A section heading such as that proposed by Good News Bible is culturally very inappropriate. Unless she is someone of loose morals, a woman does not go out to “find a husband” (or “man,” the word is the same in both Chichewa/Chitonga). Rather, it is his task to find her. It would be contrary to custom for a woman to arrange a marriage for her daughter. That is the job of the clan representative, as pointed out above, a male in any case, and the initiative in the proceedings must be taken by the suitor. However, where a remarriage is concerned, especially in the case of a son who has died, a woman’s involvement would not be uncommon, since the person to “succeed” to the place of the deceased would have to come from her family line. In such a situation she would not actually go out herself to “find” a husband (RSV, Good News Bible), but she would be in charge of the formal arrangements aimed at establishing the widow once again “in a family” (Chichewa). Furthermore, a woman would never suggest that her daughter-in-law herself take steps to “engage” a man, as Naomi now advised Ruth to do. Under such circumstances among the Chewa and certain other Central African peoples, a wife would be justified in taking her mother-in-law to (the traditional) court for meddling in her marital affairs.
The Hebrew that is transliterated as “Naomi” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign for “changed identity” referring to the many life changes that Naomi goes through in the book of Ruth. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
Following are a number of back-translations of Ruth 3:1-5:
Noongar: “Later, Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, said to her, ‘My daughter, I must find a home for you so someone can look after you. Now, this man, Boaz, is our relative. You have been working beside his young women. Boaz will thresh his wheat at his threshing floor tonight. Go, wash and perfume yourself and put on your best clothes. Go to the threshing floor, but don’t let him see you until he stops eating and drinking. When he sleeps, watch where he is lying, then go and uncover his feet and lie there. He will tell you what you must do.’ Ruth said to her, ‘Everything you say, I will do.’” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
Eastern Bru: “After that, Naomi told Ruth: ‘Child! It is good for me to seek a husband for you, so that you can have a family and be well/at peace like others. Now you know Boaz because you have been following the women who work for him. Boaz is really of our clan and very close. And this evening he is coming to guard the place where they thresh his grain. So you bathe and put on perfume and wear new clothing. Then you go to the place where they are threshing Boaz’s grain. But don’t let Boaz see you until he has finished eating and drinking. When he goes to sleep, you watch where that is. When he is sleeping soundly, then you go and lift the blanket from his legs/feet. Then you sleep near his feet. And whatever he tells you, you do that.’ Then Ruth answered her mother-in-law: ‘All that you have instructed me, surely I will follow all your words.’” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “One day, Noemi said to Ruth, ‘Child, I want you(sg) to marry now for your(sg) good. There-is [is-it-not-so] Boaz our(incl) relative, whose female servants you(sg) have-been- working -with. You(sg) know (what), tonight he will-be-winnowing/[lit. causing/allowing-wind-to-blow-through] the barley. Therefore take a bath, put-on-perfume, and wear your(sg) best clothes. Then go to the place-of-threshing, but do- not -show-(yourself) to him until he has-finished eating and drinking. When he is-going-to-sleep, you(sg) watch/observe where he will-lie-down. And when he is asleep, go-to him and lift-up the blanket at his feet and you sleep there. Then he will-tell you(sg) what you(sg) will-do.’ Ruth replied, ‘I will-do all what you(sg) have-said.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “One day, Naomi said to Ruth, ‘My daughter, I think that I should try to arrange for you to have a husband who will take care of/provide for you. Boaz, the man with whose servant girls you have been gathering grain, is a close relative of our dead husbands. Listen carefully. Tonight he will be at the ground where the barley has been threshed. He will be separating the barley grain from the chaff. Bathe yourself and put on some perfume. Put on your best clothes. Then go down to the ground where they have threshed the grain. But do not let Boaz know that you are there while he is eating supper and drinking. When he has finished eating, notice where he lies down to sleep. Then when he is asleep, take the blanket off his feet and lie close to his feet. When he wakes up, he will tell you what to do.’ Ruth replied, ‘I will do everything that you have told me to do.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)
This first verse forms a transition with the last verse of chapter 2, since it takes up the matter of Ruth’s need for having security and a home of her own rather than living with her mother-in-law. But this verse is not merely transitional; it establishes the theme of the rest of the book, namely a husband and a home for Ruth.
