Ruth 2:2, commentary and pictures

Ruth the Moabitess asks Naomi for leave to go to the field and gather leftover grain behind one who will show her favor, and Naomi answers her with blessing to go. Her gleaning is gathering scattered ears left by the reapers, the lawful provision in Israel for the poor to live by their own labor when they had nothing. She goes at the barley harvest to provide for herself and Naomi, and is led to the field of Boaz, the wealthy kinsman who favors her, takes her as wife, and redeems the lost family possession. Through her comes Obed, who begat Jesse the father of David, bringing this Moabite woman into the ancestry of Christ, with the near kinsman standing as a type of Christ. Her willing choice of lowly work gathering handfuls left behind is the pattern for gospel labor, humble, patient gathering of scattered souls for the eternal garner where the world is the field and every person reached is precious.

Story and Setting

Ruth the Moabitess asked Naomi to let her go to the field to glean ears of corn after him in whose sight she should find grace, hoping to find favor with the owner of the field she entered, and Naomi answered her, Go, my daughter. She went at the barley harvest in the middle of April to help provide food for herself and Naomi, because they were penniless and had to work at once for a living. This took place in Bethlehem, where Boaz lived, in whose fields she gleaned behind the reapers.

Gleaning meant gathering wheat and barley, scattered ears and scattered grain left behind by the reapers in a harvested field. It was a legal provision for the poor in Israel, with landholders bearing this claim instead of money taxes for support of the poor. The humble task might go unnoticed or be scorned while others claimed the sheaves.

The verse belongs to the beautiful, brief, wonderfully interesting pastoral tale from the time of the judges, a little story that portrays simple home life among Israel. The book containing it was written by Samuel, or in the early days of David, perhaps by Nathan the prophet. Her going shows her engaged in useful labor, working in the harvest field. It reveals discreet, modest demeanor and filial affection in supporting Naomi by daily toil, and she was regarded as a young woman of virtue and uncommon worth and won the respect of all among whom she lived.

Ancestry and Redemption

Her going out to glean behind the reapers brought her to the kindly harvest field of Boaz, a wealthy man and near kinsman of Elimelech. Boaz was generous and of noble character. There he marked her spirit, favored her gleaning, and supplied her temporal needs by having her eat and drink with his workers.

Her devotion to family duty was rewarded when Boaz took her as his wife and redeemed the lost family possession. She became the mother of Obed, who begat Jesse. Jesse was the father of David the sweet singer of Israel, from whose line came Christ.

The chapter belongs to the account of God's care for the promised Seed. It is a beautiful, brief, wonderfully interesting pastoral tale from the time of the judges that brings Ruth the Moabite woman into the ancestry of the Lord Jesus. It presents the near kinsman as a type of Christ. The book containing it was written by Samuel, or in the early days of David, perhaps by Nathan the prophet.

Pattern for Gospel Work

Ruth's willing choice of the lowly work of going into another's field to gather leftover handfuls of grain is the pattern for those willing to do small work for God for the eternal garner. The Lord has a harvest field where the grain gathered is for eternity, and her example counts it a privilege to gather only a little rather than wanting only great public deeds. That small, willing service stands over against ambitions such as preaching at Pentecost or on Mars Hill or driving in a load of golden sheaves.

Her gleaning is humble, honest, useful work that serves others and contributes to the good of the world. It is joining in humble labor and gathering what is available, trusting to find favor. It pictures patient, earnest labor in gathering scattered grain left in a harvested field, a humble task that may go unnoticed or be scorned while others claim the sheaves and whose results seem small beside others' achievements.

That gleaning applies to seeking people overlooked by the church and doing small acts of service for them, for like handfuls of grain gathered for the harvest each person reached is valuable. Ruth willingly goes to gather leftover grain with Naomi's permission, showing humble, useful work turned toward those others pass by. Even when the richest sheaves are not gathered, there is still grain to collect among the briars, and some of the heaviest wheat may be hidden there, so useful work can be found even when someone cannot take on the greatest task.

Her asking leave to glean in a field in hope of finding favor, and receiving permission to go, provides a picture of gathering people for God. The world is the harvest field, angels are the reapers, and believers are given a share in gathering people who tremble at God's word. That gathering is done through the grace of His love and the Holy Spirit's power.

Gleaning what remained after the reapers means workers must not spend effort only on scattered individuals while leaving broad, ready fields untouched, nor neglect those who are scattered. Both fields and byways are to be thoroughly gleaned.

The field of Boaz shows that cutting down the grain is not enough without binding the sheaves. Cutting is the first work, and binding is the next necessary work of gathering loose followers of Christ together in Sabbath-schools, prayer-meetings, missionary associations, and churches. Binding means organization for active service, dividing the army of God into working companies like regiments and battalions instead of leaving believers idle in the reserve.

Her seeking permission to glean what remained after the harvesters as she trusted to find favor pictures humble, weary workers who wait and toil without taking the largest share. Their joy will be complete when their labor is rewarded and they present their offering to the Master. Ruth's going to glean pictures the joy of living in the world where God lives too. To glean on the fields of the Master is to have the blessed power of giving where men have so much to do, to strive where men are striving and help them up the steep, to plant trees that thrive on, to work with strong heart and hands, to know life's deepest meaning and sing life's sweetest song, to do one's best nobly with faithful hearts to love, and at last to rest with heaven above.