SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 2024 – Page 11

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 2:5

2:5a

And Boaz asked the foreman of his harvesters: This refers to the man who was in charge of Boaz’s harvest workers. He was Boaz’s servant, but Boaz had made him the leader of the other harvesters.

Here are some other ways to translate this verse part:

Then Boaz asked his servant in charge of the workers (New Century Version)
-or-
Boaz asked the man in charge (Good News Translation)

2:5b

Whose young woman is this?: Boaz was asking to whom Ruth was related or associated. He was wondering whose wife or daughter she was, or perhaps whose servant she was.

Here are some other ways to translate this question:

To what family does that young woman belong?
-or-
To whom is that young woman related?”

young woman: We know from Ruth 1:4 that Ruth had married Mahlon about ten years before this time. So she may have been approximately twenty-five years old. Use a word for young woman that shows respect and is fitting for a woman of this age.

this: You should use a word for this which is natural in this context for a man to use in pointing out someone a short distance away.

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 2:4

Paragraph 2:4–7

2:4a

Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Just then functions to draw attention to someone or something significant in the narrative. Here it probably highlights the seeming coincidence of Boaz’s arrival. In verse 3, we learned that Ruth, by chance, went to glean at a field owned by Boaz. Now Boaz happened to arrive in person at the same time that Ruth was there. If you have a word that functions as an attention-getter, consider using it here.

Here are some ways to draw attention to this event or to the person Boaz:

Now behold (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
Boaz, as it happened,… (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
and there was Boaz himself (Revised English Bible)

Apparently Boaz was coming from his home in the village to the field to check on his workers. He probably arrived a few hours after Ruth’s arrival at the field. We know from what the foreman says in verse 7 that Ruth had already worked “from morning until now.” And Boaz’s arrival was before the noon meal mentioned in verse 14.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

Some time later Boaz himself arrived from Bethlehem (Good News Translation)
-or-
While she was there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Soon Boaz came from Bethlehem (New Century Version)

and said to the harvesters:

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

he said to the harvest workers (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
and greeted his workers (New Century Version)

2:4b

The LORD be with you: This is a greeting that is in the form of a blessing or short prayer. Boaz greeted his workers by expressing his desire that the LORD would be present with them.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

May the LORD be with all of you! (God’s Word)
-or-
Yahweh be with you! (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
I pray that the Lord will help you (Easy English Bible)

2:4c

The LORD bless you: The workers responded by asking the LORD to bless or “do good actions” to benefit Boaz.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

May the LORD bless you! (God’s Word)
-or-
Yahweh bless you! (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
We pray that Yahweh will reward you
-or-
We ask that Yahweh give you success

they replied: The Hebrew verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as replied is the general verb meaning “to say.” The Berean Standard Bible has chosen the English verb replied because they responded to Boaz’s greeting with a greeting for him.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

they called back (New International Version (1984))
-or-
they answered (New International Version)
-or-
they greeted him in return

Notice that the Berean Standard Bible has placed the phrase they replied at the end of the verse. In Hebrew, these words occur at the beginning. You should place them wherever it would be natural in your language.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 2:3

Paragraph 2:3

2:3a

So: After receiving permission from Naomi, Ruth went and began to glean. The Berean Standard Bible (and other English versions) connects 2:3 to 2:2 with the conjunction So to indicate that what Ruth did was as a result of what Naomi said in 2:2c (“Go”). Connect these verses in a way that is natural in your language.

Ruth departed and went out into the field and gleaned: Ruth left her home in the village and went out to the fields. She chose a field in which to work and started to gather the leftover grain there.

gleaned: See the translation advice at 2:2 under “and glean heads of grain.”

after the harvesters: This means that Ruth walked along picking up grain after and behind the workers who were harvesting the grain.

harvesters: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as harvesters refers to workers who cut or reap grain or grass using some type of cutting tool. The harvesters in Ruth’s time would have used a curved knife called a sickle. Here the term may be used to include all the workers who had a part in the harvest, both the cutters and those who followed behind to gather the cut grain.