Some time later: the adverbial conjunction in Hebrew should not be understood as “immediately” or “right then,” but as a reference to the next significant element in the sequence of events. For the use of wayyiqtol see Joüon, par. 118c, and already S. D. Luzzatto, Grammatica ebraica, 1853, par. 1271. The lapse of time could not have been more than a few weeks at most, for the threshing of the barley had not been completed, even though both the barley and the wheat had been harvested. The harvest included cutting the stalks in the field, gathering and tying them into sheaves, and transporting the sheaves to the threshing floor.
After a paragraph break and section heading, it is important to introduce the participants in the dialogue; therefore the introductory statement should read: Naomi said to Ruth.
The sentence I must find a husband for you, so that you will have a home of your own is in Hebrew literally “Should I not seek a home for you, that it may be well with you?” (On the use of the question in Hebrew, see the comments on “Let me give you some advice” and “I have ordered my men…” in 2.7.) In the verbal form of the Hebrew text an aspect of obligation is implicit, and for this reason one should translate “I must find” or “I must arrange.” Compare Joüon, par. 113.
A literal translation of the clause I must find a husband for you can easily be misunderstood, since it might imply that Naomi would actually go out and search for a husband for Ruth. Such a translation becomes especially misleading if for find one employs the same word as may be used in the receptor language in speaking of a young man going out to find (or to court) a wife. In many languages, therefore, find a husband for you must be expressed as a causative; for example, “I must cause you to have a husband.” In other languages one can employ a more or less technical term; for example, “I must arrange a marriage for you.”
Both here and in 1.9 the Hebrew terms for home indicate a condition of rest and security attained through marriage. Compare Brown-Driver-Briggs, s.v. manoach and manuchah. See also Hertzberg, op. cit., ad loc.: “Wie 1.9 meint es konkret die Ehe.” In general it is necessary to make explicit the basis for this rest and security, though in some modern English translations the basis is left implicit; for example, “I want to see you happily settled” (New English Bible; cf. also Moffatt). The Good News Translation text, however, makes the basis for this happiness and security quite explicit, I must find a husband for you. There are other ways in which this can be expressed; for example, “I want to see you married,” “I want to be sure you have a husband,” or “I want you to be married so that you will be happy and secure.” (Cf. Smith-Goodspeed and Jerusalem Bible. For ʾasher as introduction of a consecutive clause, see Brockelmann, Hebräische Syntax, par. 161. Dhorme and NAB take ʾasher as introduction of a relative clause, “a home … that will please you,” an interpretation which is not generally followed.)
In some languages there is no such term as home. Rather, one must specify a relation between husband and wife; for example, “I must cause you to get married so that you will have someone to live with” or “I must arrange for some man to marry you so that you will live happily.” It is usually not enough to employ a term which simply designates a house, such as “so that you may have a house.” As noted in 1.9, a widow would live in a house, but this would not imply having a home.
Quoted with permission from de Waard, Jan and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Ruth. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1978, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
Life for widows in ancient Israel was difficult, especially for those who had no grown sons, because women depended on men to protect and provide for them. This fourth section tells how Naomi wanted to find a new husband for Ruth so that she could have a better living situation. So, she instructed Ruth to go and meet Boaz secretly at night. Ruth followed Naomi’s plan and asked him to take her into his care as his wife. She told him that this was his duty as a relative of her dead husband.
Boaz was happy to do this, but there was a problem. There was another relative who was more closely related to Naomi and Ruth than he was. If that man did not want to marry Ruth, Boaz promised that he would marry her. When Ruth returned home and told Naomi what had happened, Naomi assured her that Boaz would work hard to take care of the situation that very day.
Here are some other examples of a heading for this section:
Naomi’s Plan for Ruth’s Marriage (God’s Word) -or-
Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor (New International Version) -or-
Ruth asked Boaz to marry her
Paragraph 3:1–5
3:1a
One day: In Hebrew, this chapter begins with a conjunction that introduces a new major event in the story. Some versions do not use a conjunction or time phrase here.
