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threshing floor, she came and lay down next to his feet. When Boaz awoke,

Ruth said, “Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close

relative” (Ruth 3:9).

It was the custom of the times in Israel that a near relative marry a widow

so that the name of the family would not die out (Deuteronomy 25:5-10).

Ruth trusted her mother-in-law that this action of proposing marriage

needed to be done. It took courage and trust for Ruth to execute this bold

plan, as she just thought of herself as a lowly servant.

Boaz pronounced another blessing upon Ruth when he heard her wedding

proposal at the threshing floor: “Blessed are you of the LORD, my

daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the

beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich.

And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request,

for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman” (Ruth

3:10-11).

But there was a slight legal hitch in the proposed marriage. There was a

male relative of Naomi’s who was an even closer relative than Boaz. If the

other male relative was willing to perform the duty of a close relative and

marry Ruth, that relative would be the first to have that option. But if he

would not, then Boaz could marry Ruth.

One can only imagine Ruth’s state of mind when she realized that she

might have to marry a total stranger rather than Boaz! Naomi said to Ruth,

“Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the

man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day” (Ruth 3:18).

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