What is the meaning of Ruth 2:9? Let your eyes be on the field they are harvesting • Boaz directs Ruth to keep her gaze fixed on the specific field where his workers are reaping. This is practical—she will know exactly where to glean—but it is also protective, keeping her from wandering into unsafe territory (cf. Deuteronomy 24:19; Proverbs 4:25). • Focusing on one field pictures single-minded devotion. Just as believers are urged to “fix our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2) and “set your minds on things above” (Colossians 3:2), Ruth is told to concentrate on the place of provision God has arranged for her. and follow along after these girls • Boaz places Ruth with his own female servants. By joining their orderly progression behind the reapers, Ruth will gather more grain and be integrated into the community (cf. Exodus 22:21; Galatians 3:28). • Submission to Boaz’s instructions models humble obedience—Ruth does not demand a privileged position but willingly walks in the path provided, echoing James 4:10: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.” Indeed, I have ordered the young men not to touch you • Ancient fields could be dangerous for an unattached woman (cf. Judges 19:22-24). Boaz uses his authority to guarantee Ruth’s safety, reflecting God’s heart to protect the vulnerable (Psalm 68:5; Isaiah 1:17). • The phrase underscores moral boundaries: the men may not harass, intimidate, or exploit her. It prefigures the church’s call to treat one another “with absolute purity” (1 Timothy 5:2). And when you are thirsty • Boaz anticipates Ruth’s needs before she voices them, mirroring the Lord who “knows what you need before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8). • In a hot Judean harvest, water is life. Ruth is invited to refresh herself freely, just as Jesus later offers “living water” to the Samaritan woman (John 4:10-14). go and drink from the jars the young men have filled • Inverting social expectations, Boaz lets a foreign gleaner share what hired men have drawn. Grace supersedes rank (cf. Ephesians 2:12-13). • Ruth does not have to fetch her own water; provision is ready. This foreshadows how Christ supplies every spiritual need (Philippians 4:19). • The instruction also promotes community: Ruth will stand beside Boaz’s workers, erasing barriers of ethnicity and status (Ruth 2:10; Acts 10:34-35). summary Ruth 2:9 reveals Boaz’s generous, protective leadership and God’s covenant-faithfulness working through him. Ruth is told where to look, whom to follow, how she will be safeguarded, and where to find refreshment. The verse invites believers to keep their eyes on God’s appointed field, walk in humility among His people, trust His protection from harm, and receive the ready refreshment He provides through His grace. |
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