Ruth 4:13
So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And when he had relations with her, the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.
So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife.

Boaz publicly completed his role as kinsman-redeemer, securing Ruth’s future and preserving the household connected to Elimelech and Mahlon. Their marriage joined an Israelite leader in Bethlehem with a Moabite widow who had entrusted herself to the God of Israel. Although the situation reflects the purpose of levirate marriage in preserving a deceased man’s name and inheritance, Boaz was not Mahlon’s brother and acted under the broader responsibility of the kinsman-redeemer. His faithful love points forward to Christ, who redeems and receives His people as His bride.

Gen 24:67 And Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah…
Mat 1:24-25 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord…
Deu 24:1 If a man marries a woman, but she becomes displeasing…

And when he had relations with her,

Their marriage was consummated according to God’s design for husband and wife to become one flesh. The union also held importance for Naomi’s family, since a child would provide continuity for the inheritance and name of the deceased.

Gen 4:1 And Adam had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived…
Gen 16:4 And he slept with Hagar, and she conceived.…
Gen 38:18 “What pledge should I give you?” he asked.…

the LORD enabled her to conceive,

The child came not merely by natural means but by the gracious providence of God. Ruth had entered Bethlehem as a bereaved and childless widow, yet the Lord who had guided her to Boaz now gave her a son. God’s sovereign care turns Naomi’s emptiness into fullness and advances His covenant purposes through ordinary faithfulness.

Gen 29:31 When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb;…
Gen 30:22 Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her…
1Sa 1:19-20 The next morning they got up early to bow in worship…

and she gave birth to a son.

The son, later named Obed, preserved the family line and became a source of security and joy for Naomi. Obed would become the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David, establishing Ruth within the royal line that ultimately leads to Jesus Christ.

Gen 21:2-3 So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age…
1Sa 1:20 So in the course of time, Hannah conceived and gave birth…
Luk 2:6-7 While they were there, the time came for her Child…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Boaz
A wealthy landowner in Bethlehem, a kinsman-redeemer for Ruth, and a man of noble character who marries Ruth.

2. Ruth
A Moabite widow who shows loyalty to her mother-in-law Naomi and becomes the great-grandmother of King David.

3. The LORD
The covenant God of Israel, who is actively involved in the lives of His people, enabling Ruth to conceive.

4. Bethlehem
The town where the events take place, significant as the birthplace of King David and later Jesus Christ.

5. Conception and Birth
The miraculous provision of a son, Obed, who becomes part of the lineage of David and Jesus.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty in Family
God is actively involved in the formation of families and the continuation of His covenant promises.

Faithfulness and Reward
Ruth's faithfulness to Naomi and God is rewarded with a place in the lineage of the Messiah, demonstrating that God honors loyalty and righteousness.

Redemption and Restoration
Boaz as a kinsman-redeemer is a type of Christ, who redeems and restores us, pointing to the ultimate redemption found in Jesus.

Divine Providence
The events in Ruth's life show God's providential care and orchestration of events for His purposes, encouraging trust in His plans.

Legacy of Faith
Ruth's account encourages believers to consider the impact of their faith and actions on future generations.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the role of Boaz as a kinsman-redeemer reflect the work of Christ in our lives?

2. In what ways does Ruth's account encourage us to trust in God's timing and provision?

3. How can we see God's hand in the ordinary events of our lives, as seen in the account of Ruth and Boaz?

4. What lessons can we learn from Ruth's loyalty and faithfulness in our relationships today?

5. How does the inclusion of Ruth, a Moabite, in the lineage of Jesus challenge us to view God's grace and redemption?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 21
The birth of Isaac to Sarah, another instance where God intervenes to enable conception, highlighting God's sovereignty over life.

Matthew 1
The genealogy of Jesus, where Ruth is mentioned, showing her inclusion in the Messianic line.

1 Samuel 16
The anointing of David, Ruth's great-grandson, as king, fulfilling God's plan through her lineage.

Psalm 127
The acknowledgment that children are a heritage from the LORD, emphasizing God's role in the gift of life.
The Birth of a SonJ.R. Thomson Ruth 4:13
The Birth-HourW.M. Statham Ruth 4:13
People
Amminadab, Boaz, Chilion, David, Elimelech, Ephratah, Ephrath, Hezron, Jesse, Leah, Mahlon, Nahshon, Naomi, Obed, Perez, Pharez, Rachel, Ruth, Salmon, Tamar
Places
Bethlehem, Ephrathah, Moab
Topics
Bare, Beareth, Becometh, Birth, Boaz, Bo'az, Bore, Child, Conceive, Conception, Enabled, Giveth, Ruth, Taketh, Wife
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Ruth 4:13

     5711   marriage, restrictions
     5895   intimacy

Ruth 4:1-13

     5117   Ruth
     6714   ransom

Ruth 4:12-13

     5724   offspring

Ruth 4:13-17

     5652   babies
     5658   boys
     5720   mothers, examples

Ruth 4:13-22

     5086   David, rise of

Library
The Gospel of Matthew
Matthew's Gospel breaks the long silence that followed the ministry of Malachi the last of the Old Testament prophets. This silence extended for four hundred years, and during that time God was hid from Israel's view. Throughout this period there were no angelic manifestations, no prophet spake for Jehovah, and, though the Chosen People were sorely pressed, yet were there no Divine interpositions on their behalf. For four centuries God shut His people up to His written Word. Again and again had God
Arthur W. Pink—Why Four Gospels?

Christ the Redeemer
Q-xxx: HOW DOES THE SPIRIT APPLY TO US THE REDEMPTION PURCHASED BY CHRIST? A: The Spirit applies to us the redemption purchased by Christ by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling. In this answer there are two things. It is implied that Christ is the glorious purchaser of our redemption, in the words, The redemption purchased by Christ,' and it is declared that the Spirit applies to us this purchased redemption, by working in us faith, &c. The thing implied
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Appendix ix. List of Old Testament Passages Messianically Applied in Ancient Rabbinic Writings
THE following list contains the passages in the Old Testament applied to the Messiah or to Messianic times in the most ancient Jewish writings. They amount in all to 456, thus distributed: 75 from the Pentateuch, 243 from the Prophets, and 138 from the Hagiorgrapha, and supported by more than 558 separate quotations from Rabbinic writings. Despite all labour care, it can scarcely be hoped that the list is quite complete, although, it is hoped, no important passage has been omitted. The Rabbinic references
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Job's Faith and Expectation
I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand in the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. C hristianity, that is, the religion of which MESSIAH is the author and object, the foundation, life, and glory, though not altogether as old as creation, is nearly so. It is coeval [contemporary] with the first promise and intimation of mercy given to fallen man. When Adam, by transgression, had violated the order and law of
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

Ruth
Goethe has characterized the book of Ruth as the loveliest little idyll that tradition has transmitted to us. Whatever be its didactic purpose--and some would prefer to think that it had little or none-it is, at any rate, a wonderful prose poem, sweet, artless, and persuasive, touched with the quaintness of an older world and fresh with the scent of the harvest fields. The love--stronger than country--of Ruth for Naomi, the gracious figure of Boaz as he moves about the fields with a word of blessing
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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