Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Ruth
Chapter 3: Spread Thy Skirt Over Thine Handmaid
Naomi seeks rest for Ruth, and sends her at night to the threshing floor to make her appeal to Boaz. In a scene of tender honor, Ruth asks the kinsman to spread his skirt over her, the very wing under which she had come to trust, and Boaz, a man of integrity, pledges to redeem her, if a nearer kinsman will not. Then comes the counsel of faith: sit still and see how the matter will fall.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Ruth chapter 3. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Hebrew words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. Chapter 3 brings Ruth to the threshing floor to claim the kinsman-redeemer, a scene of honor and faith that points to Christ. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Naomi's Plan (Ruth 3:1-6)
Naomi, longing for her daughter-in-law's security, sends Ruth to the threshing floor to appeal to Boaz the kinsman.
Shall I Not Seek Rest for Thee?
"Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee? And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor. Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking. And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do. And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do. And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her."
Word Study
"rest," Hebrew manoach (מָנוֹחַ), "a resting place, security, a settled home." Naomi's goal for Ruth is manoach, "rest", not idleness, but the settled security of a home, a husband, a place of belonging and provision. In chapter 1 Naomi had prayed the LORD would grant her daughters "rest... in the house of her husband" (Ruth 1:9); now she moves to secure it. This "rest" is the very thing the kinsman-redeemer provides, a covering, a home, safety. And it points beyond Boaz to the rest Christ gives the soul: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). The whole story is the movement of an empty, homeless, widowed life into the rest that only the redeemer can give. What Naomi sought for Ruth, God offers every weary soul in the true Redeemer, a settled, secure rest in the house of the Bridegroom.
Explanation
Naomi, transformed from the bitter woman of chapter 1 into a wise and loving mother-in-law, now acts to secure Ruth's future. She knows Boaz is a kinsman and knows the custom of redemption, and she devises a plan by which Ruth may present her claim. She sends Ruth, washed, anointed, and dressed, to the threshing floor at night, where Boaz is winnowing and will sleep by his grain. Ruth is to lie at his uncovered feet and wait for him to instruct her. To modern ears the scene sounds scandalous, but in its own culture it was a recognized, honorable appeal: Ruth is not seducing Boaz but formally, humbly requesting that he act as her kinsman-redeemer. Ruth's answer is total obedience: "All that thou sayest unto me I will do."
Gospel Focus
Naomi's whole aim, "shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?", is the heart of a redeemer's love: to bring the homeless into rest. This is what God has done for us. We were restless, widowed by sin, without a settled home, and God moved to seek our rest, providing a Redeemer in whom the weary soul finds peace. "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God" (Hebrews 4:9). And Ruth's response models the faith that receives it: "All that thou sayest unto me I will do." Rest is found on the far side of glad obedience. The soul that says to God, "all that thou sayest, I will do," and goes where He directs, will find the rest a loving Redeemer has prepared.
Spread Thy Skirt Over Thine Handmaid (Ruth 3:7-13)
Ruth makes her appeal, asking Boaz to be her redeemer, and he responds with blessing, integrity, and a pledge.
Thou Art a Near Kinsman
"And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down. And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet. And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman. And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman. And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I. Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman's part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the LORD liveth: lie down until the morning."
Word Study
"spread thy skirt," Hebrew kanaph (כָּנָף), the same word as "wing." In chapter 2 Boaz had blessed Ruth for coming to trust "under the wings" (kanaph) of the LORD. Now Ruth asks Boaz, "spread thy skirt (kanaph) over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman." It is a deliberate echo: the "wing" of the LORD's protection is to be made real through the "skirt" of the kinsman-redeemer. To spread one's skirt over a woman was a gesture of covering, protection, and the pledge of marriage (compare Ezekiel 16:8, where God spreads His skirt over Israel as a bride). Ruth is asking Boaz to become the very shelter God had promised, to marry and redeem her. Here the two pictures fuse: God shelters His people under His wings by giving them a Redeemer who spreads his covering over them. To be covered by the Redeemer is to be covered by God Himself.
Explanation
At midnight Boaz wakes to find a woman at his feet. Ruth identifies herself and makes her bold, humble appeal: "spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman." She is asking him to marry and redeem her according to the law. Boaz's response reveals his godly character. He does not take advantage; he blesses her, "Blessed be thou of the LORD," and honors her, praising her kindness in seeking a redeemer rather than chasing "young men." He calls her "a virtuous woman," known so by the whole town. He pledges to do all she asks, but with scrupulous integrity he discloses a complication: there is a kinsman "nearer than I" who has the first right. Boaz will not seize the redemption by cutting corners; he will do it lawfully or not at all, and he vows "as the LORD liveth" to settle it. His godliness matches his generosity.
