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The Nearer Relative Declines to Act
v. 1. Then went Boaz up to the gate and sat him down there, he went early since he wanted to be sure of finding the man for whom he was looking, and the space just inside the city gate was used for the transaction of judicial business, as well as for the marketplace; and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake, namely, in his talking to Ruth, Rth_3:12-13, came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here, the legal formula for summoning a person when seeking a judicial decision. And he turned aside, and sat down.
v. 2. And he, Boaz, took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here, this being the customary complement of witnesses. And they sat down.
v. 3. And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land which was our brother Elimelech's, she had disposed of this piece of land, the family inheritance. "The name of Elimelech was still on the property; consequently the law demanded its redemption, and directed this demand to the nearest blood-relative. It is on the basis of this prescription that Boaz begins his negotiation with the unnamed kinsman, in the interest of Naomi. " (Lange. )
v. 4. And I thought to advertise thee, literally, uncover thy ear, to inform him solemnly and officially, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants and before the elders of my people, the men sitting by acting as witnesses of the transaction. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it; but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. Boaz came only in second place in the right to purchase the field according to law. While reminding the nearer relative of the duty imposed on him by law, he indicates his readiness to render the service demanded, in case the other should prefer to be excused. And he said, I will redeem it, believing that it was a mere matter of paying the purchase money.
v. 5. Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, for such was the law of entailment connected with levirate marriages, the oldest son springing from such a union continuing the inheritance in the family of his mother.
v. 6. And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, he could not fulfill that condition, lest I mar mine own inheritance, for he held it possible to decline in the case of a woman of Moab what he would otherwise have considered a plain duty; redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it; his mind was definitely made up to step back.
v. 7. Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, whenever real estate changed hands, for to confirm all things, the author here explaining a custom which had been discontinued, except in the case mentioned Deu_25:9; a man plucked off his shoe and gave it to his neighbor, thereby surrendering all claims to the right of possession which would have been his had he fulfilled its conditions; and this was a testimony in Israel. Similar selfish considerations as those urged by the unnamed kinsman in this case have caused many people to lose even greater inheritances than that of a piece of land.
v. 8. Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe. He relinquished all his claims.