NOW it was the spring barley harvest in Bethlehem, and Ruth went into a field belonging to Boaz, one of Elimelech’s wealthy relatives, to glean leftover grain as the law of Moses allowed. As she had hoped, for he was a bachelor, Boaz noticed her, and came over. Boaz told her to keep to his field, follow his reapers around and make herself completely at home. He knew, he said, all her history, how she had stood by Naomi and put her trust in Israel’s God, and God would reward her. And when she had gone out to glean again, he whispered to his reapers to be careless, and let grain fall wherever Ruth passed by. And Naomi was very glad to see the bulging sack of grain Ruth brought home that evening.
As night came on, Naomi urged Ruth to go out again and, once Boaz was asleep, lie down at his feet and wait. The custom was that when any man died, his nearest unmarried relative should marry the widow, and Ruth assumed Boaz was her nearest cousin. Ruth did as she was bidden; and at midnight Boaz awoke suddenly, and found her there at his feet.
* Ruth brought home an ephah of barley, according to the Biblical author, a dry measure equivalent to about a bushel or eight dry gallons, or some 35 litres. A bushel of barley weighs about 48lb.