SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 2024

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 1:18

1:18a

When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her: The Hebrew verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as was determined indicates that Ruth had made a firm decision to go with Naomi.

Here are some other ways to translate this verse part:

When Naomi saw that Ruth had made up her mind to go with her Contemporary English Version)

-or

Naomi saw that Ruth wanted very much to go with her. (English Easy-to-Read Version)
-or-
Then Naomi understood that Ruth would not agree to return to her own country. (Easy English Bible)

1:18b

she stopped trying to persuade her: Naomi stopped telling Ruth to return home. She did this because she knew that Ruth was determined to go with her.

Here are some other ways to translate this verse part:

she stopped urging her to go back (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
So Naomi stopped arguing with her. (English Easy-to-Read Version)
-or-
So she stopped saying that Ruth should leave her. (Easy English Bible)

© 2024 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 3:5

3:5

This verse gives Ruth’s reply to Naomi. In Hebrew, verse 5 begins with a common conjunction that introduces the next event. The Berean Standard Bible does not translate this conjunction here.

Here are some ways to begin this sentence:

And (English Standard Version)
-or-
Then (New Century Version)

“I will do everything you say,” Ruth answered: In many languages, it is more natural to put the quote introducer at the beginning of the sentence. For example:

Ruth answered, “I will do everything you say.” (Good News Translation)

I will do everything you say: There is a minor textual issue here. Many Hebrew manuscripts include a word that means “to me” at the end of this clause. Here are the two options:

(1) The words “to me” should not be included.

(2) The words “to me” should be included. For example:

I shall do everything you tell me. (New Jerusalem Bible)

The Notes will follow option (1), but there is little practical difference in meaning. In some languages, it may be more natural to follow a wording like the New Jerusalem Bible.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

I will do everything you say. (New Century Version)
-or-
All that you say I will do (English Standard Version)
-or-
I will do what/as you say.

Ruth: The Hebrew text does not use Ruth’s name here but refers to her by the pronoun “she.” You should follow whatever approach is natural in your language.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 4:19

4:19

Hezron was the father of Ram: From 1 Chronicles 2:9, it appears that Ram was the second son of Hezron. Nothing else is known about him other than what is mentioned in this verse.

Ram was the father of Amminadab: Aaron, Moses’ brother, had married one of Amminadab’s daughters, according to Exodus 6:23.

Hezron was closely related to Perez, and Amminadab lived at about the same time as Aaron and Moses, who lived many years later. So it is likely that in this first group of five names, some generation names were left out between Hezron and Ram, and/or between Ram and Amminadab.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 2:7

2:7a

She has said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the harvesters.’: The foreman was reporting Ruth’s words. So Ruth’s words were reported as direct speech embedded in the speech of the foreman. Translate this in whatever way is natural in your language, using either direct or indirect speech.

Here are some ways to do this using indirect speech:

She asked if she might glean…. (Revised English Bible)
-or-
She asked me to let her follow the workers and gather grain. (Good News Translation)

Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the harvesters: There is a textual issue in this verse part:

(1) The Masoretic Text includes the words which the Berean Standard Bible translates as among the sheaves. Ruth either asked to gather among the sheaves or “into sheaves.” (See the note just below addressing the interpretation issue.) For example:

She asked, ‘May I follow the harvesters and gather grain among the bundles?’ (NET Bible)

(2) The words among the sheaves are omitted. Ruth only asked to follow after or behind the harvesters and gather grain. For example:

‘Please let me follow the workers cutting grain and gather what they leave behind.’ (New Century Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most versions. This interpretation also has strong textual support.

Normally in Jewish practice, gleaners were not permitted to begin to glean in a field until the harvesters had finished their work and removed their bundles of grain from the field. As a result, the Hebrew words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as among the sheaves have different emphases. Ruth may have wanted to gather grain into “sheaves/bundles” after the harvesters had finished their work. She may also have wanted to gather grain at the same time as the other women harvesters.

