SECTION XXXVI
Text:
r±#A4t‘k7ƒ‘,#t «h!,h«Đb7e h‹1ƒ o¨Üœ8v
«o#Ż*t oh‹1s2g oˇ7g7v‘k7fşu oh®Đb2eş“8k z*g`«c
»r#nt`œ•u y
:h!n^g¶b s„•œ!n i¨×k0j*nť i¨„h0k1f0k
r‚#A4t‘k7ƒ ,ˆ2tşu L3kÜ#nh1k%t3k
«,2Œ8v‘o2A oh‹1e7v0k vˇ7ą!t0k h±1k h!,h‡Đb7e
i¨®k0j*n ,#A«2t »v¶œ1c4t`Œ8v ,ť±r‘,#t o±•dşu h
:o¨œ8v o„#Ż*t oh‚1s2g ¨×n¨e}n r*g±*ą!nť uh„7j#t
o‚!g2n ,ˆ2Œ8v‘o2A ,‡2r7ƒĐh‘tµşu
¨Ü,7k4j±•b‘k*g
Targum:
|
TANAKH |
Translation |
SEPTUAGINT |
Translation |
|
»r#nt`œ•u |
and he said |
|
|
|
z*g`«c |
Boaz |
|
|
|
oh®Đb2eş“8k |
to the elders |
|
|
|
‘k7fşu |
and all |
|
|
|
oˇ7g7v |
the people |
|
|
|
oh‹1s2g |
witnesses |
|
|
|
o#Ż*t |
you |
|
|
|
o¨Üœ8v |
the day |
|
|
|
h‹1ƒ |
for |
|
|
|
h!,h«Đb7e |
I bought |
|
|
|
‘,#t |
|
|
|
|
‘k7ƒ |
all |
|
|
|
r±#A4t |
that |
|
|
|
L3kÜ#nh1k%t3k |
to Elimelech |
|
|
|
,ˆ2tşu |
and |
|
|
|
‘k7ƒ |
all |
|
|
|
r‚#A4t |
that |
|
|
|
i¨„h0k1f0k |
to Kilion |
|
|
|
i¨×k0j*nť |
and Machlon |
|
|
|
s„•œ!n |
from hand |
|
|
|
:h!n^g¶b |
Naomi |
|
|
|
o±•dşu |
and also |
|
|
|
‘,#t |
|
|
|
|
,ť±r |
Ruth |
|
|
|
v¶œ1c4t`Œ8v |
the Moabitess |
|
|
|
,#A«2t |
widow of |
|
|
|
i¨®k0j*n |
Machlon |
|
|
|
h!,h‡Đb7e |
I acquired |
|
|
|
h±1k |
for me |
|
|
|
vˇ7ą!t0k |
to wife |
|
|
|
oh‹1e7v0k |
to maintain |
|
|
|
‘o2A |
name |
|
|
|
«,2Œ8v |
the dead |
|
|
|
‘k*g |
with |
|
|
|
¨Ü,7k4j±•b |
his property |
|
|
|
‘tµşu |
and not |
|
|
|
,‡2r7ƒĐh |
he will disappear |
|
|
|
‘o2A |
name |
|
|
|
,ˆ2Œ8v |
the dead |
|
|
|
o‚!g2n |
from people |
|
|
|
uh„7j#t |
his brothers |
|
|
|
r*g±*ą!nť |
and from gate of |
|
|
|
¨×n¨e}n |
his town |
|
|
|
oh‚1s2g |
witnesses |
|
|
|
o„#Ż*t |
you |
|
|
|
:o¨œ8v |
the day |
|
|
Peshitta
4:9 And Boaz said to the elders and to all the people, You are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that belonged to Elimeleck, and all that belonged to Malion and Calion, from the hand of Naomi.
4:10 Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Malion, have I taken to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, so that the name of the dead may not be cut off and his remembrance may not be forgotten among his brethren and his family; you are witnesses this day.
Stone’s Translation
4:9 Boaz said to the
elders, and to all the people, “You are witness this day, that I have bought
all that was Elimelech‘s and all that was Chilion’s and Mahion’s from the hand of
Naomi.
