Paragraph 4:3–6

This paragraph describes the legal discussion between Boaz and the closest relative to Naomi about whether he was willing to redeem the land. It concludes with this man’s refusal to do so.

4:3a

And he said to the kinsman-redeemer: This is the beginning of a new paragraph. Follow the grammar of your language in choosing whether you should use the name Boaz or the pronoun he.

kinsman-redeemer: This word is used often in this chapter. Therefore, even if it is necessary to use a long phrase in your language to explain the word clearly the first time it occurs, it may be possible to shorten the phrase in some cases.

4:3b

Naomi, who has returned from the land of Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech: This is new information. There is no mention of how Boaz knew this.

is selling the piece of land: This means that Naomi intended to put the land up for sale. She had not yet sold it. Boaz wanted to discuss the land before he mentioned that he would also marry Ruth. Naomi was selling the land, or the rights to the land, and a close relative had the duty and opportunity to buy it.

land: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as land can also be translated as “field.”

Here are some other ways to translate the whole clause “Naomi, who has returned from the land of Moab, is selling the piece of land”:

“Now that Naomi has come back from Moab, she wants to sell the field (Good News Translation)
-or-
“You know Naomi, who came back from Moab. She is selling the land (New Living Translation (2004))

that belonged to our brother Elimelech: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as our brother can refer to either a literal brother, a cousin, another near relative, or someone else in the same clan. In this case, the reference is to a near relative. Elimelech was probably not an actual brother of Boaz or the other relative.

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