Ruth chapter 4

vs 1

"My friend" is literally "a certain someone". The suggestion is that their name has been lost to time. This is one of the many ironies of Ruth. The only translation that comes remotely close is KJV. For shame.

I don't know if you had to be an important person to sit at the gates, or whether that's where everyone sat, including important people. But Boaz is there.

vs 2

So now he has witnesses.

vs 3

Such fiddly hebrew for such a simple sentence! Anyway, this whole thing that Boaz says is in very formal language. You might say legal language.

vs 4

While the (T)NIV tries to explain it a bit more, it just leaves this being an even longer verse! What a long verse! The little translation note here is interesting - some people seek to defend that as showing Boaz turning to the audience and speaking - but none of my 4 translations seek that interpretation in their body text.

What's interesting here is that Boaz is offering up first the idea that the land is for sale. This is half true - if Naomi alone had returned, then yes, the land would be for sale and the redeemer guy would have been able to add it to his land holdings - a rare opportunity, to which he readily agrees.

vs 5

But here's the kicker - you get the land, you also get Ruth, and the responsibility to father an heir for the land.

All of a sudden, the deal looks less palatable. But why?

vs 6

The (T)NIV is actually quite weak here. It gets the idea across, sure. But what does "endanger my estate" mean? Also, it completely drops the idea of this redeemer passing on his right to redemption over to Boaz. That's a whole clause that's missing. Perhaps it's not needed for the sake of the flow.

Anyway, why is this so much less attractive? A few ideas have been put forward. Remember, it has to be in the context of his own inheritance future being put in trouble by the appearance of Ruth and the hope for an heir. It could be that he considers his seed of limited potency, and as such he wants to make sure any kids he does have are for his own line, not that of Elimelech. It could be that he was assuming that a son to that line may vie for inheritance of his own family's land. It could be that he had a wife who would hate him for marrying a moabite.

Whatever the reason, he sees this opportunity changing quickly into an obligation, and so he hands over his right to redeem to Boaz. There is a strong sense of irony here - he does not redeem the land (which would now be a more selfless act for the sake of his relative's name and future) because he fears losing his own name. But what happened? We don't even know his name now! His name has been lost, while Boaz and Ruth live on. Ha ha.

vs 7

While this might find its history in the idea of the family of the unsandalled story that we read in Deuteronomy, it doesn't seem to hold the same shame that it does in Deut.

This is one verse where, if I have to pick between the more literal correctness of the KJV, and the more easygoing translation of the (T)NIV, I go with the NIV. It highlights my problem with the KJV. Sure, it's more correct to the Hebrew, but the wording is mangled and hard to understand. The (T)NIV gives you as good an understanding of the situation as you could hope for I think.

vs 8

The transaction done. The shoe's on the other foot now, eh?

How could I let that one go by.

vs 9

Remember the sons? I didn't for a moment, and translating their names was a pain until I remembered they were names.

vs 10

Again, KJV more literally correct, but confusing. TNIV very clear if a little free in its rendering. The NIV has quite a different slant here, talking about town records. I don't know what crackpot that came from.

vs 11

A point here - ALL the translations steer clear of the literal meaning in this verse, and use the term "famous" to gloss over the original idiom. Which I think is good, because the idiom is confusing. But even the KJVers couldn't hack it here.

So not only do the elders and witnesses witness the transaction, but they praise Boaz for his redeeming, and bless him with ideas of fame and social standing. Who said nice guys finish last? He gets the girl, and fame, and all that stuff. It's a movie script, to be sure.