Ruth 4:10
Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.
Boaz publicly takes Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be his wife, redeeming the family possession and inheritance to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance so it is not cut off among his brethren and from the gate, before the elders and people as witnesses this day. From their union came Obed, then Jesse, then David, and through David's line Christ, giving Ruth a place in the ancestry of Jesus. The transaction enacts the law of redemption, by which when an Israelite lost his inheritance or fell into bondage and could not redeem himself, the right fell to the nearest of kin by blood who was able to redeem the land and take the widow's hand. Mankind has lost his inheritance and lies in bondage unable to redeem himself, so the right falls to the nearest of kin who is able, and Jesus by taking the very flesh and blood of men became the nearest of kin, the only one in the universe able to rescue the lost. As Boaz bought back Mahlon's lost possession, Jesus as next of kin and elder brother has purchased the possession forfeited by sin and redeems lost men through the sacrifice of His life.
Narrative Meaning and Setting
Ruth 4:10 stands at the close of a short pastoral story set in the time of the judges, recording the marriage of Ruth, a Moabite woman, to Boaz. In it Boaz publicly purchases and takes Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be his wife. He does so in fulfillment of a kinsman's duty to redeem the family possession and inheritance, in order to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance so that it is not cut off from among his brethren and from the gate of his place. The agreement is made before the elders and people at the town gate, who serve as witnesses this day to the transaction of redemption and marriage.
Marriage was publicly declared before witnesses, with formal declarations and pledges and covenants. The declarations at the gate both take Ruth as wife and attest the act of preserving the dead man's name and inheritance through maintaining his family line and inheritance among his people. The near kinsman's role in restoring the family line belongs to the law of Moses, by which the one next of kin should redeem his kinsman's land and receive the hand of her who had been his wife.
Purchased in the verse means bought, and it is one of the common examples showing that wives were bought with money. Boaz bought Ruth to be his wife without making her property as a chattel slave. Being called bought with money does not by itself imply ownership and possession as a chattel slave, for if servants were chattel slaves because they were bought, wives would be chattel slaves because they were bought.
From the union of Ruth and Boaz came Obed, then Jesse, then David, and through David's line Christ. This gives Ruth a place in the ancestry of Jesus.
Redemption Foreshadowing Christ
The verse enacts the law for redeeming people and their inheritances under Moses, where if an Israelite lost his inheritance or fell into bondage and could not redeem himself, the right of redemption passed to the one nearest of kin by blood-relationship who was able to redeem the kinsman's land and take the widow as wife. Boaz fulfills that office by buying back the possession of the dead Mahlon and taking Ruth the Moabitess to be his wife in order to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. That kinship-based redemption, restoring the family line, possession, and name so it is not cut off, was given to show Jesus, the hope of ages.
The near kinsman's work of redeeming the dead man's possession and marrying Ruth to continue his name with his inheritance serves as a type of Christ and points forward to Christ the Redeemer. Mankind has lost his inheritance and is himself in bondage and cannot redeem himself nor his inheritance, so the right falls to the nearest of kin who is able. Jesus Christ is the only one in all the universe who is able, and by taking the very flesh and blood of men He became not only near of kin but the nearest of kin by blood-relationship, even one with mankind, and thus the rightful Redeemer, with no other being able to rescue the lost.
As Boaz bought back the lost possession of Mahlon, Jesus as next of kin and elder brother has purchased the lost possession forfeited by sin and redeems lost men. He had the right to redeem and did so through the sacrifice of His life. Ruth's leaving home and kindred to join God's people was rewarded in this marriage with the lot women longed for, to bear a son in the birth line of the wonderful Coming One, and her place in the line leading to Christ shows that God chose a woman from a despised nation for His great plan.
Boaz as Ruth's redeemer and husband illustrates trusting Christ as Redeemer, relying on him to meet every need rather than remaining anxious or doubtful about redemption and promised grace.