The sequence of events is clearly marked here by the particle Then, which may be rendered somewhat more specifically in some languages as “and next” or “and after that.”

And all the others there is in Hebrew literally “and all the people.” It will be necessary to understand with one manuscript of Wright, Septuagint, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate: “and to all the people.” This does not refer to all the people of the town, but to “all the people present” or “all those who were there.” This is appropriately rendered in English as all the others there.

You are all witnesses today may be translated in some languages as “You have all seen today.” In other languages, however, the role of a witness must be explained not only in terms of what people have seen, but also what they can later confirm; for example, “You have all seen today that I have bought from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech and to Chilion and Mahlon, and later you can tell folks that you have seen this happen” or “You have all seen today, and later you can explain how I have bought from Naomi everything….”

That I have bought indicates that the action belongs to the past, but the Hebrew tense of the verb shows quite clearly that this is an action which is accomplished at the very moment the words are spoken See Joüon, par. 112-113: “j’acquiers (hic et nunc, par mes paroles).” (cf. Smith-Goodspeed “I am buying”).

From Naomi is in Hebrew literally “at (from) the hand of Naomi.” This is a typical Hebrew idiom which can rarely be translated literally into other languages. The “hand” is a symbol for possession.

The relation of Chilion and Mahlon to the property is somewhat different from that of Elimelech, since the two sons inherited from their father. This must be made somewhat more explicit in some languages as “everything that belonged first to Elimelech, and accordingly to Chilion and Mahlon” or, even more explicitly, “everything that belonged first to Elimelech and then to his sons, Chilion and Mahlon.”

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 .