2:3b

And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz: The Hebrew words that the Berean Standard Bible translate as she happened to are more literally “her chance chanced upon.” Of the many fields in which she could have chosen to glean, Ruth happened to go to one that belonged to Boaz, a relative of her deceased father-in-law, Elimelech. From a human point of view, this was an accidental or unplanned event. It appears that Ruth did not know who owned the field in which she worked. At the same time, the reader of the book of Ruth can understand that God was behind the choice of field.

You should translate this in a way that indicates that Ruth’s choice of this particular field was not intentional on her part. It was coincidental. Here are some other ways to translate these words:

and, as luck would have it, it was the piece of land belonging to Boaz (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
-or-
Chance led her to a plot of land belonging to Boaz (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
It just so happened that the field belonged to Boaz (New Century Version)

2:3c

who was from the clan of Elimelech: Boaz was from the same clan or extended family as Elimelech, Ruth’s father-in-law. This is repeated here for emphasis.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 2:2

2:2a

And: This verse continues the story from 1:22b after the background information in 2:1. In some languages, it may be helpful to use a phrase. For example:

One day, (Good News Translation)
-or-
Then,

Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi: Here, the Moabitess means “the woman from Moab.” (See Ruth 1:4, 22.) The identification that Ruth is a Moabite occurs seven times in the book to draw attention to her being a foreigner.

2:2b

Please let me go into the fields: Ruth was asking Naomi for permission to go to the fields to glean. Use the form that younger women use to ask older women for permission to do something.

the fields: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as fields is singular. It probably refers to the entire area where crops were planted near Bethlehem. Different people owned different parts of the area, with the boundaries probably marked by rows or piles of stones. You should use a term that refers to this general area where people plant their crops.

and glean heads of grain: In Hebrew, the expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as glean heads of grain includes the technical verb “to glean.” (See “Gleaning and Harvesting” under “Important Cultural Items To Understand” in the Introduction for an explanation.) This refers to gathering grain that had fallen to the ground or that the reapers had not cut (intentionally or accidently). If your language does not have a specific word for “glean,” you may need to use a brief description. If you do use a descriptive phrase like this, you may want to use a shortened form of it for some of the later occurrences of “glean.”

Here are some other ways to translate this:

gather the grain that the harvest workers leave (Good News Translation)
-or-
pick the grain left behind by the reapers (God’s Word)
-or-
pick up the remaining stalks of grain
-or-
gather grain after the harvesters

It may be helpful for you to insert a footnote here that explains that Old Testament law gave poor people the right to pick up grain that was left uncut or dropped. Here is a suggested footnote:

Old Testament law gave instructions to not harvest all the grain in a field at harvest time. Poor people, strangers, widows, and orphans had the right to harvest this grain that was left so they would have food. See Leviticus 19:9–10 and Deuteronomy 24:19–22.

heads of grain: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as heads of grain refers to stalks of grain including the grain itself (also referred to in English as the “ear” of the grain; New Revised Standard Version, for example, “the ears of grain”). If you have a specific term in your language for “stalks of grain” or “heads/ears of grain,” consider using it here. We know from Ruth 1:22 (and 2:22) that they were harvesting barley. If you don’t have a general word for grain, but have a word for barley (or similar grain like wheat), you could use it here.

after someone: The Hebrew preposition that the Berean Standard Bible translates as after refers to coming along behind the owner or his workers had completed cutting grain in an area to harvest it. This preposition can refer to either place or time. In this case, both are true. The gleaner worked in the field physically “behind” the other workers. In relation to time, he or she gleaned “after” the workers had finished harvesting grain and removed the bundles from that part of the field. But if your language does not have a preposition which can refer to both time or place in this way, choose one which refers to time, “after” the harvest workers.

