Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor: and this was a testimony in Israel.
a man plucked off.
Deuteronomy 25:7-10 And if the man like not to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband's brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother…
concerning the redemption or exchange of property
The concept of redemption is central to the book of Ruth. In Israelite law, redemption involved the recovery of property or persons through a kinsman-redeemer, as outlined in Leviticus 25:25-28. This practice ensured that land remained within the family, preserving tribal inheritance. The exchange of property also reflects the economic and social structures of ancient Israel, where land was a primary source of wealth and security.
to make any matter legally binding
Legal transactions in ancient Israel required formal procedures to ensure their validity. This phrase highlights the importance of public and recognized acts to confirm agreements. The legal system was based on community acknowledgment and oral tradition, as written contracts were not common.
a man would remove his sandal and give it to the other party
This custom of removing a sandal is unique to ancient Near Eastern cultures and is mentioned in Deuteronomy 25:9-10 in the context of levirate marriage. The act symbolized the transfer of rights and responsibilities. The sandal represented one's ability to walk on and claim the land, thus transferring ownership or rights to another.
and this was a confirmation in Israel
The confirmation of a transaction through the sandal exchange was a public declaration, witnessed by the community. This practice ensured transparency and accountability, preventing disputes over property rights. It reflects the communal nature of Israelite society, where legal matters were settled in the presence of elders and witnesses, as seen in Ruth 4:1-2.
God’s Word places Ruth in real history, so the narrator pauses to help later readers understand an ancient custom. Scripture often does this when practices have faded (see 1 Samuel 9:9, where the text explains what a “seer” used to be called). The clarification reassures us that what follows truly happened and that the covenant community had recognizable legal processes, confirming passages like Deuteronomy 31:9-13 that emphasize recording and preserving God-given law for all generations.
The context is Boaz’s negotiation at the gate for Naomi’s land and Ruth’s hand. “Redemption” echoes Leviticus 25:25-34, where a kinsman buys back family land so it stays within the clan. “Exchange of property” reminds us of Jeremiah 32:6-15, another legal land transfer. Both scenes spotlight God’s concern that families retain their inheritance, pointing forward to Christ who redeems a people and secures their eternal inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14).
Israel took legal certainty seriously. At the city gate, elders witnessed transactions (Proverbs 31:23; Deuteronomy 19:15). The phrase assures us the coming act is not symbolic only; it seals a contract recognized by the whole community, underscoring that God’s law brings both order and protection (Psalm 19:7-9).
The sandal symbolized walking the land. By taking it off, the near-kinsman renounced his right to tread on (possess) that property. Deuteronomy 25:8-10 features a similar act in levirate marriage; there, the refusal carries shame, but here it simply formalizes the transfer. The tangible gesture matches Israel’s preference for visible signs—think of the rainbow with Noah (Genesis 9:12-13) or the stones from the Jordan (Joshua 4:6-7).
The hand-to-hand exchange made the renunciation personal and public. Everyone present could see ownership shift, just as later the pierced hands of Jesus would publicly confirm our redemption (John 20:27-28). The giving of the sandal is a small picture of substitution: one relinquishes so another may receive, echoing 2 Corinthians 8:9.
The narrator concludes that the act met every legal requirement. Boaz can now marry Ruth, leading to King David and ultimately to Jesus (Ruth 4:18-22; Matthew 1:5-6). God’s faithfulness works through ordinary laws and customs to accomplish extraordinary redemption, affirming Romans 8:28 in narrative form.
Ruth 4:7 explains an ancient legal custom so later readers grasp why a sandal mattered in Boaz’s time. Removing and handing over the sandal publicly transferred property rights, making the transaction irrevocable. The practice reflected Israel’s covenant concern for family inheritance, foreshadowed Christ’s redemptive work, and showcased God’s providence in everyday life.
(7) In former time.--Arguments have been built on this word in favour of our assigning a late date to the book, but the inference seems hardly warranted. The same Hebrew word occurs in Deuteronomy 2:10, Judges 1:10, &c.Plucked off his shoe.--The idea of this act apparently is that the man resigns the right of walking on the land as master, in favour of him to whom he gives the shoe. A similar but not identical custom is prescribed in Deuteronomy 25:9.
A testimony.--The testimony, the manner in which the solemn witness is born.
Verse 7. - And this was formerly a custom in Israel, on occasion of surrendering rights of kinship, or of selling and buying land, in order to confirm any matter; a man drew off his shoe and gave it to the other contracting party. This was attestation in Israel. We give a free translation. The custom was significant enough. He who sold land, or surrendered his right to act as a kinsman in buying land, intimated by the symbolical act of taking off his shoe, and handing it to his friend, that he freely gave up his right to walk upon the soil, in favor of the person who had acquired the possession. Corresponding symbolical acts, in connection with the transfer of lands, have been common, and probably still are, in many countries. No doubt the shoe, after being received, would be immediately returned.