Ruths Recompense, Commentary on Ruth · Chapter 2 · Verse 5
Verſe 5. Then ſaid Boaz vntounto his ſeruant, that was ſet ouer the Reapers, Whoſe Damoſell is this?
THis is an enquiry after the young woman. Wherein is to be obſerued, who maketh the demand, of whom hee enquireth, and concerning whom the demand was made.
Then ſaid Boaz.] Hee no ſooner came into the field, and had ſaluted his Reapers, but his eye was vponupon Ruth, of her hee tooke ſpeciall notice, and demanded who ſhee was, and to whom ſhee did belong. Which ſheweth a guiding power of God herein, and alſo that afore this time hee had not ſeene her. Old Naomi had not ſent her, it may ſeeme, to his houſe, nor abroad to bee gazed vponupon, and yet was ſhe famous for her vertues, Chap. 3. 11. which will ſpread themſelues abroad well enough, though the party in perſon be knowne to few.
VntoUnto his ſeruant that was ſet ouer the reapers.] Boaz had placed one as Ouerſeer to the reſt, & of this man doth he demand the queſtion. Hence note, That it is a point of wiſedome in great families, to appoint an Ouerſeer ouer the reſt in the Maſters abſence. Thus Abraham had Eleazar his Steward; ſo had Ahab his Obadiah; and here Boaz the Bailiffe of his husbandrie: for Maſters cannot alway be with their ſeruants, and therefore it is neceſſary to hauehave ſuch a one, to ſet eueryevery one to their taske, to ſee what is done, to be done with diligence, and alſo well and orderly, and to preuent falſehood and deceit, as well as they can, and further to acquaint their Maſter with his affaires, with the paines and labour of ſuch as be diligent, & contrarily to giuegive notice of ſuch as be not for his ſeruice, that ſo the one ſort may be rewarded as they deſerue, and the other put off, after their wages be paid them; for the hyre muſt not be kept backe, which a good Steward muſt hauehave care of for his Maſters credit, and his owne diſcharge. But yet here let maſters in ſetting one ouer the reſt, make a good choiſe, and ſee that the man be, Firſt, wiſe and skilfull in that he vndertaketh. Secondly, one diligent and painefull in his owne perſon. Thirdly, a man fearing God, as was Abrahams ſeruant and Ahabs Steward: For ſuch a one will be honeſt towards his Maſter, carefull to make others religious, and ſo procure a bleſſing to the whole houſe. Such an one may be truſted, as Potiphar did Ioſeph; and to ſuch an one authoritie may be committed to command others, and to order matters among ſeruants: but yet euer ſo, as that he be ready to giuegive an account of his ſtewardſhip. Now alſo hence we may inferre, that if one may be ſet ouer another in a familie, then alſo in a Cōmon-wealth; for without order of ſuperiority1. Chro. 27. and inferiority, no Common-wealth can ſtand; which being true, ouerthroweth the Anabaptiſticall Anarchie. Moreouer, in that the Ouerſeer is asked concerning this damoſell by Boaz, and not the reſt, we learne, That ſeruants, who are betruſted with the care and charge of buſineſſe, are to giuegive account touching any thing or perſon within their charge: to them the queſtion is to be made, which will make ſuch to looke to their charge, to be ready to anſwer according to the truſt committed into their hands.
Whoſe damoſell is this?] This ſheweth that Ruth was yet but yong, and therefore the more commendation to her, that came to be ſo famous for vertue: And in that Boaz asketh not what, but whoſe damoſel ſhee is; it giueth vsus to know, that he thought her to belong to ſome, as one of the maids of Iſrael, and that ſhee was not (as now vaine yong women deſire to be) at their owne hand, which is the next way to lewdneſſe and all looſneſſe. Such Miſtriſleſſe maids were not then, as now too common, which maketh them alſo to become common. An euill not ſufferable in a well gouerned ſtate, to hauehave Maſterleſſe men or Miſtriſleſſe women. It is fit to aske young people till they be marryed, Whoſe they be? to whom they belong? and whom they doe ſerue? Before I conclude this verſe, another thing may be noted frō Boaz: That it is a wiſe part of a houſholder, to knowe who they be which come to his houſe, or into his grounds or field, to take commoditie by him: as he doth here, finding her in his field with his reapers; leſt a man giuegive countenance to the vnworthie:2. Theſ. 3. for men are to be mercifull, but yet in wiſedome, becauſe ſome are not to be relieued: Therefore let men well know to whom to giuegive. In former times amongſt vsus, men hauehave beene commended for good houſekeepers: but if their houſekeeping were examined by Gods Word, we ſhould find it nothing leſſe then good houſekeeping, but rather ſuch houſes were houſes of riot, exceſſe, prodigality, gluttony, and drunkennes, ſuffering all ſorts of idle lewd, and licencious Mates to come in to eate, drinke, card, dice, ryot, and reuell vnderunder a Lord of miſrule, eſpecially at Chriſtmaſſe, a time pretended to be ſpent in ioy and reioycing in the honor of Chriſt, but was indeed abuſed to his great diſhonour, to the increaſe of ſinne, and the pleaſing of Satan.