Boaz

The short answer

Boaz enters the book of Ruth as a wealthy, well-connected landowner in Bethlehem—a relative of Naomi's late husband. On paper, he is the most powerful person in the story. What makes him remarkable is how he uses that power. When Ruth, a foreign widow, arrives in his field to glean leftover grain, Boaz doesn't merely tolerate her. He protects her, feeds her, and quietly arranges for her to gather more than the law requires. Later, when Ruth approaches him at night on the threshing floor asking him to act as a family redeemer, he praises her loyalty and promises to resolve the matter honorably.

Here is the pattern worth noticing: Boaz commands every scene he's in—he speaks the most, directs the action, gives the orders—yet he is almost never the one who starts things. Ruth takes the initiative to glean; Naomi devises the plan for the threshing floor; Boaz responds. The women seek food, then a home and lasting security, and Boaz answers each need in turn. He is a strong man who allows himself to be moved by the vulnerable rather than insulated from them.

Once moved, though, he acts decisively. In the final chapter, Boaz stations himself at the city gate—the town's legal center—at just the moment when a nearer relative, one with a prior legal claim, will pass by. He convenes witnesses, lays out the situation, and when the other man declines the responsibility, Boaz publicly commits to marry Ruth and redeem the family land. The storyteller pointedly never gives that other relative a name; he exits the story anonymously, while Boaz alone carries the title of redeemer. The answer to "who is Boaz in the Bible," then, is not simply "Ruth's husband" or "an ancestor of David." He is a portrait of strength that listens first and then advocates fiercely.

What scholars say

These two excerpts answer the same question from different angles: what kind of man is Boaz? Lau observes that although Boaz dominates the action and does most of the talking, he consistently responds to initiatives taken by Ruth and Naomi, while Tull's reading of the city-gate scene shows him acting deliberately—positioning himself to intercept the nearer kinsman, a rival the narrator pointedly leaves nameless.

“Ruth initiated the action in act 2 and Naomi responded, whereas Naomi initiates the action in act 3 and Ruth responds. Ruth sought food, Naomi now seeks a home and husband. Ruth assuaged their immediate need; Naomi seeks permanent security. Boaz is mentioned as "a relative," and "our relative," in the first scenes of both acts ( 2:1 ; 3:2 ), but his role is different in the second scenes. He still dominates the action and speaks most of the words, but he responds to the initiatives of Naomi and Ruth. In the final scenes of both acts, Naomi and Ruth discuss Boaz's actions—what he did and continued to do (act 2 ) and what he will do (act 3 ). In both acts, Ruth is the mediator; Naomi and Boaz do not meet.”

Peter H. W. Lau, The Book of Ruth (NICOT) Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. All rights reserved. More from Lau in Rebind →

“Stationing himself at the city gate during “rush hour,” Boaz immediately finds the man he wants passing by. He bids him to turn aside and sit down and, reinforcing the effectiveness of Boaz’s request, the man turns aside and sits down. His name is strikingly omitted. According to the NRSV and the NIV, he is called “friend,” but in the Hebrew he is called ploni almoni , which roughly means “what’s his name” or “so-and-so,” indicating that Boaz called him by name but the narrator does not consider his name worth mentioning. From this point on, the narrator calls him go’el, “redeemer,” with some irony since he will not turn out to be the redeemer after all. Even Orpah, who declined Ruth’s role, was given a name, but this relative will decline Boaz’s role and leave the stage anonymously.”

Patricia K. Tull, Esther and Ruth Westminster John Knox Press. All rights reserved. More from Tull in Rebind →

What it means for you

Boaz offers a model for anyone who holds any kind of advantage—money, position, security, a voice others will hear. His example suggests that real strength doesn't need to originate every plan; it can listen, let the needs of others set the agenda, and then respond with full commitment. Notice, too, that his kindness isn't vague sentiment. He shows up at the right place, at the right time, with a strategy, and puts his own resources and reputation on the line publicly. The invitation is practical: when someone vulnerable takes the risk of asking for help, be the person who answers generously—and then follows through.

In context

The book of Ruth opens with loss: famine drives Naomi's family to Moab, where her husband and both sons die, leaving her with her Moabite daughter-in-law Ruth. The two return to Bethlehem destitute. Boaz appears in chapter 2 as Ruth gleans in his field, then again in chapter 3 when Naomi sends Ruth to him at the threshing floor. Chapter 4 brings the story to the city gate, where Boaz settles the legal question of redemption, marries Ruth, and becomes great-grandfather to King David.