4:10 And, what is more,
I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, as my wife, to perpetuate the
name of the deceased on his inheritance, that the name of the deceased not be
cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place. You are
witnesses today.”
KJV
4:9 And Boaz said unto the elders, and [unto] all the people, Ye [are] witnesses this day, that I have bought all that [was] Elimelech's, and all that [was] Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi.
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.
Septuagint
Ruth
4:9 kai; ei\pen Boo" toi'" presbutevroi" kai; panti; tw'/
law'/ mavrture" uJmei'" shvmeron o{ti kevkthmai pavnta ta; tou'
Abimelec kai; pavnta o{sa uJpavrcei tw'/ Celaiwn kai; tw'/ Maalwn ejk
ceiro;" Nwemin
Ruth
4:10 kaiv ge Rouq th;n Mwabi'tin th;n gunai'ka Maalwn kevkthmai ejmautw'/
eij" gunai'ka tou' ajnasth'sai to;
o[noma tou' teqnhkovto" ejpi; th'"
klhronomiva" aujtou' kai; oujk ejxoleqreuqhvsetai to; o[noma tou'
teqnhkovto" ejk tw'n ajdelfw'n aujtou' kai; ejk
th'" fulh'" laou' aujtou' mavrture" uJmei'" shvmeron
Ruth
4:9-10 And Boöz said to the
elders and all the people, “You are
witnesses this day, that I
have acquired all that
was Elimelech’s, and all that
belongs to Chelaion and Maälon, from the hand of Noemin; 10 and
indeed, Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Maälon, I have acquired as my wife, to
restore the name of the deceased through his inheritance, that the name of the
deceased will not be cut off from among his brethren and from the tribe of his
people; you are witnesses this day.”
Peshat Level:
Targum
9- Then Boaz said to the elders and to all the people: "Be my witnesses today that I have bought from Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and to Machlon and Kilion.
10- "Also Ruth, the Moavitess, the widow of Machlon, have I acquired to be my wife, in order to set up the name of the deceased over his possession, that the name of the dead may not be destroyed from among his brothers, and from the gate, the Sanhedrin, of his place. You are my witnesses today."
Rashi
4:10 To raise up the name of the deceased upon his inheritance Since his (the dead man’s) wife goes and comes on the estate and brings (items) in and takes (them) out, (people) say, “This was the wife of Machlon”. And (thereby,) his name is remembered upon it (the estate).
Gemarah Level:
Midrash Level:
Zohar Level:
Other Commentaries:
Me’am Lo’ez
4:9
Then Boaz said to the elders and to all the people: “Witnesses are you this
day that I have purchased all that is Elimelech’s and all that is Kilyon’s and
Machlon’s from the hand of Naomi.”
After the redeemer renounced his right of redemption. Boaz appointed witnesses for the purchase of the field. Before their eyes, he removed his shoe and purchased all the property of Elimelech and his sons by a kinyan sudar (see v. 7) “from the hand of Naomi.” This may also mean that Naomi was present.
Also present was a large crowd, who had gathered to learn the word of God and His laws from the elders in the gate. This had been the practice ever since “the people stood on Moses from the morning to the evening” (Exodus 18:13) “because the people came to me to seek God” (Exodus 18:16). It was an occasion for Boaz to disseminate the halacha of “a Moabite, not a Moabitess,” and thus make it clear that the elders fully concurred to his marrying Ruth.
Moreover, Boaz chose to make the purchase before a large crowd so that anyone who had a claim to the field would come forward. For Naomi might possibly have sold her field to someone else before departing for the Fields of Moab. Although two witnesses are sufficient to confirm a sale, he designated them all as witnesses, for a claimant who previously signs as a witness forfeits his claim. Thus he ensured that his purchase could not be contested later.
In accordance with the law that a deed dated before or after a sale takes place is invalid. Boaz stressed that they were witnesses “this day.”
Thereby he accented that he had not acquired the field previously, but had given the redeemer his rightful chance to redeem. Only “this day,” after the redeemer refused, did Boaz buy the field.
He also urged them to complete the matter quickly, and not postpone it till the next day.
