Font Size
Ruth 4:5-6
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Ruth 4:5-6
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
5 [a]Boaz continued, “When you acquire the field from Naomi, you also acquire responsibility for Ruth the Moabite,(A) the widow of the late heir, to raise up a family for the deceased on his estate.” 6 The redeemer replied, “I cannot exercise my right of redemption for that would endanger my own estate. You do it in my place, for I cannot.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 4:5–6 Although redemption and levirate practices are not otherwise linked in the Bible, they belong in the same area of need. Boaz claims that buying Elimelech’s field obligates the other redeemer to produce an heir for Mahlon, who would then inherit the land. That would jeopardize this redeemer’s overall holdings, since he would lose the land he had paid for. He can afford the first step but not the second, and cedes his responsibility to Boaz, who is willing to do both.
Ruth 4:5-6
New International Version
Ruth 4:5-6
New International Version
5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite,(A) the[a] dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.”(B)
6 At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem(C) it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”(D)
Footnotes
- Ruth 4:5 Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew (see also Septuagint) Naomi and from Ruth the Moabite, you acquire the
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.