ESTUDIO DEL VERSÍCULO
Ruth 3:4 — Naomi's Instructions at the Threshing Floor
Naomi instructs Ruth to go to the threshing floor, mark where Boaz lies down, uncover his feet, and lay herself there, trusting that he will tell her what to do.
Escritura
- 4.Y cuando él se acueste, notarás el lugar donde se acuesta, e irás y descubrirás sus pies, y te acostarás allí; y él te dirá lo que hayas de hacer.And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.
Qué significa este pasaje
Verse 4 is the climax of Naomi's three-step plan (vv. 1–4): bathe, anoint, dress, then approach Boaz at the threshing floor (v. 3); once he has lain down, locate him, uncover his feet, and lie down beside him. The four-part sequence — 'mark the place … go in … uncover his feet … lay thee down' — gives Ruth concrete actions rather than vague gestures, so that an unfamiliar young woman can execute the plan with confidence. The verse closes with the assurance 'he will tell thee what thou shalt do,' shifting the outcome from Naomi's strategy to Boaz's own response.
The command to 'uncover his feet' and recline near his feet is the verse's distinctive act. Because Naomi frames the encounter as one where Boaz will 'tell' Ruth what to do (v. 4), the gesture functions as a petition that puts the matter into his hands rather than demanding a specific outcome. In the following chapter Boaz interprets the act as a request for kinship (3:9), and he both blesses Ruth for her loyalty (3:10) and clarifies that another kinsman is nearer (3:12), showing that the instruction deliberately left room for him to act, not for Ruth to claim.
The verse's language of 'when he lieth down … thou shalt mark the place' reveals the timing: Ruth must wait until Boaz has finished eating and drinking (v. 3), and then act while he sleeps. Naomi's instructions carry an implicit trust in Boaz's character, since the plan requires Ruth to be alone with him at night. This trust is vindicated in 3:10–13, where Boaz praises Ruth, promises to act, and protects her reputation, demonstrating that the instructions of v. 4 were calibrated to Boaz's integrity as 'a worthy woman … all the city of my people doth know' (3:11).
Contexto
Ruth 3 sits between the field scenes of chapter 2 and the gate negotiation of chapter 4. Naomi opens chapter 3 seeking 'rest' and 'well' for Ruth (v. 1), identifies Boaz as a kinsman with whom Ruth has already worked (v. 2), and then gives the instructions that culminate in verse 4. Ruth's reply — 'All that thou sayest I will do' (v. 5) — is followed by her execution of the plan (vv. 6–7), and the chapter closes with Naomi telling her to 'sit still … until thou know how the matter will fall' (v. 18). Verse 4 is therefore the hinge that turns Naomi's intention into Ruth's obedient action.
The threshing floor setting governs everything in the passage. Naomi restricts Ruth's appearance until Boaz has 'done eating and drinking' (v. 3), which sets the stage for 'when he lieth down' (v. 4) and for the midnight discovery in v. 8. The grain heap where Boaz sleeps (v. 7) is the same location Ruth is told to mark. The whole chapter unfolds as a single nighttime sequence, and verse 4's instructions assume and shape that sequence.
Preguntas frecuentes
Why does Naomi tell Ruth to uncover Boaz's feet rather than speak to him directly?
The instruction in verse 4 frames the act as a petition Boaz will interpret, rather than a demand Ruth makes. Verse 4 ends 'he will tell thee what thou shalt do,' putting the decision in Boaz's hands. In 3:9 Ruth then speaks and asks him to 'spread thy skirt over thy handmaid,' and he both blesses her and clarifies that a nearer kinsman must be approached first (3:10, 12). The feet-gesture thus opens a conversation governed by Boaz's response.
Was Naomi's plan risky or improper for Ruth?
The text presents it as a calculated move within the kinsman-guardian custom that the chapter itself invokes. Naomi limits Ruth's exposure until Boaz has finished eating and drinking (v. 3) and times the act for when he lies down (v. 4), and the chapter emphasizes Boaz's integrity: he is known as 'a worthy woman … all the city of my people doth know' (3:11), praises Ruth's loyalty (3:10), protects her reputation (3:14), and acts the next morning at the gate (3:18 → ch. 4). The text frames the plan as wise, not reckless.
What is the literary structure of Ruth 3:1–4?
Verses 1–2 establish motive ('rest,' 'well with thee') and identify Boaz; verse 3 gives three preparatory commands ('wash … anoint … put thy raiment'); verse 4 supplies the climactic instruction ('mark the place … go in … uncover … lay thee down') and the assurance 'he will tell thee what thou shalt do.' Ruth's 'All that thou sayest I will do' (v. 5) is the verbal mirror of verse 4's four-part sequence, confirming that she understood the plan step by step.