Thus Boaz now acquired all of Elimelech’s property which had been inherited by his sons, as well as the sons’ property, which upon their death had reverted to Elimelech’s estate. However, since Naomi had a lien on Elimelech’s property to pay her marriage settlement (kethubah), and Ruth had a similar lien on the brothers’ property, which she had given Naomi as a gift, Boaz purchased all the property of Elimelech and his sons “from the hand of Naomi.”
According to a different interpretation, Boaz acquired everything of Kilyon’s and Machlon’s that had come to Ruth from the hand of Naomi. That is, when Kilyon and Machlon were about to wed the daughters of Eglon, a king, the widowed Naomi had made them wealthy by giving them property to which her kethubah entitled her. Ruth had returned this property to Naomi, from whom Boaz now bought it.
Still another interpretation is that Boaz acquired “all that is Elimelech’s,” that is, not only that part of the field being sold by Naomi, on which she had a lien for her marriage settlement and which she was now selling, but also the rest of his field, and other fields of Elimelech that Machlon and Kilyon had inherited. In addition, Boaz bought all that Machlon and Kilyon had acquired on their own, which was to be divided equally among Naomi and Elimelech’s brothers, Salmon and Tov. Tov had now relinquished his share, and Salmon’s portion was bought by his son Boaz, so that when Naomi sold Boaz her portion, Boaz acquired the entire property “from the hand of Naomi”—through her.
“From the hand of Naomi” may also allude to property which she had bought as a dowry to Elimelech. This she now sold to Boaz.
Although Ruth’s husband Machlon, the older and greater of the two brothers, is usually mentioned before Kilyon, here the order is reversed to reflect the order of death, if Kilyon had died first, or the order of inheritance, if Machlon had died first. [In the latter case, Boaz would thus have said in effect, “I have bought not only Kilyon’s property, but also ihat--of Machlon, who died earlier.”]
If it was actually Machlon who had died first, not only had Kilyon inherited his property, but he may have also taken Ruth in levirate marriage (see earlier). The following verse nonetheless refers to her as the “wife of Machlon,” for Kilyon had only married her on account of Machlon.
4:10
“Also Ruth the Moabite, wife of Machlon, have I acquired for myself as a 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 brothers and from the gate of his place.
Witnesses are you this day.”
After the redemption of the field was completed, Ruth was brought, and the marriage ceremony took place in the presence of the Sanhedrin (“ the gate of his place”) and the assembled multitude, whom he appointed witnesses, so that it would be well remembered that the wedding of Ruth “the Moabite” was celebrated with great publicity and with the approval of the Sanhedrin. No later Beth Din would then contest what had been sanctioned by this Beth Din.
For the same reason, Boaz said he had “acquired” Ruth, to convey that the marriage was legal and binding, for the ruling of “a Moabite, not a Moabitess” had been promulgated just before “this day.” She could not otherwise have been consecrated to him in marriage, for consecration (kiddushin, ihaushe) does not apply in regard to a gentile.
The
“Moabite” (lit. “of the father”) is nonetheless accented here once again, to
hint that it was in the merit of Abraham (“father of a multitude of
nations”—Genesis 17:5) that
Boaz called her the “wife of Machlon” to indicate that had Kilyon’s wife, Orpah, come, he would not have wed her.
And he declared thereby that his sole intention was to effect yibum, to perpetuate the name of the deceased.
According to the Zohar, the spirit of the deceased actually continues in the offspring of a levirate marriage, hence it is as if he himself is “raised up upon his inheritance.”
Abraham Ibn Ezra
Malbim
9-10. Boaz then said to the elders. He summoned all of them to be witnesses that I have acquired from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech, and everything that belonged to Kilyon and Machlon. This he acquired by money, contract, and act of possession, as it is written that they returned to acquisition by means of money and contract in situations where levirate marriage was not an issue. And, what is more important, I have also "acquired" for myself Ruth, who is still the wife of Machlon (according to the Zohar, the deceased husband's soul continues to resonate within his former wife's heart until levirate marriage is performed and his soul is provided with a "resting place" in this world) as a wife, with the intent to perpetuate the name of the deceased on his inherited property. For this second " acquisition" he called them again to be his witnesses: for the purchase of the field was one separate act and the "acquisition" and betrothal of the woman was another, each requiring independent testimony.
Alshich