Here are some other ways to introduce this event:
Then (English Standard Version) -or-
Some time later (Good News Translation) -or-
After a while
Consider the natural way in your language to introduce a new major event in the story. If you use a word or phrase that refers to a period of time, be sure that it can refer to an indefinite amount of time, perhaps a few weeks. By this time, the barley harvest was finished.
Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “Naomi her mother-in-law.”
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
her mother-in-law Naomi (New American Standard Bible) -or-
Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law (Revised English Bible) -or-
Naomi (Good News Translation)
Ruth is such an important character in this story that the author did not think it was necessary to mention her here by name. Instead, the Hebrew text only refers to her by the pronoun “her.” But Naomi is mentioned both by her name and by her relationship to Ruth, because Naomi is about to do something important in the story. These different ways of referring to the main characters in the story follow the pattern of Hebrew stories.
In some languages, it will not be necessary or natural to refer to Naomi here by both her name and her relationship to Ruth as mother-in-law. If this is true in your language, consider following the Contemporary English Version and some others by simply referring to her as Naomi.
said to her: This clause introduces a direct quotation of Naomi to Ruth.
In some languages, it may be natural to mention Ruth by name. For example:
said to Ruth (Good News Translation)
In other languages, it may already be obvious whom Naomi is talking to, so it would not be necessary to use any form of reference. For example:
Naomi then said (New Jerusalem Bible)
3:1b
My daughter: Ruth was not Naomi’s daughter, but the word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as My daughter is a natural way for mothers-in-law to address daughters-in-law in Hebrew culture. It expresses Naomi’s affection for Ruth. You should translate these words the same way as in 2:2c.
Here are some other ways to translate these words:
Daughter (New Jerusalem Bible) -or-
⌊ My⌋daughter-in-law -or-
⌊ My dear⌋daughter -or-
⌊ My⌋child
In some languages, it may be more natural for Naomi to not use any form of address to Ruth. The Contemporary English Version and Good News Translation do not include an explicit translation of these words.
Translate this form of address in a way that is natural and appropriate in your language.
should I not seek a resting place for you, that it may be well with you?: This is a rhetorical question. It emphasized the responsibility she felt to find a better living situation for Ruth.
Here are two ways to translate this rhetorical question:
• Use a rhetorical question. For example:
should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for? (New International Version (1984)) -or-
Is it not my duty to see you happily settled? (New Jerusalem Bible)
• Use a statement. For example:
I must find a suitable home for you (New Century Version) -or-
it’s time that I found a permanent home for you (New Living Translation (2004)) -or-
I must find a husband for you, so that you will have a home of your own. (Good News Translation) -or-
I think I should try to arrange for you to have a husband who will…provide for you. (Translation for Translators)
seek: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as seek means “search out.”
a resting place for you: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as resting place is literally “rest” or “place of rest.” But here it is a figure of speech that means “a secure future.” See how you translated the related word “rest” in 1:9.
Naomi wanted Ruth to have a quiet, settled, permanent situation in which to live the rest of her life. Such a situation could only come about through marriage. Naomi’s use of the phrase resting place here is an indirect reference to marriage.
Naomi seemed to deliberately avoid being explicit, so you should keep the reference to marriage indirect if possible. Translate this phrase in a natural and meaningful way in your language.
that it may be well with you: The Hebrew clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as that it may be well with you is literally “which will be good for you.” In this context, it refers to being in a good, secure situation, with a husband who will provide the food, clothes, and home she needed.
Most versions translate this part of 3:1b as a purpose clause. For example:
so that it may be well with you (New Revised Standard Version) -or-
so that you will be taken care of (CSB)
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
that will be good for you (New Century Version) -or-
so you will be secure (NET Bible)
It may be more natural in some languages to combine the two phrases “a resting place for you” and that it may be well with you into one phrase. For example:
a good home for you -or-
a better life for you ⌊in the future⌋
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