Here are some other ways to translate this verse part:

‘I would like to gather the gleanings into sheaves after the harvesters.’ (New American Bible, Revised Edition)
-or-
She asked me this morning if she could gather grain behind the harvesters. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
She said, ‘Please let me gather grain. I will only gather among the bundles behind the reapers.’ (God’s Word)

Translate in a way that shows that Ruth was being polite and humble. She was also determined to provide for the needs of Naomi and herself.

You may want to include a footnote to explain that Ruth asked for a special privilege in gleaning that went beyond what was customary. Here is a suggested footnote:

While it is not stated specifically in the Old Testament, scholars believe that the custom was that gleaners could only glean in a field after the harvesters had completed their work and removed their bundles of grain. Ruth requested the special privilege to glean close to his woman workers at the same time as they were bundling the harvest.

sheaves: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sheaves means stalks of grain that have been gathered into a “bundle.” A bundle was often the amount formed by filling the arms with stalks of grain. A sheaf is a bundle that has been tied or bound. Sheaves were left in the fields until they were gathered up and taken to the threshing floor.

2:7b

So she came out and has continued: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as has continued has a range of meaning including “stand, continue, remain.” In this context, it probably means that she “remained.” Many versions are ambiguous about where Ruth remained. The context seems to indicate that Ruth continued to work in the field after the foreman had given her permission to do so.

Some versions make explicit what Ruth did in the field. For example:

She asked if she could pick up grain left by the harvest workers (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
She asked me to let her follow the workers and gather grain. (Good News Translation)

from morning until now: This is literally “from then, the morning, and until now.” “From then” probably refers to the time when the foreman had talked to Ruth. He was saying that Ruth had stayed in their field and worked steadily at gleaning. For example:

She has been hard at work ever since (New Living Translation (2004))

now: The workers had probably come early in the morning. It was later when Boaz came to see how they were doing. It may have been mid-morning, since the mealtime at midday mentioned in 2:14a seems to have been a little later.

2:7c

There are two textual issues in this part of the verse.

except that she rested a short time: One textual issue has to do with the Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as except that she rested a short time :

(1) The Hebrew Masoretic text says that Ruth rested in the shelter for a short time (literally “a little”). That is, she worked for most of the morning but took a brief rest. For example:

except for a few minutes’ rest (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
She has stopped only a few moments to rest (New Century Version)

(2) The LXX (Septuagint) indicates that Ruth did not rest at all. For example:

without resting even for a moment (New Revised Standard Version)

It is recommended that you follow option (1).

in the shelter: The other textual issue has to do with the Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as in the shelter :

(1) The Masoretic text includes the word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as in the shelter. For example:

except for a short rest in the shelter (New International Version)

(2) The Septuagint (LXX) does not include a word meaning “house” or shelter. For example:

with hardly a rest (New Jerusalem Bible)

It is recommended that you follow option (1).

shelter: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as shelter (literally “house”) was probably a temporary building that provided shade for the harvest workers when they rested. Perhaps it was built with poles and had a roof made from leafy branches or straw. People in many cultures build some similar type of temporary shelter when their garden or field is not near their homes. If your language has a name for such a shelter, use it here.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 3:16

Paragraph 3:16–18

This paragraph tells what happened when Ruth went back to Naomi. Ruth told her what had happened and about the barley. Naomi told her to wait for Boaz to act.

In this paragraph, the author does not give the names of the people involved, but uses pronouns. Some names have been included in many English versions as implied information from the context. In your translation, you may also need to name the individuals so that your readers can better understand the story.

3:16a

When Ruth returned to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked her: This clause tells what Ruth did while Boaz was going to town.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

When Ruth returned to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked (NET Bible)
-or-
When Ruth returned home to Naomi, Naomi asked her (Easy English Bible)
-or-
Ruth went to the home of her mother-in-law, Naomi. Naomi went to the door and asked (English Easy-to-Read Version)

How did it go, my daughter?: The Hebrew question that the Berean Standard Bible translates as How did it go, my daughter? is more literally “Who are you, my daughter?” In this context, it means that Naomi wanted to know what happened when Ruth met with Boaz.

