Matthew
Henry (1662-1714), still world-famous amongst Christians for his Commentary,
was a Presbyterian minister born in Flintshire, Wales. His father was a renowned pastor of
the Puritan era.
verse 21: “And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me
also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my
harvest.” verse 22: “And Naomi
said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that
they meet thee not in any other field.” verse 23: “So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto
the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in
law.”
Our
blessed Saviour is our Goel; it is
he that has a right to redeem: if we expect to receive benefit by him, let us
closely adhere to him, and his fields, and his family; let us not go to the
world and its fields for that which is to be had with him only, and which he
has encouraged us to expect from him. Has the Lord dealt bountifully with us?
Let us not be found in any other field, nor seek for happiness and
satisfaction in the creature. Tradesmen take it ill, if those that are in
their books go to another shop. We lose divine favours, if we slight them.
Some think Naomi gave her daughter-in-law a tacit rebuke; she had spoken (v.
21) of keeping fast by the young men. "Nay,’’ said Naomi (v.
22), "It is good that thou go out with his maidens; they are
fitter company for thee than the young men.’’ But they are too
critical. Ruth spoke of the young men because they were the principal
labourers, and to them Boaz had given directions concerning her; and Naomi
takes it for granted that, while she attended the young men, her society would
be with the maidens, as was fit.
Ruth
dutifully observed her mother’s directions; she continued to glean, to the
end, not only of barley-harvest, but of the wheat-harvest, which followed it,
that she might gather food in harvest to serve for winter, Prov. 6:6-8. She
also kept fast by the maidens of Boaz, with whom she afterwards cultivated an
acquaintance, which might do her service, v. 23. But she constantly came to
her mother at night in due time, as became a virtuous woman, that was for
working days, and not for merry nights. And when the harvest was ended (as
bishop Patrick expounds it) she did not gad abroad, but kept her aged mother
company at home. Dinah went out to see the daughters of the land, and we know
what a disgrace her vanity ended in. Ruth kept at home, and helped to maintain
her mother, and went out on no other errand than to get provision for her, and
we shall find afterwards what preferment her humility and industry ended in. Seest
thou a man diligent in his business? Honour is before him.”
Reference
“A
Commentary on the Holy Bible,” Ward, Lock & Co., Vol 2, pp 670-671.
