RUTH 2:1 Interlinear View

1. Hebrew word
2. Hebrew lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. Gloss
8. CAPS codes
9. OET tags
10. OET word #
1. וּ,לְ,נָעֳמִי
2. 179641,179642,179643
3. And belonged to Nāˊₒmī
4. and
5. 5281
6. P-C,R,Np
7. and_[belonged],to,Naomi
8. S
9. Person=Naomi; Y-1307
10. 124160
1. מידע
2. 179644
3. a relative
4. relative
5. 3045
6. S-VPsmsa
7. a_relative
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 124161
2. 179645
3. -
4. -
6. -
8. -
9. -
10. 124162
1. לְ,אִישָׁ,הּ
2. 179646,179647,179648
3. to/for her/its man/husband
4. -
5. 376
6. S-R,Ncmsc,Sp3fs
7. to/for=her/its=man/husband
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 124163
1. אִישׁ
2. 179649
3. a man
4. man
5. 376
6. P-Ncmsa
7. a_man
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 124164
1. גִּבּוֹר
2. 179650
3. mighty of
4. -
5. 1368
6. P-Aamsc
7. mighty_of
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 124165
1. חַיִל
2. 179651
3. wealth
4. wealthy
5. 2428
6. P-Ncmsa
7. wealth
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 124166
1. מִ,מִּשְׁפַּחַת
2. 179652,179653
3. from the clan of
4. -
5. 4940
6. P-R,Ncfsc
7. from,the_clan_of
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 124167
1. אֱלִימֶלֶךְ
2. 179654
3. ʼElīmelek
4. -
5. 458
6. P-Np
7. of_Elimelech
8. -
9. Person=Elimelech; Y-1307
10. 124168
1. וּ,שְׁמ,וֹ
2. 179655,179656,179657
3. and his/its name
4. name
5. 8034
6. S-C,Ncmsc,Sp3ms
7. and=his/its=name
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 124169
1. בֹּעַז
2. 179658
3. +was Boˊaz
4. Boaz
5. 1162
6. P-Np
7. [was]_Boaz
8. -
9. Person=Boaz; Y-1307
10. 124170
2. 179659
3. -
4. -
6. -x-sof-pasuq
8. -
9. -
10. 124171

2:1 OSHB variant note: מידע: (x-qere) ’מוֹדַ֣ע’: lemma_4129 morph_HNcmsa id_08swV מוֹדַ֣ע

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 2:1–23: Ruth gathered grain in a field belonging to Boaz

This third section in the book of Ruth tells how Ruth met Boaz. Since Naomi and Ruth were poor at this time, Ruth asked Naomi for permission to glean in the grain fields in order to find them some food.

Ruth chose a field in which to glean. Although she did not know it, the man who owned that field, Boaz, was a relative of Elimelech. Boaz had heard about Ruth already, but he had not met her. He was sympathetic and kind to her that day, and told her to continue to work in his field during the rest of the harvest time.

That evening, Ruth returned home and told Naomi that the owner of the field where she had gleaned was called Boaz and that he had treated her well. Naomi was very pleased. She encouraged Ruth to continue to work there just as Boaz had invited her to do.

Here are some other examples of section headings:

Ruth Meets Boaz (ESV)

Ruth Works in the Field of Boaz (NET)

2:1a

Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side,

¶ Now, there was a man living in Bethlehem who was related to Naomi’s husband.
¶ A certain man there was a relative/cousin of Naomi’s husband Elimelech, who had died.

Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side: This verse begins a new part of the story (2:1–23). It introduces an important character, Boaz, before he begins to speak or act in 2:4. This verse gives background information about Boaz. (See the Appendix, “Introduction to the Discourse Structure,” for more discussion about this.)

Introduce this verse in a way that is natural in your language to either begin a new part of the story or to indicate background information, or both. The BSB and many other English versions do this with the word Now. Used in this way, Now indicates a break in the sequence of actions from chapter 1. It is not a time word .

Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side: The phrase on her husband’s side means that Boaz and Naomi were related because of her marriage with Elimelech. The text does not exactly explain the relationship between Boaz and Elimelech, but it was a close one (see 2:20). Boaz may have been a cousin to Elimelech. He was not a “brother” in the sense of having the same father and mother. Probably Boaz was about the same age as Elimelech would have been if he were still alive. Use the correct kinship term in your language for such a relationship.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

who belonged to the family of her husband Elimelech (GNT)

There was a cousin to the former/deceased husband of Naomi

2:1a-b

(combined/reordered)

Now Naomi was related to a rich and respected/influential person through her deceased/former husband, Elimelech. The relative’s name was Boaz.

2:1b

a prominent man of noble character from the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.

His name was Boaz. He was a rich and important person from the same clan as Elimelech.
In fact, he was from the same extended family. He was a respected man of outstanding/high character, and his name was Boaz.

a prominent man of noble character from the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz: The Hebrew phrase that the BSB translates as a prominent man of noble character has a several possible meanings. It is literally “a mighty man of strength/wealth/ability/character.” Most often in the Hebrew Scriptures, the phrase describes a mighty warrior. But in the context of Ruth, it describes Boaz as an important and influential man in Bethlehem due to his wealth and good character.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

a rich and important man (CEV)

a respected man of outstanding character

a wealthy, prominent man (NET)

from the clan of Elimelech: Boaz was from the same extended family as Elimelech. The clan of Elimelech does not identify Elimelech as the head of the clan. Rather, Boaz and Elimelech shared a common ancestor. The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as clan refers here to a unit smaller than a tribe (as in “tribe of Judah”) but larger than a immediate family of parents and children.Some commentators such as Bush (Word) and Campbell (Anchor Bible) suggest that the Hebrew word mišpāḥâ here refers to something larger than extended family. But the words clan and extended family are quite fluid and dependent on context to determine their relative size. A clan (or sub-clan) is a large extended family.

Here is another way to translate this:

from the same extended family as Elimelech

General Comment on 2:1a-b

There is some repetition of information about Boaz. For example, saying that Boaz was a relative of Elimelech is similar to saying that he was from the same clan as Elimelech. In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder some of this information. For example:

Now there was a man named Boaz who was from the same clan as Naomi’s husband. He/Boaz was wealthy and respected.

See 2:1a-b (combined/reordered) in the Display for another example.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-background

וּֽ⁠לְ⁠נָעֳמִ֞י מוֹדַ֣ע לְ⁠אִישָׁ֗⁠הּ

and_[belonged],to,Naomi (Some words not found in UHB: and_[belonged],to,Naomi relative to/for=her/its=man/husband (a)_man mighty rich from,the_clan_of ʼElīmelek and=his/its=name Boˊaz )

Verse 1 gives background information about Boaz so that the reader will understand who he is. In your translation, present this information in a way that makes it clear that this is background information.

Note 2 topic: writing-participants

וּֽ⁠לְ⁠נָעֳמִ֞י מוֹדַ֣ע לְ⁠אִישָׁ֗⁠הּ

and_[belonged],to,Naomi (Some words not found in UHB: and_[belonged],to,Naomi relative to/for=her/its=man/husband (a)_man mighty rich from,the_clan_of ʼElīmelek and=his/its=name Boˊaz )

This phrase begins the introduction of Boaz as a new participant in the story. If your language has its own way of introducing new participants, you could use it here in your translation.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

אִ֚ישׁ גִּבּ֣וֹר חַ֔יִל

(a)_man mighty rich

The expression a man of great worth describes Boaz as a person who was prosperous and well known in his community, with a good reputation. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent idiom from your language or state this plainly. See the chapter introduction for more information. Alternate translation: [a prominent, wealthy man]

Note 4 topic: translate-kinship

מִ⁠מִּשְׁפַּ֖חַת אֱלִימֶ֑לֶךְ

from,the_clan_of ʼElīmelek

The use of the term clan here means that Boaz was related to Elimelek but did not have the same parents as Elimelek. The text is not saying that the clan was named after Elimelek or that Elimelek was the patriarch or leader of the clan, but only that Elimelek and Boaz belonged to the same clan.

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

2:1 OSHB variant note: מידע: (x-qere) ’מוֹדַ֣ע’: lemma_4129 morph_HNcmsa id_08swV מוֹדַ֣ע

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The Hebrew text, lemmas, and morphology are all thanks to the OSHB and some of the glosses are from Macula Hebrew.