ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

from the clan
מִמִּשְׁפַּ֥חַת (mim·miš·pa·ḥaṯ)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 4940: A family, circle of relatives, a class, a species, sort, a tribe, people

of Elimelech.
אֱלִימֶֽלֶךְ׃ (’ĕ·lî·me·leḵ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 458: Elimelech -- 'God is king', the husband of Naomi

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OT History: Ruth 2:3 She went and came and gleaned (Ru Rut.)