Yes, Ruth asked Boaz to marry her; to take her as his wife when she said, “spread therefore thy skirt over me,” because the right to redeem her (a widow) was his, being that he was a next of kin.   Boaz called her a virtuous woman!  We are not taught that a virtuous woman is still virtuous when she asks a man to marry her.  Selah!

“Was it his choice to cover her or not, or to take her hand in marriage or not?”  In accordance to Deuteronomy Law, it was not a choice to marry her, it was Law that when a kinsmen dies, without a son, that his next of kin marries his widow.  The widow was not permitted to marry outside of the family.  Boaz accepted her proposal and stated, “And now it is true that I am thy near kinsmen; howbeit, there is a kinsman closer to you than I” (Ruth 3:12).  Boaz continues by telling Ruth, “Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well let him do the kinsman’s part: but, if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, THEN will I do the part of a kinsman to thee as the LORD lives: lie down until the morning” (Ruth 3:13).

So, Boaz purchased Ruth as his wife because the nearest next of kin [who was already married] resigned his right to purchase Naomi’s land and her daughter in law (Ruth).  This kinsman refused lest there be contention in his own house and he becomes a corrupter of his own inheritance.  The kinsman thought he was just purchasing Naomi’s land.  Then he learned of the condition that if he purchased the “land” he had to marry the widow as well.  He then took off his shoe and gave it to Boaz in essence to say, “I can not redeem her because I will mar mine own inheritance; you purchase her for yourself.”  Boaz says, “Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day” (Ruth 4:10).

In present day when a Jew marries a woman, he throws the skirt or end of his talith over her to signify that he has taken her under his protection.  When going to the bed of their lawful husbands, through modesty, and in token of subjection, women go to the foot of the bed and gently raising the clothes, they creep under them up to their place.  In this particular story, Boaz didn’t throw his skirt, or talith, over Ruth; Ruth uncovered his feet on her own and ASKED him to marry her.  Boaz was not Ruth’s lawful husband by his initial desire and pursuit, but they became lawfully one through the purpose and destiny of God and Ruth pursuit of him.  It’s amazing that although Ruth and her mother-in-law planned her actions to marry Boaz, Ruth was yet called a virtuous woman. Selah!

I have come to learn that even though some biblical things have great merit, according to era and culture, it doesn’t always mean it is proper for today in all cultures.  Yet, on the other hand, all things are pure to him who believes it is.  What I’d like to know is would you do as Ruth did when she asked Boaz to marry her; to become one with her.  Or, would you rather be presented to your husband by God; to him who has found you – a wife – and have thrown his skirt over you?

© June 27, 2009 Angela M. Smith

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are taken from The King James Version of the Bible