Hebrew Customs in the Book of Ruth

There are several customs in the Book of Ruth that might be unfamiliar to us. The first is the practice of a widow marrying her deceased husband’s brother. According to Genesis 38, this custom of a brother taking his brother’s widow was a Canaanite tradition for centuries. God later confirmed this custom in Deuteronomy 25 to ensure the deceased’s name would continue. According to Numbers 27, in cases of no male heir, land was inherited by the nearest relative, which would also apply to land returning in the Year of Jubilee. This provision for a brother to marry his sister-in-law also objectively ensured the widow’s survival.

Additionally, there’s another unfamiliar social custom from that time: women were generally not allowed to propose marriage to men. However, a woman could signal her desire to marry a man. There were several ways to do this, one of which was to warm the man’s feet. We see in the Bible that Ruth went and lay down at Boaz’s feet, covering them with her cloak. This was her way of indicating her willingness to marry him. The custom of the time permitted this subtle hint, even though a direct proposal was not allowed.

Boaz’s marriage to Ruth was based on these two customs. Boaz was touched and surprised by Ruth’s intention; he couldn’t believe she would choose him, as he was neither her oldest nor youngest close relative, and he was much older than she was. He was very happy that Ruth chose him. However, it was rightfully another closer relative who should have fulfilled this obligation. So, Boaz told Ruth, “If that man agrees, I’ll be glad to marry you.” He then went to the city gate, where legal matters were settled, to resolve the issue with the nearest relative. That relative agreed, saying, “You may take her.” He then took off his sandal and gave it to Boaz, which served as a token or pledge of his commitment, like a signature or seal, confirming the transaction and giving it legal validity. The matter was thus perfectly resolved.

On the surface, this appears to be a beautiful countryside love story, but behind it, God was in control. He was preparing a royal bloodline for Israel. Ruth correctly chose God, and God, in turn, chose her, allowing her to become part of this royal lineage.

Ruth 4:18-22

Now these are the generations of Perez:

Perez fathered Hezron;

Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab,

Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon,

Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed,

Obed fathered Jesse, Jesse fathered David.

This genealogy from Perez to David skips several generations (1 Chronicles 2:5-15), listing only ten generations: from Perez to Nahshon are the five generations who resided in Egypt, and from Salmon to David are the five generations after the Exodus. These ten generations specifically list individuals connected with Gentiles: Perez was the son born to Judah and his foreign daughter-in-law Tamar; Salmon married Rahab, the Jericho prostitute who turned to God; and Boaz married Ruth, the Moabite woman who sought refuge in God.

Based on David Pawson’s Old Testament Survey series recordings and “Comprehensive Bible Interpretation” compilation.