Ruths Recompense, Commentary on Ruth · Chapter 2 · Verse 13
Verſe 13. Then ſhe ſaid, Let me find fauour in thy ſight, my Lord, for thou hast comforted mee, and for that thou haſt ſpoken friendly vntounto thine hand-maid, though I be not like vntounto one of thine hand-maidens.
RVTHS ſpeech vntounto Boaz, acknowledging his fauour with great humility, ſhewing what it wrought in her, and the reaſon alſo thereof, with a debaſing of her ſelfe as inferior to his ſeruants.
Then ſhee ſaid, Let me find fauour in thy ſight.] Theſe words may be read two wayes, either thus as here, and then they ſhew Ruths deſire of the countenance of his fauour. For the poore doe not 1. Sam. 1. 18. 2. Sam. 16. 4.onelyonly deſire to get the rich mans good will, but would gladly hauehave it continued. And a thankefull mind ſeeketh the continuance of vndeſerued fauours, and not Hanuns part, 2. Sam. 10. Or the words may be read thus, I doe find fauour in thy ſight. And it is then, as if ſhee had ſaid, It is enough that I a poore ſtranger find this fauour in thine eyes; ſo are the words to be taken, Gen. 33. 15. and ſo in 2. Sam. 16. 4. Shee did not expect ſo much at his hands: and therefore knowing her ſelfe to hauehave deſerued nothing at his hands, ſhee reſts very thankefull for this ſo great a kindneſſe: For where nothing is deſerued, and nothing owing, there to finde ſpeciall fauour, deſerueth great thankes: Which heere ſhee acknowledgeth; and in the like caſe ſo muſt we. The choiſe of the reading I leaue to mens will; either may ſtand, and the Learned in the tongue vſe either; and our laſt Tranſlation in the margent leaueth it free. The thing ſhee either asketh, or acknowledgeth, is fauour, or mercy, compaſſion and good will (allforeign Miſericordia, compaſſio, beneuolentia, gratia, fauor, &c. which the word ſignifieth) in his eyes: By which word ſhee confeſſeth all his kindneſſes in word and deed ſhewed to her, to be of his meere goodneſſe and good will; and ſo ſhould workes of mercy come from the rich to the poore: the eye of the rich looking vponupon the poore, ſhould worke compaſſion in the heart; then doe ſuch find fauour in their eyes, when they are beheld and looked vponupon with reſpect to do them good. This fauour in the eyes, is not in eueryevery rich man, when he beholdeth the needy; it muſt be a good Boaz that hath ſuch eyes, for a Nabal wants them.
My Lord.] A title of reuerence ſhee giueth him. The word ſignifieth ſuch a one as beareth vpforeign the familie or Common-wealth as a Pillar: thus the name Lord importeth. I wiſh this title to be remembred of the great Ones, that they may ſhew themſelues Pillars and vpholders of the Common-wealth and of their houſes, and not deſtroyers of them. The thing I note, is this; It is lawfull to giuegive honorable titles vntounto men, as befitteth their place; So did Aaron to Moſes; Hannah toNum. 12. 11. 1. Sam. 2. 1. King. 18. 7. 2. King. 8. 12. Gen. 23. 6. Samuel; Obadiah to Eliah; and Hazael to Eliſha; and ſo did the Hittites to Abraham; ſo as both ſuch as were in, and ſuch as were out of the Church vſed ſuch tearmes of reuerence; and therefore may they be vſed, as Saint Luke did, andLuk. 1. 3. Act. 26. 25. alſo Saint Paul; herein taking heed of vniuſt titles, of baſe flattery, & the exceſſe in giuing euen iuſt titles. Note againe another thing, that the more humble men of good place & wealth ſhew themſelues to be, the more honour they get, as we ſee here: Shee did him reuerence before, verſe 10. in a moſt humble geſture, when ſhee ſaw his worldly kindneſſe: but now perceiuing the ground to be the louelove of her vertues, and ſo himſelfe to be a louer of vertue, ſhee calleth him Lord, encreaſing in her honouring of him, as ſhee tooke knowledge of his worthineſſe, the more for his louelove of vertue and godlineſſe, then for the outward and worldly kindneſſe. Here is wiſedome, and an excellent example teaching how to honour men truely, how farre, and eſpecially for what. This inſtructeth men to carry themſelues lowly, which are of place, and to expreſſe their louelove of vertue: it ſhall not make them be leſſe, but more eſteemed by much of thoſe that be godly and wiſe; elſe were they reprouable. Ionathans humility and goodneſſe loſt1. Sam. 20. 41. him no reuerence with Dauid. They be counted clowniſhly baſe, or fooliſhly proud, or ill-manered, which will giuegive leſſe honour to a man for his vertues and humility, when as he is to be eſteemed for that cauſe more worthy of encreaſe of honour with men of wiſedome and vnderſtanding.