Here are some other ways to translate this question:

How did things go with you, daughter? (New Jerusalem Bible)

What happened, my daughter? (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Did you have success, my daughter?

In some languages, it may be more natural to translate this question as an indirect quotation. For example:

Naomi asked her what had happened (Contemporary English Version)

3:16b

Then Ruth told her all that Boaz had done for her: The Hebrew clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as all that Boaz had done for her refers to his promises to talk to the closer relative and marry her if that relative would not do it. It also refers to the gift of barley. Because the barley is mentioned in 3:17, you might want to make the promises explicit here. For example:

Then Ruth told her all that Boaz ⌊promised⌋ to do for her
-or-
And Ruth told Naomi everything that Boaz ⌊said⌋ to her

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 1:8

Paragraph 1:8–10

1:8a

Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you to your mother’s home: In this clause, Naomi attempted to send her daughters-in-law back to their former homes in Moab.

Here are some ways to indicate the connection of this clause to the previous clause. Any of these options is acceptable:

• Indicate that this clause contrasts the return to Moab in 1:8 with the return to Israel in 1:7. For example:

But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back to your mother’s homes (New Living Translation (2004))

• Indicate that this clause talks about the next action in the story. For example:

And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. (New American Standard Bible)
-or-

Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back! Each of you should go back to your mother’s home. (God’s Word)

• Leave implied the connection of this clause to the previous clause. For example:

Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, ‘Go back, each of you to your mother’s house. (New Jerusalem Bible)

Go back: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “Go return.” It is an idiom that gives emphasis to the command to return. Here Naomi strongly urged Ruth and Orpah to return to their homes.

The blessing that Naomi gives in 1:8b indicates that she thought well of them and wanted each of them to have a good life. So translate this idiom in a way that indicates emphasis but not anger or scolding.

Here are some other ways to translate this idiom:

Turn back (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
-or-
Listen to me! Each of you should return (God’s Word)

each of you to your mother’s home: Naomi urged her daughters-in-law to return to the homes they each came from before they married.

each of you: This phrase indicated that Ruth and Orpah had different mothers who lived in different homes.

Here are some ways to translate this phrase:

• Translate the phrase as each of you or something similar. For example:

Go back, each of you to your mother’s house. (New American Bible, Revised Edition)
-or-
Go back, both of you, home to your own mothers. (Revised English Bible)

• Leave this phrase implied. For example:

Go back to your mothers’ homes. (New Living Translation (2004))

your mother’s home: In Hebrew, this description is unusual. Elsewhere in the Old Testament a widow would return to her father’s house. The reference to their mother’s homes may be unnatural in some other languages also. If that is true in your language, consider providing a brief explanation in a footnote.

Here is a footnote example:

Naomi’s words may imply that it is more appropriate for the two widows to go home to their mothers, rather than stay with their mother-in-law. (modified from the NET Bible)

1:8b

May the LORD show you loving devotion, as you have shown to your dead and to me: This clause is a blessing. In this blessing, Naomi indicated her desire that the LORD would be kind to Orpah and Ruth.

loving devotion: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as loving devotion has several aspects of meaning. In this verse it refers particularly to faithfulness, love, and loyalty. This term also occurs in 2:20b and 3:10b.

See Loyalty, kindness, or loyal love in the “Introduction to Ruth” for a further discussion of this key Hebrew word.

as you have shown to your dead and to me: In this part of the blessing, Naomi used a comparison to describe the kindness that she wanted the LORD to show Orpah and Ruth. She compared it to the kindness that Ruth and Orpah had shown to her and to their husbands.

