经文研读
Ruth 3:9 — Ruth's Appeal to Her Kinsman-Redeemer
Ruth identifies herself to Boaz and asks him to spread his skirt over her as her near kinsman, appealing to the covenant duty of redemption.
经文
- 9.他 就 說 ： 你 是 誰 ？ 回 答 說 ： 我 是 你 的 婢 女 路 得 。 求 你 用 你 的 衣 襟 遮 蓋 我 ， 因 為 你 是 我 一 個 至 近 的 親 屬 。And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thy handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thy handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.
这段经文的意思
The verse is structured as a brief dialogue: Boaz's startled question, 'Who art thou?' is met with Ruth's self-identification, 'I am Ruth thy handmaid,' followed immediately by her request. The doubled 'handmaid' ('thy handmaid ... thy handmaid') frames the request with humility — she names herself as belonging to him before she states what she is asking.
The request 'spread therefore thy skirt over thy handmaid' uses the image of covering as a covenant pledge. In the context of the chapter, Naomi had sent Ruth to the threshing floor so that Boaz 'will tell thee what thou shalt do' (verse 5), and Ruth now voices the action she is seeking: that Boaz take her under his protection as kinsman-redeemer rather than leave her unprotected.
The closing clause, 'for thou art a near kinsman,' grounds the request in the legal-covenant category of the go'el. Ruth does not plead on the basis of romance or personal affection; she appeals to a specific family obligation within the covenant community. The request therefore stands or falls on Boaz's recognition of that duty, which he immediately acknowledges in the following verses.
背景
The chapter opens with Naomi devising a plan for Ruth's 'rest,' instructing her to go down to the threshing floor where Boaz is winnowing barley, to lie at his feet after he has eaten and drunk, and to wait for him to tell her what to do (verses 1–5). Ruth carries out these instructions precisely, and at midnight Boaz, startled, discovers a woman at his feet (verses 6–8). Verse 9 is therefore Ruth's response at the moment of discovery.
Immediately after verse 9, Boaz pronounces a blessing on Ruth for not following young men, affirms her standing as a 'worthy woman' known in the city, and acknowledges that he is a kinsman — though there is one nearer than he (verses 10–12). The chapter then proceeds through the night at the threshing floor and Naomi's confident summary that the matter will be resolved 'this day' (verses 13–18).
常见问题
Why does Ruth ask Boaz to 'spread his skirt' over her?
Ruth identifies herself as his 'handmaid' and immediately asks him to spread his skirt over her, framing the request as an appeal to his recognized covenant duty as her near kinsman to act in the role of kinsman-redeemer rather than as a personal or romantic plea.
What does 'near kinsman' mean in this verse?
The clause 'for thou art a near kinsman' explicitly grounds Ruth's request in the covenant category of the kinsman-redeemer: a family member with the recognized obligation to act on behalf of a deceased relative's widow within the covenant community.
How does Boaz respond to Ruth's request in the verses that follow?
Boaz immediately blesses Ruth for her conduct, acknowledges her standing as a worthy woman, confirms that he is a near kinsman, but also notes that there is a kinsman nearer than he, deferring the resolution of the matter to the next day.