For that thou haſt comforted me:] to wit, a ſtranger, a widdow, and poore, euen me haſt thou comforted by ſuch gracious ſpeeches, ſo full of mercy and pietie. The word comforted, by an Antiphraſisforeign Gen. 24. 64. ſignifieth a freedome from griefe: which implyeth, that before, ſhe was not without heauineſſe in this her poore eſtate: for a widdow poore and a ſtranger in the place of her abode, how can ſhee not be ſad and penſiue? Afflictions are not ioyous to any for the preſent, they will make ſad the heart of the beſt for a while, ſo long as we carry about this corrupt heart and nature of ours; and therefore let men looke vponupon the afflicted with compaſſion, to comfort them. Many wayes did Boaz comfort poore Ruth: Firſt, by a louing appellation, calling her his daughter, verſe 8. Secondly, by allowing her to gleane in his fields, and willing herſo to continue with his maidens, verſ. 8, 9. Thirdly, by charging his ſeruants in her hearing, not to touch her, verſe 9. Fourthly, by graunting her freedome to drinke with his ſeruants when ſhee ſhould be thirſtie. Fifthly, by commending her vertues, and making mention of her former well-doing. And ſixtly, in heartily praying for her. Thus may the poore afflicted be comforted by the wealthy and perſons of authority, and eſpecially in prayſing their vertues and praying for them: for the godly eſteeme highly of the prayers of the godly: for they know that God heareth them. The prayer of faith and feruencyIam. 5. 16. of ſpirit auaileth much, and God hath promiſedGen. 20. 7. Iob 42. 8. to heare one for another, and it is a ſigne of the Lords great diſpleaſure, when he will not1. Sam. 16. 1. Ier. 7. 16 and 11. 14. and 14. 11. hauehave one to pray for others. Therefore let vsus make much of the prayers of the godly, for they are comfortable. Saint Paul beſought the Saints to pray for him, and that very often: and this he doth almoſt in eueryevery Epiſtle, he intreateth the Romanes, Epheſians, Philippians, Corinthians,Rom. 15. 30. Ephe. 6. 18. 2. Cor. 1. 11. 2. Theſ. 3. 1. 1. Theſ. 5. 25. Heb. 13. 18, 19. Phil. 1. 19. Col. 4. 3. Theſſalonians, Coloſſians, the Hebrewes, all but the backſliding Galatians: a thing worthy of note.
And for that thou haſt ſpoken friendly vntounto thine handmaid.] This ſheweth wherein ſhee tooke the greateſt comfort, euen in his laſt words, in praiſing her vertues, and praying for her: which ſheweth, what it is wherein the godly poore take ſpeciall comfort, euen in their good name for well-doing, and in the prayers of ſuch as be godly. To be praiſed of the godly for well-doing, is great comfort: for they be the beſt Iudges thereof, and they be the beſt men; and their prayers, as before is noted, are auaileable with God. Let vsus then ſtriue to get a good name with them, and to hauehave their prayers, and requeſts to God for vsus; and when we get theſe, let vsus be comforted therein. The word tranſlated friendly, is in the Hebrew, to the foreignheart, and ſo the Septuagints tranſlate it: The heart is affected with comfortable words. Thus Ioſeph Gen. 50. 21.alſo ſpake to the heart of his brethren: for the heart in aduerſity wiſheth comfort, and when the ſame is offered, it reioyceth therein. Therefore muſt we ſo ſpeake to the afflicted, as we mayOſea 2. 14. make glad the heart of the oppreſſed. So doth the Lord ſpeake to his people: and ſo commandethEſai. 40. 2. he his Prophets to ſpeake vntounto them. Now, to ſpeake to the heart of another, is thus: Firſt, when we ſpeake with a feeling of their afflictions from our owne hearts: thus the Iewes comforted Mary Iohn 11. 19.and Martha. The Syriach there is, They ſpake with their heart; and ſo ſpake Saint Paul to the Theſſalonians:1. Theſ. 2. 11. And ſecondly, to ſpeake ſuch things as tend to their comfort, and what we know in their caſe may comfort them, as Ioſeph did to his brethren;Gen. 50. 21. and as the Prophet Eſay ſheweth in Cha. 40. 2. If this be our duety and our mercy to the diſtreſſed, then they offend againſt mercy and charity, who ſpeake vncomfortably vntounto the afflicted, as the Iewes did to our Sauiour vponupon the croſſe; and the friends of Iob vntounto Iob, which much diſpleaſed the Lord, and kindled his wrath againſt them. Boaz before called her his daughter, but ſhee nameth her ſelfe to be his handmaid: a tearme of humility, and a note of modeſty in her ſelfe, who was nothing lifted vp with a proud conceit of her ſelfe, for all his fauour and commendations: For godly and humble perſons are in themſelues no whit the higher minded for the good that is ſpoken of them, nor for the countenance of great perſons towards them: for they truely know themſelues to be nothing, and that all is from God, the Fountaine of goodneſſe. Therefore there is no danger to praiſe theſe vponupon iuſt cauſe to their faces for their comfort, as Boaz doth Ruth here, eſpecially being in a low eſtate, and in affliction.
Though I be not like one of thine handmaidens.] Thus doth Ruth debaſe her ſelfe: for ſuch as be truely religious, hauehave a low esteeme of themſelues: The examples are pregnant in Moſes, Gideon, Abigail, Exod. 3. 13. …. 6. …5. 1. Sam. 25. 24.and the Centurion, who held himſelfe no… worthy that Chriſt ſhould come vnderunder the roofe of his houſe: ſo lowly thought he of himſelfe. Becauſe they know and feele their infirmities, they hauehave ouermaſtered pride and ſelfe-louelove, they acknowledge that in themſelues, that is, in their fleſh, dwelleth no good, and therefore they thinke and ſpeake of themſelues very humbly. Which grace we muſt labour for: for it will procureProu. …2. 4. and 15. 33. louelove, yea honour: for he that humbleth himſelfe, ſhall be exalted. Now, the true ſignes of ſuch as be lowly in their owne eyes, are theſe. Firſt, they thinke better of others than of themſelues,Phil. 2. 3. as Ruth doth here, and as men ſhould doe. Secondly, they be loth to vndertake great and high matters, as Moſes to goe to Pharoah, andExod. 3. 11. 1. Sam. 18. 23. to bring Iſrael out of Egypt; and Dauid to be Sauls ſonne in law. Thirdly, if they be aduanced, they receiue honour with great humilitie, as Abigail did. Fourthly, in their high place and proſperity1. Sam. 25. 41. they be not of a proud and hautie ſpirit, as we may ſee in Ioſeph, Moſes, Dauid, Eſter ruled by Mordecai, and in the Apoſtle Saint Paul. Fifthly, they ſcorne no duety, though meane, if itGen. 13. 8. be a duety for them to doe. Abraham the Vncle will intreat peace at the hands of his Nephew Lot; If Dathan and Abiram ſcorne to come to Moſes, Num. 16. 12, 25.he will goe out to them: they ſtand not vponupon their place, ſo as they neglect what is fit to be done. Which iuſtly reproueth thoſe which hauehave too high an eſteeme of themſelues: which pride ariſeth, Firſt, of an ouerweaning of themſelues of their owne gifts, or what they thinke to be good in them. Secondly, by onelyonly looking vponupon the good in them, and what by their place and birth they may clayme, but not at all of the euils in themſelues, by which they hauehave cauſe to be caſt downe. And thirdly, by comparing themſelues either with their inferiours, or with their equals, vponupon whom yet they cannot looke with an equall eye, but with ſome better eſteeme of themſelues, by ſome one thing or other, wherein they would find themſelues to excell them; but they neuer looke vponupon their ſuperiours, except with the eye of enuie, nor vponupon any in that wherein they be ouermatched, which maketh them ſo proud: the true ſignes whereof are theſe; Firſt, they highly eſteeme of themſelues, and very meanely of others, and that often of their betters, as did Gaal. Iudg. 9. 28, 29.Secondly, they hauehave aſpiring ſpirits, and thinke themſelues worthy of higher places, as Adam and Eue; Abſalom; with Corah and his company. Thirdly, they are in proſperity impatient, and cannot endure the neglect of duety towards them, which they looke for, as Haman. Laſtly,Eſter 3. 5. and 5. 9. Num. 16. 12. Gen. 16. they diſdaine to be at command of their betters, as did Dathan and Abiram, and Hagar to be in ſubiection to her Miſtreſſe: for they thinke themſelues, as good as others.
Queſt. Here it may be asked how Ruth was vnlike to Boaz handmaidens?
Anſw. It is thought ſhee ſo ſpake, becauſe ſhee was not an Iſraelitiſh borne, one within the Couenant and of Gods people, but a Moabitiſh woman, of an idolatrous kindred, and inceſtuous race. In which reſpect ſhe might well thinke her ſelfe inferiour to them: for the children of the Church are more excellent than any other people whatſoeuer. Dauid therefore held it better to be a dorekeeper in Gods houſe, than to dwell in the Tents of the vngodly; and Moſes iudged the Iſraelites in affliction more happy, then the Egyptians and himſelfe in Pharaoes court; for the Churches children are Gods Children, when all other are but his ſeruants; they are in the couenant of God, the other ſtrangers; they hauehave ſpirituall gifts communicated to them, the other enioy but temporall fauours: they are highly eſteemed of God, and bought with a price, when the other are accounted but as whelps, as Chriſt ſpake to the Canaanitiſh woman, and are left in their ſpirituall captiuity; they hauehave Angels for their guard, and commanded to attend vponupon them, the other hauehave not ſo: Laſtly, they hauehave inheritance in Heauen, but the wicked ſhall goe into Hell, and all the people which forget God. And therefore in this reſpect Ruth might ſpeake truely, though now ſhee was become a Proſelyte, and ſo was to be held as one of the Lords people.