The women referred to at the beginning of verse 14 are essentially the same women as are spoken of in 1.19. They are the women of the town of Bethlehem, and it may be necessary to specify the fact; for example, “the women of the town” or “the women in Bethlehem.”
A literal translation of Praise the LORD! may be quite difficult in some languages. It might appear, for example, to be simply a command to Naomi that she should praise the LORD. In reality it is a general statement that the LORD deserves to be praised because of the events related in the context. The closest equivalent in some languages is “We must all praise the LORD,” “We should praise the LORD,” or “The LORD is worthy that we should praise him.” Terms for praise are quite varied in different languages: “to lift up the name of the LORD,” “to make the name of the LORD great,” or “to say, ‘The LORD is great.’ ”
The blessing contained in verses 14 and 15 has a poetic structure. Verse 14 consists of three lines with the meter 2, 3 + 2, 3, which may be rendered literally as // Blessed be the LORD // who has not left you // without next of kin this day. // May his name be renowned in Israel. // Verse 15 consists of two lines of poetry with the following meter: 3 + 3, 3 + 2 + 2, and may be rendered literally as //May he be to you a restorer of life // and a nourisher of your old age. // Your daughter-in-law who loves you has borne him, // she who is more to you // than seven sons. // It would be excellent if this passage could be reproduced in a parallel poetic form in a receptor language. However, as has been noted in other instances of embedded poetry, it is only rarely that such small sections can be satisfactorily reproduced as poetry, both because of their limitation in length and because of their content.
The sentence He has given you a grandson today to take care of you is literally in Hebrew “who has not left you this day without next of kin.” “Next of kin” (or “redeemer”) is precisely the same expression which was used of Boaz and the “closer relative” (3.12). Now this expression is applied to the grandson. In most languages it is impossible to speak of a grandson as “next of kin,” because such a concept would not fit within most kinship systems. Furthermore, it is not enough to employ an expression such as “heir” (New American Bible), for this does not do justice to the meaning of the Hebrew term, as one who was obliged to carry out certain responsibilities on behalf of others. Good News Translation, accordingly, attempts to indicate not only the specific kinship relation, but also the role of such a kin, and thus makes specific the two aspects in the phrase a grandson today to take care of you.
It may not be possible to say in some languages He has given you a grandson today. A causative relation may be more appropriate: “he has caused you this day to have a grandson” or “he has caused to be born for you this day a grandson.”
May the boy become famous in Israel is in Hebrew literally “that his name be announced.” For this type of expression see the comments on verses 11 and 12. Some receptor languages may have an idiom relatively close to the Hebrew: “may he have a good name” or “may his reputation be good.” This must, of course, be a reference to the boy and not to the LORD. Nor may it be a reference to the dead man or even to the name of Naomi. Septuagint kai kalesai to onoma sou relates to Naomi. In many languages the pronoun “he” would refer directly to the boy, but it may be necessary, as in Good News Translation, to make this reference explicit.
In some languages become famous in Israel may be expressed as “may the people of Israel all praise him” or “may the people of Israel regard him as great.”
In verse 15 the sentence order of the Hebrew text is reversed in Good News Translation. Such a reversal may be necessary in languages in which events should be described in chronological order.
The term for loves must be carefully selected so that it will be appropriate to the relation between a daughter-in-law and a mother-in-law. In other words, it must be the term to show fond affection between members of a family. It must avoid any implication of sexual interest or concern.
Has done more for you than seven sons is literally in Hebrew “she is better to you than seven sons.” Generally this statement requires certain greater explicitness in translation; for example, “she is worth more to you than seven sons” (New American Bible, Dhorme, and Bible de Jérusalem). Good News Translation refers this statement to the past: has done more for you. Compare also New English Bible: “who has proved better to you than seven sons.” One may compare, for example, Elkanah’s question to the childless Hannah: “Am I not more to you than ten sons?” (1 Sam 1.8). The number seven should not be taken as a sacred number in this context, but simply as a conventional one (cf. 1 Sam 2.5, “the barren woman has borne seven children”). For that reason it may be better in some languages to translate “has done more for you than many sons.”
Who will bring new life to you is particularly difficult to translate in some languages. It is usually not satisfactory to employ an expression such as “he will be to you a restorer of life.” This might imply that Naomi was dead and that the child would cause her to live again. In some instances the figurative expression of “giving new life to” may need to be somewhat qualified; for example, “may he give you new life, so to speak” or “may he cause you to live a new life, as it were.” A more natural expression in many languages is to speak of “restoring strength”; for example, “he will give you new strength in your old age” or “he will cause you to be strong even though you are old.”
Give you security in your old age may also be rendered as “will support you in your old age,” The Syriac translator (translating “your town” for “your old age”) probably misread the Greek polian as polin. So G. Janichs, Animadversiones criticae in verrs. Syriacam Peschitthonianam librorum Kohelet et Ruth, Marburg, 1869, ad loc. “will take care of you in your old age,” “will see that you have enough when you are old,” or “will take care of you when you are old.” All of these are expressions of hope which depend for their fulfillment directly or indirectly upon God’s blessing. Only in the first sentence of verse 15 is there a direct statement.
Quoted with permission from de Waard, Jan and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Ruth. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1978, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .