Ruth – Chapter 4

Old Testament22 Verses

Chapter Summary

"Then Booz went up to the gate, and sat there. And when he had seen the kinsman going by, of whom he had spoken before, he said to him,…" — so begins Ruth 4. The chapter centers on Boaz, Naomi and Jesse. Across its 22 verses, two threads run through the text: family and covenant relationships and God's covenant promises. Taken as a whole, the chapter forms one movement in the account, preparing what follows and completing what came before.

1Then Booz went up to the gate, and sat there. And when he had seen the kinsman going by, of whom he had spoken before, he said to him, calling him by his name: Turn aside for a little while, and sit down here. He turned aside, and sat down.

2And Booz, taking ten men of the ancients of the city, said to them: Sit ye down here.

3They sat down, and he spoke to the kinsman: Noemi, who is returned from the country of Moab will sell a parcel of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech.

4I would have thee to understand this, and would tell thee before all that sit here, and before the ancients of my people. If thou wilt take possession of it by the right of kindred: buy it, and possess it: but if it please thee not, tell me so, that I may know what I have to do. For there is no near kinsman besides thee, who art first, and me, who am second. But he answered: I will buy the field.

5And Booz said to him: When thou shalt buy the field at the woman's hand, thou must take also Ruth, the Moabitess, who was the wife of the deceased: to raise up the name of thy kinsman in his inheritance.

6He answered: I yield up my right of next akin: for I must not cut off the posterity of my own family. Do thou make use of my privilege, which I profess I do willingly forego.

7Now this in former times was the manner in Israel between kinsmen, that if at any time one yielded his right to another: that the grant might be sure, the man put off his shoe and gave it to his neighbour; this was a testimony of cession of right in Israel.

8So Booz said to his kinsman: Put off thy shoe. And immediately he took it off from his foot.

9And he said to the ancients, and to all the people: You are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and Chelion's, and Mahalon's, of the hand of Noemi:

10And have taken to wife Ruth, the Moabitess, the wife of Mahalon, to raise up the name of the deceased in his inheritance lest his name be cut off, from among his family and his brethren and his people. You, I say, are witnesses of this thing.

11Then all the people that were in the gate, and the ancients, answered: We are witnesses: The Lord make this woman who cometh into thy house, like Rachel, and Lia, who built up the house of Israel: that she may be an example of virtue in Ephrata, and may have a famous name in Bethlehem:

12And that the house may be, as the house of Phares, whom Thamar bore unto Juda, of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman.

13Booz therefore took Ruth, and married her: and went in unto her, and the Lord gave her to conceive, and to bear a son.

14And the women said to Noemi: Blessed be the Lord, who hath not suffered thy family to want a successor: that his name should be preserved in Israel.

15And thou shouldst have one to comfort thy soul, and cherish thy old age. For he is born of thy daughter in law: who loveth thee: and is much better to thee, than if thou hadst seven sons.

16And Noemi taking the child, laid it in her bosom, and she carried it, and was a nurse unto it.

17And the women, her neighbours, congratulating with her, and saying, There is a son born to Noemi, called his name Obed: he is the father of Isai, the father of David.

18These are the generations of Phares: Phares begot Esron,

19Esron begot Aram, Aram begot Aminadab,

20Aminadab begot Nahasson, Nahasson begot Salmon,

21Salmon begot Booz, Booz begot Obed,

22Obed begot Isai, Isai begot David.

Important Verses in Ruth 4

Then Booz went up to the gate, and sat there. And when he had seen the kinsman going by, of whom he had spoken before, he said to him, calling him by his name: Turn aside for a little while, and sit down here. He turned aside, and sat down.

Ruth 4:1

And Booz said to him: When thou shalt buy the field at the woman's hand, thou must take also Ruth, the Moabitess, who was the wife of the deceased: to raise up the name of thy kinsman in his inheritance.

Ruth 4:5

So Booz said to his kinsman: Put off thy shoe. And immediately he took it off from his foot.

Ruth 4:8

And the women said to Noemi: Blessed be the Lord, who hath not suffered thy family to want a successor: that his name should be preserved in Israel.

Ruth 4:14

Historical Context

Ruth belongs to the Old Testament and was composed for israel, reminded that God's mercy embraces the foreigner who seeks Him. Chapter 4 of 4 brings the book to its close, gathering up themes introduced earlier. It is a genealogical record linking earlier promises to later generations with 22 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. Historical attention falls on Boaz, Naomi, Jesse and Ruth, the principal figures named in this chapter. It opens with the line: "Then Booz went up to the gate, and sat there. And when he had seen the kinsman going by, of whom he had spoken before,…" The chapter ends with: "Obed begot Isai, Isai begot David. " In terms of historical background, Ruth is a Moabite widow whose loyalty to her Israelite mother-in-law Naomi brings her into the people of God and into the ancestry of King David—and therefore of Jesus Christ. Catholic tradition dates the book to the period described in its introduction: Set in the period of the judges (12th-11th century BC); written during or after the monarchy.

Who Wrote It

Unknown; traditionally linked to the time of Samuel

When It Was Written

Set in the period of the judges (12th-11th century BC); written during or after the monarchy

Catholic Commentary

This chapter traces lines of descent that connect earlier promises to later figures in salvation history. A pivotal line is verse 1: "Then Booz went up to the gate, and sat there. And when he had seen the kinsman going by, of whom he had spoken before, he said to him, calling him by his name:…" The passage repeatedly touches on family and covenant relationships.

The Church teaches that every passage of Scripture must be read in light of Christ and the Magisterium (CIC 2683). Here, Ruth, a Gentile, becomes an ancestor of Christ, showing God's universal plan (CIC 64). The spiritual sense invites believers to recognize family and covenant relationships as part of God's pedagogy of salvation.

For Christians today, the chapter's lesson is clear: The family is the first school of faith, where love, obedience, and forgiveness are learned.. The Church invites us to receive this word not as antiquarian information but as living Scripture proclaimed at Mass and prayed in lectio divina.

Main Teachings

  • The family is the first school of faith, where love, obedience, and forgiveness are learned.
  • God binds Himself to His people by covenant, and He never breaks His word.
  • Love of God and love of neighbor sum up the whole law and reveal the very nature of God.

People in This Chapter

Boaz7 mentionsNaomi5 mentionsJesse3 mentionsRuth3 mentionsDavid2 mentionsRachel1 mention

Reflection for Today

As Catholics read Ruth Chapter 4, we do so within the living Tradition that has guarded this text for two millennia.

The saints did not treat Scripture as antiquarian literature. St. Teresa of Avila, St. Francis de Sales, and countless others used passages such as this to fuel daily conversion. the sanctity of marriage and family remains a practical lesson for modern disciples.

Entrust your meditation to Mary, who pondered God's Word in her heart. Through her intercession, may the message of the sanctity of marriage and family bear fruit in humility, courage, and charity this day.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Ruth Chapter 4 about?

Ruth 4 contains 22 verses. It opens with "Then Booz went up to the gate, and sat there. And when he had seen the kinsman going by, of whom he had spoken before,…" and closes with "Obed begot Isai, Isai begot David. ". The book as a whole is historical short story.

What is a key verse in Ruth 4?

One of the most significant verses is verse 1: "Then Booz went up to the gate, and sat there. And when he had seen the kinsman going by, of whom he had spoken before, he said to him, calling him by his name: Turn aside for a…" It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who appears in Ruth Chapter 4?

This chapter mentions Boaz, Naomi, Jesse, Ruth, David, among others.

Who wrote Ruth and when?

Unknown; traditionally linked to the time of Samuel. Set in the period of the judges (12th-11th century BC); written during or after the monarchy.

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