Gospel Focus
Ruth's plea, "spread thy skirt over me, for thou art a near kinsman," is the cry of faith to the Redeemer: cover me, take me as your own, for you are able and near. And Boaz's integrity, refusing to redeem unlawfully, magnifies the righteousness with which our redemption was accomplished. God did not save us by bending justice; He redeemed us lawfully, satisfying every claim, "that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Romans 3:26). Our Redeemer met every requirement, paid every price, and left no legal claim against us unanswered. And His character is like Boaz's: He honors the one who comes to Him, never exploits her, blesses her, calls her His own, and covers her with His righteousness. Come and ask to be covered; the Kinsman is near, and He is good.
Six Measures and a Word of Peace (Ruth 3:14-18)
Boaz sends Ruth home with a pledge of grain, and Naomi counsels her to rest quietly while the redeemer settles the matter.
Sit Still, Until Thou Know How the Matter Will Fall
"And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor. Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and she went into the city. And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her. And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law. Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day."
Word Study
"Sit still," Hebrew shevi (שְׁבִי), from yashab, "to sit, remain, stay, be still." Naomi's counsel is a masterpiece of faith: "Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day." Ruth had done her part; now she must "sit still" and let the redeemer do his. It is the very posture of faith in the finished work of another: to cease striving and rest in what the redeemer will accomplish. The same word carries the call, "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10), and "in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength" (Isaiah 30:15). The gospel is the announcement that our Redeemer "will not be in rest until he have finished the thing", and He has, "It is finished" (John 19:30). Our part is to sit still and trust the work He completes. Restless self-effort cannot add to redemption; faith rests in the Redeemer's finished labor.
Explanation
Ruth stays until early dawn and leaves before she can be recognized, for Boaz guards her reputation, "Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor", further proof of his honor. Before she goes he fills her veil with "six measures of barley," a generous pledge and a message that he will not send her away empty. When Ruth reports all to Naomi, the wise mother-in-law gives the perfect counsel: "Sit still... until thou know how the matter will fall," because Boaz "will not be in rest until he have finished the thing this day." Naomi knows Boaz's character; a man like this, once pledged, will not delay. So Ruth's task now is simply to wait in confidence while the redeemer acts. The chapter ends poised in restful expectation.
Gospel Focus
"Sit still... until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day." There is scarcely a better picture of resting faith in all the Old Testament. Ruth could add nothing to the redemption; she could only trust the redeemer and wait. So the believer, having come to Christ, rests in His finished work, not striving to redeem himself, but trusting the Redeemer who "will not be in rest until he have finished the thing." And He has finished it, our redemption is accomplished, sealed by His "It is finished." The restless heart that tries to save itself has not yet learned to "sit still." Bring your empty veil to the Redeemer; He will not send you away empty, and He will not rest until your redemption is complete. Then sit still, and see how the matter falls, He is faithful who promised.
Chapter 3 in Review
Ruth 3 moves the story toward redemption. Naomi seeks "rest" for Ruth and sends her to the threshing floor to appeal to Boaz. In an honorable, humble scene, Ruth asks the kinsman to "spread thy skirt over thine handmaid", to become the very covering under which she had come to trust. Boaz responds with blessing and integrity, pledging to redeem her lawfully, if a nearer kinsman will not. He sends her home with six measures of barley and a promise, and Naomi counsels the faith of quietness: "Sit still... until thou know how the matter will fall."
For the Apostolic reader, this chapter shines with the gospel. The Redeemer brings the homeless into rest; the "skirt" of the kinsman is the "wing" of God made real; redemption is accomplished lawfully, with every claim satisfied; and the believer's part is to "sit still" and rest in the finished work of the Redeemer, who "will not be in rest until he have finished the thing." Christ has finished it, "It is finished", and our task is to trust and rest.
- Naomi sought "rest" for Ruth; the Redeemer brings the homeless soul into a settled rest.
- "Spread thy skirt", the same word as "wing"; the kinsman's covering is God's shelter made real.
- Boaz redeemed lawfully; our redemption satisfied every claim, that God be "just, and the justifier."
- "Sit still... he will not be in rest until he have finished", faith rests in the Redeemer's finished work.
Questions for Reflection
- Have you asked the Redeemer to spread His covering over you, or are you still uncovered before God?
- Ruth said, "All that thou sayest, I will do." Is your faith marked by that glad obedience?
- Where do you need to stop striving and "sit still," resting in what Christ has finished for you?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). The Hebrew terms are standard and can be checked in any Hebrew lexicon. Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- Seeking rest; the rest of the Redeemer: Ruth 3:1-6; Ruth 1:9; Matthew 11:28; Hebrews 4:9.
- "Spread thy skirt"; the wing and the covering; lawful redemption: Ruth 3:7-13; Ezekiel 16:8; Romans 3:26.
- "Sit still"; resting in the finished work: Ruth 3:14-18; Psalm 46:10; Isaiah 30:15; John 19:30.