4:2a
Then: In Hebrew, this verse begins with the same Hebrew conjunction as in 4:1d. Here the Berean Standard Bible translates it as Then. In some languages, it may be helpful to use a conjunction that indicates the next action. For example:
Next
Boaz took ten of the elders of the city: The elders were the leading men of the town who discussed important things and made the decisions that governed the town. They were usually older men whom the people of the town recognized as its leaders. In this situation, the elders were called together to witness a legal process. See 4:9a–b.
took: In this verse, the Hebrew verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as took means that Boaz “selected” the elders. He may have asked some men to stop as he saw them about to pass through the gate, or he may have sent someone to ask certain men that he knew to come to a meeting.
In Hebrew, it says “ten of the elders,” so apparently there were more than ten elders in the town.
Here are some other ways to translate this verse part:
Then Boaz chose ten men who were leaders of that city (God’s Word)
-or-
Boaz gathered ten of the older leaders of the city (New Century Version)
4:2b
and said, “Sit here,” and they did so: Translate this in a way that shows that Boaz politely asked the elders to sit down. For example:
and asked them to sit down there too (Good News Translation)
-or-
Please sit down here
and: The Hebrew conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and introduces what happened as a result of what Boaz had said. You could translate it as “so.”
they did so: This refers to the request Boaz made that the elders sit down with him. Here are some other ways to translate these words:
So they also sat down. (God’s Word)
-or-
When they were seated (Good News Translation)
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