RUTH 4:17 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. וַ,תִּקְרֶאנָה
2. 181314,181315
3. And they called
4. -
5. 7121
6. SV-C,Vqw3fp
7. and,they_called
8. S
9. Y-1307
10. 125306
1. ל,וֹ
2. 181316,181317
3. to him/it
4. -
6. S-R,Sp3ms
7. to=him/it
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 125307
1. הַ,שְּׁכֵנוֹת
2. 181318,181319
3. the female neighbours
4. -
5. 7934
6. S-Td,Aafpa
7. the_[female],neighbors
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 125308
1. שֵׁם
2. 181320
3. a name
4. -
5. 8034
6. O-Ncmsa
7. a_name
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 125309
1. לֵ,אמֹר
2. 181321,181322
3. to say
4. -
5. 559
6. SV-R,Vqc
7. to=say
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 125310
1. יֻלַּד
2. 181323
3. he has been born
4. -
5. 3205
6. V-VPp3ms
7. he_has_been_born
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 125311
2. 181324
3. -
4. -
6. -x-maqqef
8. -
9. -
10. 125312
1. בֵּן
2. 181325
3. a son
4. -
6. S-Ncmsa
7. a_son
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 125313
1. לְ,נָעֳמִי
2. 181326,181327
3. to Nāˊₒmī
4. Naomi
5. 5281
6. S-R,Np
7. to,Naomi
8. -
9. Person=Naomi; Y-1307
10. 125314
1. וַ,תִּקְרֶאנָה
2. 181328,181329
3. and they called
4. -
5. 7121
6. SV-C,Vqw3fp
7. and,they_called
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 125315
1. שְׁמ,וֹ
2. 181330,181331
3. his/its name
4. -
5. 8034
6. O-Ncmsc,Sp3ms
7. his/its=name
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 125316
1. עוֹבֵד
2. 181332
3. ˊŌⱱēd
4. Obed
5. 5744
6. S-Np
7. Obed
8. -
9. Person=Obed; Y-1307
10. 125317
1. הוּא
2. 181333
3. he
4. -
5. 1931
6. S-Pp3ms
7. he
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 125318
1. אֲבִי
2. 181334
3. +was the father of
4. -
5. 1
6. P-Ncmsc
7. [was]_the_father_of
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 125319
2. 181335
3. -
4. -
6. -x-maqqef
8. -
9. -
10. 125320
1. יִשַׁי
2. 181336
3. Yishay/(Jesse)
4. Yishay
5. 3448
6. P-Np
7. of_Jesse
8. -
9. Person=Jesse; Y-1307
10. 125321
1. אֲבִי
2. 181337
3. the father of
4. -
5. 1
6. P-Ncmsc
7. the_father_of
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 125322
1. דָוִד
2. 181338
3. Dāvid
4. David
5. 1732
6. P-Np
7. of_David
8. -
9. Person=David; Y-1307
10. 125323
2. 181339
3. -
4. -
6. -x-sof-pasuq
8. -
9. -
10. 125324
2. 181340
3. -
4. -
6. -x-pe
8. S
9. -
10. 125325

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 4:13–17: Boaz and Ruth married and had a son

This section tells us about Boaz marrying Ruth and the birth of their son Obed. After Obed was born, the women of the town spoke encouraging words to Naomi.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

Ruth gave birth to Naomi’s grandson

Boaz married Ruth and they had a son

4:17a

The neighbor women said,

The women living there in Bethlehem gave him a name, and said,
The women living near Naomi said,

The neighbor women: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as The neighbor women is a word that literally means “female inhabitants.” It refers to the women who lived in Bethlehem.

said: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as said is literally “called him a name, saying….” The words “they called him a name” is a Hebrew idiom that means “they named him” or “they gave him a name.” The Hebrew text of 4:17c repeats the phrase “they called him a name.” For example:

And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying… (RSV)

If repeating the phrase in 4:17a and 4:17c would be unnatural in your language, you may follow the BSB and omit it in 4:17a.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

The neighbor women named him, saying, (NET)

and the women neighbors gave him a name, saying, (NJPS)

The women living there said, (NIrV)

4:17b

“A son has been born to Naomi,”

“Now Naomi has a son/grandson!”
“Naomi now has a male child who will be like a son to her.”

A son has been born to Naomi: The women meant that Naomi would help Ruth take care of the baby. Also, they thought about this child becoming a replacement for Naomi’s own sons. He would be the heir of the family property.

In Hebrew, as in many other languages, the word for “son” can also refer to a grandson. In other languages, it would be confusing, or impossible, to call Ruth’s baby Naomi’s son. In these languages, it may be necessary to use a word meaning “grandson.” Or you could use a simile and say, “The baby is like a son to Naomi.”

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

A grandson has been born to Naomi

Ruth has given birth to a baby boy. He will be like a son to Naomi

4:17c

and they named him Obed.