in whose sight I may find favor: The Hebrew idiom often translated “to find favor in [someone’s] eyes” means to receive approval, favor, or goodwill from a person. Since the LORD had commanded his people to allow poor people to glean, it was not necessary to ask permission. However, Ruth wanted to glean in a field where the owner would treat her kindly. Because she was a foreigner, she realized that some owners might not be pleased to have her glean in their fields and might not allow it, in spite of the law.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

who shows me favor/goodwill
-or-
who treats me kindly/well
-or-
anyone who is kind enough to let me do it (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
who will permit me to do that

2:2c

“Go ahead, my daughter,” Naomi replied: The Hebrew command that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Go ahead simply means “Go.” Naomi was giving Ruth permission to do as she asked. Make sure your translation includes this idea of giving permission.

my daughter: In some languages, it may be necessary to say “dear daughter-in-law.” Use the expression mothers-in-law use in your language to express affection to their daughters-in-law. See how you translated 1:11a.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 2:1

Section 2:1–23

Ruth gathered grain in a field belonging to Boaz

This third section in the book of Ruth tells how Ruth met Boaz. Since Naomi and Ruth were poor at this time, Ruth asked Naomi for permission to glean in the grain fields in order to find them some food.

Ruth chose a field in which to glean. Although she did not know it, the man who owned that field, Boaz, was a relative of Elimelech. Boaz had heard about Ruth already, but he had not met her. He was sympathetic and kind to her that day, and told her to continue to work in his field during the rest of the harvest time.

That evening, Ruth returned home and told Naomi that the owner of the field where she had gleaned was called Boaz and that he had treated her well. Naomi was very pleased. She encouraged Ruth to continue to work there just as Boaz had invited her to do.

Here are some other examples of section headings:

Ruth Meets Boaz (English Standard Version)
-or-
Ruth Works in the Field of Boaz (NET Bible)

Paragraph 2:1–2

2:1a

Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side: This verse begins a new part of the story (2:1–23). It introduces an important character, Boaz, before he begins to speak or act in 2:4. This verse gives background information about Boaz. (See the Appendix, “Introduction to the Discourse Structure,” for more discussion about this.)

Introduce this verse in a way that is natural in your language to either begin a new part of the story or to indicate background information, or both. The Berean Standard Bible and many other English versions do this with the word Now. Used in this way, Now indicates a break in the sequence of actions from chapter 1. It is not a time word .

Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side: The phrase on her husband’s side means that Boaz and Naomi were related because of her marriage with Elimelech. The text does not exactly explain the relationship between Boaz and Elimelech, but it was a close one (see 2:20). Boaz may have been a cousin to Elimelech. He was not a “brother” in the sense of having the same father and mother. Probably Boaz was about the same age as Elimelech would have been if he were still alive. Use the correct kinship term in your language for such a relationship.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

who belonged to the family of her husband Elimelech (Good News Translation)
-or-
There was a cousin to the former/deceased husband of Naomi

2:1b

a prominent man of noble character from the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a prominent man of noble character has a several possible meanings. It is literally “a mighty man of strength/wealth/ability/character.” Most often in the Hebrew Scriptures, the phrase describes a mighty warrior. But in the context of Ruth, it describes Boaz as an important and influential man in Bethlehem due to his wealth and good character.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

a rich and important man (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
a respected man of outstanding character
-or-
a wealthy, prominent man (NET Bible)

from the clan of Elimelech: Boaz was from the same extended family as Elimelech. The clan of Elimelech does not identify Elimelech as the head of the clan. Rather, Boaz and Elimelech shared a common ancestor. The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as clan refers here to a unit smaller than a tribe (as in “tribe of Judah”) but larger than a immediate family of parents and children.

Here is another way to translate this:

from the same extended family as Elimelech

General Comment on 2:1a-b

There is some repetition of information about Boaz. For example, saying that Boaz was a relative of Elimelech is similar to saying that he was from the same clan as Elimelech. In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder some of this information. For example:

Now there was a man named Boaz who was from the same clan as Naomi’s husband. He/Boaz was wealthy and respected.

See 2:1a-b (combined/reordered) in the Display for another example.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 2024

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 2:5

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 2:4

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 2:3

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 2:2

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 2:1

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