What is the meaning of Ruth 2:2? And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi • Scripture immediately reminds us that Ruth is “the Moabitess” (Ruth 1:4, 22), underscoring the wonder of God’s welcome to outsiders. • In literal history, Moabites were often viewed with suspicion (Deuteronomy 23:3–6), yet God uses Ruth to foreshadow His inclusion of the nations (Isaiah 56:6–7; Acts 10:34–35). • Ruth addresses Naomi with humility, honoring the fifth commandment’s spirit of reverence toward elders (Exodus 20:12; Leviticus 19:32). Please let me go into the fields and glean heads of grain • Ruth seeks permission, revealing deference and respect for Naomi’s authority in their household (Ephesians 6:1). • Gleaning was a God-ordained provision for the poor, the foreigner, the widow, and the orphan (Leviticus 19:9–10; Deuteronomy 24:19–22). • By acting rather than waiting, Ruth models industrious faith (Proverbs 31:17; James 2:17). after someone in whose sight I may find favor • Ruth trusts God to guide her to a landowner who will show grace, echoing Joseph’s experience of finding favor in Egypt (Genesis 39:4). • Her request shows both realism about potential rejection and faith in covenant kindness (Psalm 84:11; Proverbs 3:3–4). • She seeks favor but does not presume upon it, reflecting the balance of bold initiative and humble dependence (1 Peter 5:5–6). Go ahead, my daughter, Naomi replied • Naomi’s warm “my daughter” signals restored tenderness after the bitterness of chapter 1 (Ruth 1:20–21). • By granting permission without hesitation, Naomi affirms Ruth’s plan and implicitly trusts God’s protective law for gleaners (Psalm 146:9). • Their unity embodies the principle that two walking together share strength (Ecclesiastes 4:9–10). summary Ruth 2:2 paints a vivid, literal scene of covenant faithfulness in action. Ruth, the foreign widow, respectfully asks permission to engage God’s appointed means of provision. She moves forward in hard-working faith, seeking favor while resting in divine law. Naomi blesses her venture, and together they demonstrate how ordinary obedience opens the door for extraordinary grace—setting the stage for Boaz’s redemption and, ultimately, for Messiah’s lineage (Matthew 1:5). |
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