They named the baby Obed.
So they gave him the name Obed. (GW)

and they named him Obed: The women gave the baby a name that means “servant.”

Here is another way to translate this clause:

They gave the baby the name Obed.

4:17d

He became the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Obed became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David. (NLT)
Later Obed became the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of King David.

He became the father of Jesse, the father of David: In the lists of names of family descendants (as in the list given at the end of this story), father of can sometimes mean “ancestor of.” In this verse, however, father does refer to the man’s immediate parent.

Here are some other ways to translate this sentence:

Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David. (NCV)

He became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David. (NLT)

When Obed grew up he had a son named Jesse, who later became the father of King David. (CEV)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

וַ⁠תִּקְרֶאנָה֩ ל֨⁠וֹ הַ⁠שְּׁכֵנ֥וֹת שֵׁם֙ לֵ⁠אמֹ֔ר & וַ⁠תִּקְרֶ֤אנָֽה שְׁמ⁠וֹ֙ עוֹבֵ֔ד

and,they_called to=him/it the_[female],neighbors name_of to=say & and,they_called his/its=name ˊŌⱱēd

These two clauses mean basically the same thing. The first phrase introduces the naming event, and the second repeats it in order to report the event. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could combine the clauses that both refer to calling out a name. Alternate translation: [Then the women of the neighborhood said … And they called him Obed]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

יֻלַּד־בֵּ֖ן לְ⁠נָעֳמִ֑י

he/it_was_born son to,Naomi

A son has been born to Naomi is an idiom that means “Naomi now has a grandson, a male in her family line.” If this phrase does not have that meaning in your language, you could use an idiom from your language that does have this meaning or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [Naomi now has a male heir again]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

וַ⁠תִּקְרֶ֤אנָֽה שְׁמ⁠וֹ֙ עוֹבֵ֔ד

and,they_called his/its=name ˊŌⱱēd

Here, called his name is an idiom that means “named.” If this phrase does not have that meaning in your language, you could use an idiom from your language that does have this meaning or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [And they called him Obed] or [And they gave him the name Obed]

Note 4 topic: translate-kinship

ה֥וּא אֲבִי־יִשַׁ֖י

he/it father_of Yishay/(Jesse)

Here the term father specifically refers to a male parent. It may be necessary to make it clear that much time passed between the births of Obed, Jesse, and David. Alternate translation: [Later, Obed fathered a son, Jesse]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

אֲבִ֥י דָוִֽד

father_of Dāvid

Though King is not stated, it was clear to the original audience that this David was King David. Alternate translation: [who later became the father of King David]

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

1. OET-LV words
2. OET-RV words
3. Strongs
4. Hebrew word
5. Hebrew lemma
6. Role/Morphology
7. Gloss
8. CAPS codes
9. OET tags
10. OET word #
1. And they called
2. -
3. 1987,6994
5. 181314,181315
6. SV-C,Vqw3fp
8. S
9. Y-1307
10. 125306
1. to him/it
2. -
3. 3705,1978
5. 181316,181317
6. S-R,Sp3ms
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 125307
1. the female neighbours
2. -
3. 1893,7803
5. 181318,181319
6. S-Td,Aafpa
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 125308
1. a name
2. -
3. 7629
5. 181320
6. O-Ncmsa
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 125309
1. to say
2. -
3. 3705,683
5. 181321,181322
6. SV-R,Vqc
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 125310
1. he has been born
2. -
3. 3233
5. 181323
6. V-VPp3ms
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 125311
1. a son
2. -
3. 1043
5. 181325
6. S-Ncmsa
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 125313
1. to Nāˊₒmī
2. Naomi
3. 3705,5263
5. 181326,181327
6. S-R,Np
8. -
9. Person=Naomi; Y-1307
10. 125314
1. and they called
2. -
3. 1987,6994
5. 181328,181329
6. SV-C,Vqw3fp
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 125315
1. his/its name
2. -
3. 7629,1978
5. 181330,181331
6. O-Ncmsc,Sp3ms
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 125316
1. ˊŌⱱēd
2. Obed
3. 6101
5. 181332
6. S-Np
8. -
9. Person=Obed; Y-1307
10. 125317
1. he
2. -
3. 1978
5. 181333
6. S-Pp3ms
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 125318
1. +was the father of
2. -
3. 613
5. 181334
6. P-Ncmsc
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 125319
1. Yishay/(Jesse)
2. Yishay
3. 3072
5. 181336
6. P-Np
8. -
9. Person=Jesse; Y-1307
10. 125321
1. the father of
2. -
3. 613
5. 181337
6. P-Ncmsc
8. -
9. Y-1307
10. 125322
1. Dāvid
2. David
3. 1736
5. 181338
6. P-Np
8. -
9. Person=David; Y-1307
10. 125323

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.