In Hebrew Naomi’s question to Ruth is “Who are you, my daughter?” This could be interpreted as Naomi’s question as Ruth knocked at her door. The Syriac version seems to have taken the question in this sense, as is clear from the answer added to the text: “And she answered her, ‘I am Ruth.’ ” That even early translators had difficulties in understanding the Hebrew, can be seen from the Septuagint text, which simply omits the question and maintains the word “daughter.” Gerleman (op. cit., ad loc.) takes mi as a question marker in the sense of Latin num, and defends this use in referring to Amos 7.2, 5. Compare also H. S. Nyberg, Hebreisk Grammatik, 1952, par. 28., note 2. Most scholars, however, believe that the interrogative pronoun “Who” is to be interpreted as a question about Ruth’s condition or circumstances. Such a meaning is already attested in the Rash Shamra texts: bʿl mt … my hmlt ʾatr bʿl (“Baal is dead … What of the multitudes, the followers of Baal?”). Hence, in English one could render this Hebrew question as How did you get along? “How did things go with you?” or “How did things turn out for you?” In some receptor languages it may even be necessary to employ a more specific question such as “How did Boaz receive you?” or “How did you make out with Boaz?”

As in other passages in the Book of Ruth, Naomi’s use of the expression daughter may need to be changed in some languages to “my daughter-in-law” or “my dear one.”

It is important to indicate that Ruth communicated more to Naomi than simply the contents of verse 17. Evidently she described to Naomi everything that Boaz had done for her, and then she added what is recorded in verse 17. For this reason Good News Translation introduces the direct quotation in verse 17 by She added. One may also use an expression such as “She also said,” “In addition she said,” or “Furthermore, she said.”

All this barley translates the Hebrew expression “these six measures of barley” (see comments on 3.15), and most modern translations follow a literal rendering of the Hebrew text. In this context the emphasis is not upon the exact measure, but upon the unusually large quantity of barley, thus symbolizing Boaz’s generosity and his concern for Ruth and Naomi. Some biblical scholars have even seen in this gift a kind of dowry. As suggested by Haller, op. cit., ad loc. For other explanations see Stasson, pages 97-98. In any case Naomi’s confidence in the happy ending to the events is certainly reinforced by this rich gift. In order to show the relation between the gift and Naomi’s confidence, it is important to emphasize the quantity: all this barley. One may also employ such expressions as “so much barley” or “this large load of barley.”

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 .