The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Ruth” in English means “beauty,” “something worth seeing,” “friendship,” “trembling,” “satisfied.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )
In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with the sign for “respect” referring to the respect that she shows for the mother-in-law as shown in Ruth 1:16. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with a sign that refers to “woman” and “progress” (the perspective of future). It signifies that Ruth did not return to her people but stayed with her mother-in-law, Naomi, because she was bound to her by deep love, loyalty, and commitment, even after the death of her husband (Naomi’s son). (Source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group)
“Ruth” in Hungarian Sign Language — note that only the first part refers to “Ruth,” the second part refers to “book” (source )
Following are a number of back-translations of Ruth 2:21-23:
Noongar: “Then Ruth of Moab said, ‘He also told me, ‘Stay close to my workers until they stop harvesting all my wheat’.’ Naomi told Ruth, her son’s wife, ‘This is better, my daughter. You must work near his young women because people might hurt you in another wheat field.’ So Ruth stayed close to Boaz’s young women until they finished gathering wheat. She lived in the home of her mother-in-law.” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
Eastern Bru: “And Ruth, the Moabite said: ‘Boaz told me: ‘You stay near the people who work for me until the day they finish harvesting for me.’‘ Then Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law: ‘Very good, child! You go always with the people who work for Boaz. Don’t go to any other field. If you go to another field maybe they will do badly to you.’ Then Ruth went always with the people who worked for Boas until they finished harvesting the grain. And she continued to live with her mother-in-law.” And Naomi said: ‘Surely this person is from our clan also very near to us.’” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Ruth said to Noemi, “Boaz even said to me that I should- only -go-with his men to glean until all his harvest will-be-finished.” Noemi said to Ruth, “Child, it-would-be-good if you(sg) go with his female servant, because something might happen to you(sg)/[lit. because might/possibly if what-(ever) else the will-happen to you(sg)] in another field.” So Ruth went-with the female servant of Boaz. She gleaned the heads-of-grain until the season/time-of-harvest of barley and wheat was finished. And she continued to live with her mother-in-law.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Then Ruth said, ‘He also said to me, ‘Stay with my workers until they have finished harvesting all my grain.’’ Naomi replied, ‘My daughter, it will be good for you to go to his field with his servant girls, because if you go to someone else’s field, someone might harm/molest you.’ So Ruth stayed close to Boaz’s servant girls while she was working. She gathered stalks of grain until the barley harvest and the wheat harvest were finished. During that time she lived with Naomi.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, iw-are-ru (言われる) or “say” is used.
In the Hebrew text the name Ruth is immediately followed by the expression “the Moabitess,” but it is not always necessary to repeat this expression (see the comments on 1.22 and 2.2). In a number of ancient versions also the repetition was regarded as superfluous. So in Septuagint, Vulgate, and Syriac versions. Some of the ancient versions do introduce, however, the person spoken to in this case, namely, her mother-in-law: “Ruth said to her mother-in-law.” So Septuagint and Syriac versions.
Since Ruth here provides information which she has not already communicated, it may be necessary to change the verb said to something such as “added” (New American Bible). It is not clear whether the information that Ruth provides in verse 21 is directly related to her recognizing that Boaz has certain responsibilities for her and Naomi, but it is certainly not out of keeping with what has been stated in the latter part of verse 20. Some commentators suggest this relation, Compare Hertzberg, op. cit., ad loc. and it is hinted at in some translations (cf. Moffatt “Yes, said Ruth…”). It is questionable, however, whether one is justified in trying to introduce this type of connection between verses 20 and 21.
Best of all, he told me is a free rendering of a complex Hebrew construction which may be literally rendered as “there is still this, which he said.” So Joüon, par. 157 N: “(il y a) encore (ceci) qu’il a dit.” Differently Gerleman, op. cit., ad loc.: “(ich muß) noch (hinzufügen).” NEB “And what is more…” seems to intensify the following statement, which is overtranslation. Even an omission (as in Moffatt) is semantically more justified. Direct discourse within direct discourse may present certain problems in some receptor languages. Therefore a second direct discourse can often be changed into an indirect one: “he told me to stay close” (New English Bible) or he told me to keep gathering grain with his workers.
To keep gathering grain with his workers reflects a Hebrew expression containing the phrase “keep close to.” (See the comments on verse 8.)
The term workers has in Hebrew the masculine form, but the emphasis is not here upon the sex of the servants; it is rather a more general term to include both male and female servants. The focus is upon “working with his servants,” that is, in his field rather than in the field of some other man. A number of ancient versions, however, used the feminine form of the noun for “servants” (namely, “women servants” So in some Septuagint manuscripts, the Ethiopic, Old Latin, and Armenian versions.), but that is a secondary reading introduced to harmonize this information with what occurs in verses 8, 22, and 23 of this chapter.
Until they finish the harvest involves both the barley and the wheat harvest. Normally the wheat harvest took place about a month later than the barley harvest. Traditionally the wheat harvest ended at the Feast of Weeks, seven weeks after the barley harvest had begun. See the Century Bible, page 416.
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 .
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a third person singular and plural pronoun (“he,” “she,” “it” and their various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. While it’s not uncommon to avoid pronouns altogether in Japanese, there are is a range of third person pronouns that can be used. In these verses a number of them are used that pay particularly much respect to the referred person (or, in fact, God, as in Exodus 15:2), including kono kata (この方), sono kata (その方), and ano kata (あの方), meaning “this person,” “that person,” and “that person over there.”
Then Ruth the Moabitess said: In many languages, it may be more natural to simply say Ruth rather than repeating the phrase Ruth the Moabitess. However, it is recommended that you repeat the information that Ruth was a woman from Moab. It is probable that the author wished to emphasize this at this point in the narrative.
He also told me: There are two ways to interpret the Hebrew expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as also :
(1) It adds force or emphasis, so it intensifies what follows. For example:
and what is more he said to me (Revised English Bible)
(2) It means “also,” so it introduces something additional that Boaz had said. For example:
He also said to me (God’s Word)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).
2:21b
Stay with my young men: The Hebrew verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Stay with means “keep close to.” In this context, Boaz was telling Ruth to remain near his own workers while they were in the field.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
You may go along beside my servants (NET Bible) -or-
Keep close to my workers (New Century Version)
my young men: This is a masculine plural noun. In this context, it probably refers to both the men and the women who were working in Boaz’s fields. Ruth was reporting what Boaz had said in 2:8c, where Boaz told Ruth to remain close to “my servant girls.”
until they have finished gathering all my harvest: Boaz was referring to both the barley and the wheat harvests, as mentioned in 2:23b.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
until they have finished my whole harvest (New Century Version) -or-
until the entire harvest is completed (New Living Translation (2004))
General Comment on 2:21a-b
2:21b is an embedded quotation. It gives Ruth’s report of what Boaz had said. In some languages, it is not possible to have a direct quotation of a quotation. It may be necessary or more natural to report Boaz’s words using indirect speech. For example:
Then Ruth the Moabitess said, “He also told me to stay close to his workers until they finish harvesting all the grain.” -or-
Ruth told her, “Boaz even said I could stay in the field with his workers until they had finished harvesting all his grain.” (Contemporary English Version)
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