Here are some other ways to translate this comparison:

May the Lord be as kind to you as you were to me and to our loved ones who have died. (God’s Word)
-or-
May the Lord show you the same kind of devotion that you have shown to your deceased husbands and to me! (NET Bible)

your dead: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “the dead.” There are two ways to interpret this phrase:

(1) This phrase refers to Mahlon and Kilion. Both of them were dead. For example:

May the Lord be as kind to you as you have been to me and my sons who are now dead. (New Century Version)

(2) This phrase refers to Elimelech, Mahlon and Kilion. All three of them were dead. For example:

You were kind to my husband and sons, and you have always been kind to me. I pray that the Lord will be just as kind to you (Contemporary English Version)

Many versions are ambiguous as to the interpretation that they follow. For example:

May Yahweh show you faithful love, as you have done to those who have died and to me. (New Jerusalem Bible)

It is recommended that you translate this phrase in a way that allows either interpretation to be understood. However, if you need to choose one interpretation to follow, then it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with a majority of versions. The Hebrew text does not indicate that Orpah and Ruth ever had an opportunity to show kindness to Elimelech. He may have died before Orpah and Ruth met Mahlon and Kilion.

This phrase probably refers to acts of kindness that Ruth and Orpah had shown to their husbands while they were still alive.

In some languages, it may be more natural to arrange the clause parts in chronological order. For example:

You were kind to your husbands who have died, and to me. I pray that Yahweh will be kind to you in the same way.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 2:18

2:18a

She picked up the grain and went into the town: The text does not say how Ruth carried the grain. She may have had a basket, a bag, or a large piece of cloth into which she put the grain. She may have carried it on her shoulder or on her head.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

She picked it up and went into the town (God’s Word)
-or-
She took the grain to town (Contemporary English Version)

where her mother-in-law saw: There is a textual problem with the Hebrew verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as saw. There are two possibilities:

(1) The original text read saw. That is, Naomi saw what Ruth had brought. For example:

and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned (New American Standard Bible)

(2) The original text read “caused to see.” That is, Ruth showed Naomi what she had brought. For example:

and showed her mother-in-law how much she had gathered (Good News Translation)

It is recommended that you follow option (1) along with the majority of Hebrew manuscripts and English versions.

what she had gleaned: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as what she had gleaned does not emphasize that Ruth had gathered a large amount, but this is implied.

2:18b

And she brought out what she had saved from her meal and gave it to Naomi: The phrase what she had saved from her meal refers to the food that Ruth had left from her noon meal. See 2:14d. Boaz must have given her a very generous amount to eat, so she had some of that roasted grain to give to Naomi also.

Here are some other ways to translate this verse part:

Ruth also gave her the roasted grain that was left over from her meal. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Ruth also took out the food that was left over from lunch and gave it to Naomi. (New Century Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 4:9

Paragraph 4:9–10

This paragraph describes how Boaz formalized the agreement to acquire the land and also Ruth in front of the elders and the other witnesses.

The author probably discussed the land agreement first, because Boaz would not be able to marry Ruth unless he first acquired the land.

4:9a

At this, Boaz said to the elders and all the people: The Hebrew conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as At this introduces what Boaz said after the other relative said he would not redeem the land.

to the elders and all the people: Boaz had selected ten elders to be official witnesses. A large crowd may have come together before the discussion was finished, and Boaz spoke to them all.

Here are some other ways to translate this verse part:

Then Boaz said to the leaders and all the others there (Good News Translation)
-or-
Then Boaz said to the elders and to the crowd standing around (New Living Translation (2004))

4:9b

You are witnesses today: This phrase and the response of the people in 4:11b were Hebrew phrases that were used when people officially completed business agreements that they had conducted in the presence of witnesses.

witnesses: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as witnesses refers to people who have seen or heard some event and can tell others what has happened.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

“You are all witnesses today (Good News Translation)
-or-
“You are witnesses that today (New Living Translation (2004))

If your language does not have a word for witnesses, here is another way to translate it:

“You are the ones who can tell others what you saw.

all that belonged to Elimelech, Chilion, and Mahlon: The Hebrew text is literally says, “all that ⌊is⌋ to Elimelech, and all that ⌊is⌋ to Kilion and Mahlon.”

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

that I have bought from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech and to his sons Chilion and Mahlon (Good News Translation)
-or-
I am buying from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech and Kilion and Mahlon. (New Century Version)

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 2024

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 1:18

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 3:5

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 4:19

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 2:7

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 3:16

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 1:8

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 2:18

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 4:9

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