SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 2024 – Page 3

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 2:6

2:6a–b

The foreman answered, “She is the Moabitess who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab: In the Hebrew text, the foreman, or overseer, first explained that Ruth was a young Moabite woman. Then he added that she was the one who returned with Naomi from Moab. He implied that Boaz already knew that one of Naomi’s daughters-in-law had returned with her.

The foreman’s response may reflect a negative, neutral, or positive attitude. There is no consensus among the scholars. For this reason, it is recommended that you translate (and express in oral or video translation) the attitude of the foreman in a neutral way. He simply responded in a truthful way to Boaz’s question.

Here are some other ways to translate these verse parts:

And the foreman replied, “She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Naomi. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
The servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, “She is the Moabite who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. (New Revised Standard Version)

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 3:15

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

“Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
-or-
“I hope that no one will ever know that this woman came to the threshing floor.” (God’s Word)

In some languages, it might be better to use an indirect quotation to report what Boaz thought. For example:

Boaz had it in mind that no one should know that the woman had been to the threshing-floor. (Revised English Bible)

3:15a

Bring the shawl you are wearing and hold it out: Boaz asked Ruth to unwrap the shawl from around her shoulders, and then hold it open so that he could put grain into it.

This shawl was probably a wrap for her head and shoulders on top of her dress. It must have been fairly large and strong enough to carry a large amount of grain in it.

The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as hold…out also means “seize” or “grip (tightly).” The shawl was only a large piece of cloth, and not a bag. So Ruth would have to hold it firmly on the corners as Boaz poured the grain to prevent it from spilling.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

Hold out the shawl you are wearing and grip it tightly. (NET Bible)
-or-
Bring me your shawl and hold it open. (New Century Version)
-or-
Stretch out the cape you’re wearing and hold it tight. (God’s Word)

In some languages, it may be more natural to use an indirect quotation here. For example:

Then he told her to bring her shawl and hold it firmly.

3:15b

When she did so: This clause is more literally “And she held it.” In some languages, you may want to make explicit what she did as in the Hebrew. For example:

As she held it tightly (NET Bible)
-or-
So Ruth held her shawl open (New Century Version)
-or-
So she held it tight while (God’s Word)

he shoveled six measures of barley: The Hebrew of this clause is more literally “He measured (out) six (of) barley.” It means that Boaz measured the barley as he put it in Ruth’s shawl. The text does not say what measuring container or unit was used. However it is clear that this was a generous amount but not too much for a strong young woman to carry alone. Most scholars think it was around thirty kilograms (sixty-five pounds).

If you can, use a special unit of weight that can be used for grain, such as rice. Then use the number of units that will make a total of about thirty kilograms. If you do not have a special unit of weight for grain, you may translate six measures as “Thirty (30) kilograms” or “sixty-five (65) pounds.”

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

and he measured six measures of barley (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
he poured about 30 kilograms of barley into her shawl
-or-
He poured more than fifty pounds of barley into it (New International Reader’s Version)
-or-
And he filled it with a lot of grain (Contemporary English Version)

into her shawl: Women at that time often carried heavy loads on their heads. Sometimes they needed help to get a very heavy load into position to carry it. Boaz helped her lift this heavy weight and get it properly balanced on her head, or possibly on her back or shoulders.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

Boaz then put it on her head (New Century Version)
-or-
and placed it on her back (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
and helped her lift it to her shoulder (Good News Translation)

3:15c

Then he went into the city: There is a textual problem with this verse:

(1) The Masoretic Text has “he went into the town.” For example:

Then he returned to the town. (New Living Translation (2004))

(2) The Syriac and Vulgate have “she went into the town.” Some scholars think that the feminine verb was the original text because 3:16a continues the story with Ruth arriving home. For example:

When Ruth got back to town (Contemporary English Version)

It is recommended that you follow option (1). There does not seem to be a strong reason to not follow it. Boaz wanted to take care of his responsibility quickly, and the text here indicates that he returned to town as soon as he gave Ruth the grain.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 1:7

1:7a

Accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, she left the place where she had been living: This clause is more literally “and she went out from the place where she had been there and her two daughters-in-law [were] with her.”

The Berean Standard Bible and some other versions have reordered the clause parts. The Hebrew order first indicates Naomi’s action, and then indicates that her daughters-in-law were with her. In some languages, it may be more natural to follow the Hebrew order. For example:

So she departed from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her (New American Standard Bible)

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 talks about the result/consequence of the news that the LORD had come to the aid of his people. For example:

So she set out from the place where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law (New Revised Standard Version)

• Indicate that this clause begins to give the details of Naomi’s return home. For example:

This is how it happened. She departed from the place where she had been living, accompanied by her two daughters-in-law

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

Accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, she left the place where she had been living (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

The Hebrew verbs that the Berean Standard Bible translates as left and had been living are singular, with Naomi as the subject. However, in some languages it may be more natural to translate these verbs as plural, since the two daughters-in-law were accompanying Naomi. For example:

They started out together to go back (Good News Translation)

Translate these verbs in a natural way in your language when one person is in focus, but more than one person is doing the same action.

the place where she had been living: This phrase refers to Naomi’s home in Moab.

