And he said, Blessed be you of the LORD, my daughter: for you have showed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as you followed not young men, whether poor or rich.
Blessed
Ruth 2:4,20 And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee…
1 Corinthians 13:4,5 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, …
at the beginning
Ruth 1:8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.
“May the LORD bless you,
Boaz invokes the name of the LORD, Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. This blessing is significant, as it reflects Boaz's faith and recognition of God's sovereignty. It also highlights the theme of divine providence throughout the book of Ruth, where God's hand is seen guiding the events for His purposes.
my daughter.
The term "my daughter" indicates a relationship of care and respect. It reflects the cultural norms of the time, where older men would address younger women with familial terms to denote protection and honor. This also underscores the age difference between Boaz and Ruth, which is relevant to the context of his statement.
You have shown more kindness now than before,
Ruth's kindness, or "hesed" in Hebrew, is a central theme in the book. It denotes loyalty, love, and faithfulness. Her actions towards Naomi and now towards Boaz are seen as acts of extraordinary kindness, surpassing cultural expectations. This reflects the covenantal love that is a type of Christ's love for His church.
because you have not run after the younger men,
Ruth's choice not to pursue younger men, despite her widowhood and vulnerability, speaks to her character and priorities. It highlights her commitment to Naomi and her willingness to follow God's leading rather than seeking personal gain or security through marriage to a younger, potentially more desirable partner.
whether rich or poor.
This phrase emphasizes Ruth's selflessness and integrity. Her decision is not influenced by wealth or social status, but by a deeper sense of duty and faithfulness. This mirrors the biblical principle that true worth is not measured by material wealth but by one's character and faithfulness to God.
• The scene shifts to Boaz’s response on the threshing floor, confirming that what Ruth has asked (Ruth 3:9) is taken seriously and with honor.
• His immediate words reveal calm leadership, echoing the respectful tone we saw earlier when he greeted his workers, “The LORD be with you” (Ruth 2:4).
• Boaz stands as a picture of the “kinsman-redeemer” anticipated in Deuteronomy 25:5-10 and hinted at in Ruth 2:20. He will act, but first he speaks blessing.
• Boaz invokes the covenant name of God, grounding the entire moment in divine authority rather than mere human affection, much like his earlier prayer over Ruth: “May the LORD repay your work” (Ruth 2:12).
• Calling her “my daughter” highlights protection and purity (cf. 1 Timothy 5:2), underscoring that his motives are fatherly and righteous.
• The blessing echoes the family blessings of Genesis 24:60 and Numbers 6:24-26, reminding us that God Himself is the giver of every good gift.
• “Kindness” points to covenant loyalty—Ruth’s consistent, sacrificial love first toward Naomi (Ruth 1:8) and now toward Boaz and the family line.
• Boaz sees growth: earlier kindness was leaving Moab; this greater kindness is seeking redemption that secures Naomi’s future and preserves Elimelech’s name (Ruth 4:10).
• Her character parallels the “noble woman” celebrated in Proverbs 31:10-12, whose goodness increases over time.
• Ruth’s choice is deliberate. She could have pursued personal romance or financial security, yet she obeys the familial duty laid out in God’s law (cf. Deuteronomy 25:5).
• Boaz, likely older (Ruth 3:10), notes her refusal to chase youthful passion or wealth. This restraint affirms her virtue and faith in God to provide (Proverbs 19:14).
• Her example challenges cultural norms: true love seeks God’s will first, not merely age, looks, or status (1 Samuel 16:7).
Boaz’s blessing frames Ruth’s midnight request within God’s covenant faithfulness. He honors her growing loyalty, purity, and trust—choosing redemption over self-interest. Ruth 3:10 showcases how God uses humble, obedient hearts to advance His redemptive plan, ultimately pointing forward to Christ, our greater Redeemer who blesses all who come to Him in faith.
(10) Blessed be thou of the Lord.--This answer of Boaz's is in itself a sufficient proof of the view he took of her conduct, and of the integrity of his own. We note, too, that this blessing follows immediately on the avowal of her name. His own feelings had already been attuned to due honour and respect for Ruth; he is prepared not only to discharge the duty of next of kin, but to do it in no perfunctory spirit, but with a sincere loyal affection. The Targum on Ruth 3:15 supposes that to Ruth, the distant ancestress of the Saviour, was vouchsafed the knowledge, as in its fulness to the Virgin hereafter, of the birth of the Messiah through her. Origen compares Ruth to the Gentile Church, the engrafted wild olive.Thou hast shewed . . . .--Literally, thou hast done well thy latter kindness above the former.
Verse 10. - And he said, Blessed be thou of Yahveh, my daughter; thou hast made thy latter kindness better than the former, in not going after any young man, whether poor or rich. This verse is full of satisfactory evidence that Naomi was perfectly right in conjecturing that Boas, deep in love, was restrained only by diffidence from formally declaring himself. It shows us too that the chief ground of his diffidence was his age. He had been an acquaintance, and the equal in years, of Ruth's father-in-law, Elimelech, and the impression had got hold on him that the handsome young widow might feel repugnance to his suit. Hence, instead of being in the least degree offended by the steps she had taken, he was relieved, and felt full of gratification on the one hand, and of gratitude on the other. Blessed be thou by Yahveh. Literally, "to Yahveh," i.e. "in relation to Yahveh" (see Ruth 2:20). My daughter. His relative elderliness was in his mind. Thou hast made thy latter kindness better than the former. Michaelis has seized the true meaning of these words: "The kindness which thou art showing to thy husband, now that he is gone, is still greater than what thou didst show to him while he lived." Her employment of the word "kinsman," or goel, was evidence to Boas that she was thinking of the respect which she owed to her husband's memory. Her concern in discharging that duty of 'piety' struck the heart of Boaz; and all the more as, in his opinion, she might easily have found open doors, had she wished for them, in quarters where there was no connection of kinship with her deceased husband. "She did not go after any young man, whether poor or rich." She preferred, above all such, her first husband's elderly "kinsman." In the original the construction is peculiar - "in not going after the young men, whether a poor one or a rich one." He does not simply mean that she was free from vagrant courses and desires. Her character lay, to his eye, on a far higher level His meaning is that she deliberately refrained from "thinking of any young man. The plural "young men" is to be accounted for on the principle that when an alternate is assumed or postulated, there is, in actual contemplation, a plurality of individuals.