threshing floor

The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin that is translated as “threshing floor” in English is translated in Kim with twal or “termite mound” which are used to build threshing floors. (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

See also thresh.

complete verse (Ruth 3:6 - 3:9)

Following are a number of back-translations of Ruth 3:6-9:

  • Noongar: “So Ruth went to the threshing floor and she did everything her mother-in-law said. After Boaz ate and drank, and he was feeling happy, he lay down beside the pile of wheat. Ruth crept to him, uncovered his feet, and lay down. In the dark of the night, Boaz was startled. He rolled over and saw a woman lying near his feet. He asked, ‘Who are you?’ The woman replied, ‘I am Ruth, your worker. Cover your worker with your cloak, be- cause you are my right-way man.’” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
  • Eastern Bru: “Then Ruth went to the place where they were threshing grain, and she obeyed all the words her mother-in-law told her. When Boaz had eaten and drunk to his fill, his heart was very happy. Then he went to sleep in the place where the bundles of grain were. Then Ruth came to that place. She quietly lifted the blanket from Boaz’s feet. Then she slept also. In the middle of the night Boaz was startled and he sat up and looked. Then he saw a woman sleeping near his feet. Boaz asked Ruth: ‘Who are you?’ And the woman answered: ‘I am Ruth, your servant. You are of the clan of my husband, so you can take the place of my husband who is dead. If you want to take away my misfortune, I ask you to put your blanket over me as a sign that you agree with me.’” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “So she went-down to the place-of-threshing in-order to do all what her mother-in-law said to her. When Boaz had-finished eating and drinking, he felt good. He lay-down beside the pile of barley/grains in-order-to sleep. Ruth approached him quietly/slowly and lifted the blanket at his feet and layed-down there. 8In the middle of the night, Boaz woke-up, and when he stretched-(himself)-out he was surprised that there-was a woman lying at his feet. Boaz asked, ‘Who are you(sg)?’ She replied, ‘I am Ruth. I am your(sg) close relative that you(sg) should take-care-of. Now, cover me with your(sg) clothes to show that you(sg) will-marry and take-care-of me.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So she went down to the ground where they had threshed the barley grain. There she did everything that her mother-in-law had told her to do. When Boaz finished eating supper and drinking wine, he felt happy. Then he went over to the far end of the pile of grain. He lay down and went to sleep. Then Ruth approached him quietly. She took the blanket off his feet and lay down there. In the middle of the night, he suddenly awoke. He sat up and saw that a woman was lying at his feet. He asked her, ‘Who are you?’ She replied, ‘I am your servant, Ruth. Since you are the one who has a responsibility to take care of someone like me whose dead husband was your close relative, spread the corner of your cloak over my feet to show that you will marry me.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Ruth 3:6

What Good News Translation has rendered as went is in Hebrew more specifically “went down.” See the comments on verse 3.

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 3:6

Paragraph 3:6–9

3:6a–b

General Comment on 3:6a-b

This is a summary of Ruth’s actions from here to verse 9, but it omits some of the details. In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder these two clauses. For example:

6b So Ruth did everything her mother-in-law told her to do 6a and went down to the threshing floor.

3:6a

So: The Hebrew conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as So begins the summary of what Ruth did after she agreed to follow Naomi’s instructions.

Here are some other ways to begin this summary:

Then she went to the threshing floor
-or-

She said that and then

In some languages, it may be natural to not use a connection here.

she went down to the threshing floor: See how you translated 3:3b.

3:6b

and did everything her mother-in-law had instructed her to do: This clause means that Ruth followed Naomi’s instructions. The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as instructed means “commanded.”

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

and did everything her mother-in-law had instructed her to do (NET Bible)
-or-
and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her (English Standard Version)
-or-
and did just as her mother-in-law had instructed her (New Revised Standard Version)

her mother-in-law: The Hebrew and most versions refer to Naomi here by the phrase her mother-in-law rather than by her name. This form of reference here follows the pattern of Hebrew stories. It also showed Ruth’s respect for Naomi.

In some languages, it may be clearer or more natural to use Naomi’s name. For example:

And she did everything that Naomi had asked her to do. (Easy English Bible)
-or-
…her mother-in-law Naomi…

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