1:7b

and set out on the road leading back to the land of Judah: This clause is more literally “and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.” There are two ways to interpret the referent of the Hebrew word “to return” that the Berean Standard Bible translates as leading back :

(1) It refers to the noun “way.” It was the way/road that would return them to the land of Judah. For example:

and they set out on the road back to the land of Judah (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

(2) It refers to the verb “went.” The reason they went was to return to the land of Judah. For example:

began to leave the place where she had been living to return to the land of Judah (NET Bible)

Some versions are ambiguous as to the interpretation that they follow. It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with the majority of versions.

In this verse part, the Hebrew word “to return” may cause confusion if translated literally. All three women were traveling together. However, only Naomi would actually “return” to Judah, since Orpah and Ruth had not been there before.

In some languages, it may be more natural to translate this verse part differently. For example:

• Use a phrase other than leading back or “return.” For example:

they went on the road that led to Judah

• Translate in a way that the phrase leading back or “return” refers only to Naomi. For example:

They traveled on the road that led back to Naomi’s home in the land of Judah.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 2:17

Paragraph 2:17–18

2:17a

So: The Hebrew conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as So here introduces what Ruth did as a result of what Boaz had said in 2:16.

Ruth gathered grain in the field until evening: Ruth worked gathering grain until dusk or evening, when it began to get dark.

Here are some other ways to translate this verse part:

So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. (New International Version)
-or-
Ruth worked in the field until evening. (Contemporary English Version)

2:17b

And when she beat out what she had gleaned: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as beat out refers to the process of separating grain from its stalks and husks or chaff. This process is also called threshing. Ruth beat the heads of grain, probably with a stick, to separate out the good grain, the seed kernels. This would make her load lighter, and she would only have to carry the good grain home.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

Then she separated the grain from its husks. (God’s Word)
-or-
Then after she had pounded the grain off the stalks (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Then she threshed the barley she had gathered (New International Version)

2:17c

it was about an ephah of barley: After the threshing, Ruth ended up with approximately an ephah of barley. An ephah was a basket of a standard size that the Israelites used for measuring and carrying dry materials. Scholars are not certain as to how much an ephah held in modern measurements.

The following estimates are the most likely possibilities:

• by quantity:

15 liters, or approximately 4 gallons, or half a bushel

• by weight:

12 kilograms, or 25 pounds

However, the exact amount is not the important point. The main point is that this was a very large amount for someone to glean in one day. You should make this clear in your translation. Apparently Boaz’s workers had obeyed his instructions and left extra stalks of grain for Ruth to pick up. She herself must have worked hard to obtain this large amount.

There are several ways of translating the ancient measurement of ephah :

• You can transliterate the Hebrew word ephah. If you do this, you should include a footnote to explain how much this. Use a unit of measurement that would be meaningful to your readers. You could include this information in the text itself. For example:

an ephah, ⌊that is, half a bushel⌋

• You can use a word from your language that represents a measure that is more or less the same volume as the Hebrew ephah

• You can use an approximate measure. For example:

Then after she had pounded the grain off the stalks, she had a large basket full of grain. (Contemporary English Version)

Translate this unit of measurement in the way that best indicates to your readers that this was a lot of grain.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 4:8

4:8

After the author explained the custom in 4:7, he continued the main story in 4:8.

4:8a

So: This word introduces the result of the custom. You can also translate it as “Then.”

the kinsman-redeemer removed his sandal: There is a textual difference here:

(1) The Hebrew text ends with the word sandal : For example:

he took off his sandal (New Revised Standard Version)

(2) The Greek translation (LXX/Septuagint) has the additional words “and gave it to Boaz.” For example:

he took off one of his sandals and handed it to Boaz (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
he drew off his sandal and handed it over (Revised English Bible)

The Notes will follow interpretation (1). The words “and handed it to Boaz” were not in the original text of Ruth but were added later. However, 4:7c specifies that one man handed the sandal to the other. So if it is clearer in your language to complete the action, you may follow one of the versions listed under interpretation (2).

4:8b

Here are some other ways to introduce this verse:

So when the man said to Boaz (Good News Translation)
-or-
Then the man said…

and said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.”: The command Buy it for yourself has almost the same meaning as “Take my right of redemption” in 4:6c. But here the more general word Buy is used.

The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Buy is a command. However, the other redeemer was giving Boaz permission to buy it rather than saying that he must buy it. So in many languages, it may be better to use a more polite expression. For example:

You may buy it yourself.

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)

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.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 2024

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 2:6

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 3:15

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 1:7

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 2:17

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 4:8

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 1:18

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 3:5

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 4:19

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