Ruths Recompense, Commentary on Ruth · Chapter 2 · Verse 9
Verſe 9. Let thine eyes be on the field that they doe reape, and goe thou after them: HaueHave not I charged the yong men, that they ſhould not touch thee? And when thou art a thirſt, goe vntounto the veſſels, and drinke of that which the yong men hauehave drawne.
BOaz goeth on expreſſing his louelove to Ruth more and more: and this is here ſhewed in three things. Firſt, in willing her to follow the Reapers into eueryevery field. Secondly, in his care for her ſafety, in charging them not to touch her. Thirdly, in allowing to drinke when ſhee was dry, of that which was drawne for them.
Let thine eyes be on the field that they doe reape, and goe thou after them.] Boaz had, it ſeemeth hereby, a great harueſt: for this implyeth, they were to paſſe from field to field, and he willeth her to goe after whitherſoeuer, & not to loſe their company, as deſirous to doe her good this way, and ſo to be beholden to him, as ſhe ſhould not need to go to any other place to gleane. See here how bountifull a mercifull and louing man is: So is true louelove in whomſoeuer it is, 1. Cor. 13. 4. and Mercy is not miſerly, as appeareth in Iob, Chap. 31. and in Cornelius, Act. 10. 2. See this alſo in the Lords louelove towards his beloued, his Church, fetched from the louelove of a Louer to his beloued, Ezech. 16. 8, 10, 11, 12. Let then our louelove and kindneſſe appeare by ourGen. 43. 34. and 45. 17. 18. bounty and mercy, as Ioſeph ſhewed to his brethren and father; and Pharaoh did to them for his louelove to Ioſeph. LoueLove where it is, cannot poſſibly be barren; they therefore which ſhew it not in workes of louelove and mercy, as need is, and their abilitie will giuegive leaue, they are no true Louers of their brethren. People are now moſt in ſaying, nothing in doing; they are like the Adamant, drawing all to them, and as the Lions den, admitting in all, but ſuffering nothing to goe out. It is rare to heare of a Macedonian-like bounty, freely to giuegive beyond abilitie; or of any like a poore widow, which gaue her two mites, all ſhee had. If men would giuegive of their ſuperfluities, it were well. Oh that we loued as well the workes of mercy, and our poore brethren, and the Miniſterie, yea but halfe ſo well, as we doe dainties for our bellies, braue clothes for our backs, and titles to bring our perſons into reuerence with men! But thus much for this.
HaueHave not I charged the yong men that they ſhould not touch thee?] To touch, is any way to wrong another, Gen. 26. 11. Pſal. 105. 15. Zach. 1. 8. By which kind of ſpeaking vſed by the Lord, we are taught, that the leaſt wrong is not to be offered to any▪ not ſo much as to touch them, as by way of offering thereby iniurie. This care had Boaz for Ruth, who not only doth her good, but preuenteth euill from her, in laying his command vponupon them not to touch her. And in ſpeaking by an interrogation, it is not onelyonly to aſſure her of the truth, but it implyeth his authoritie ouer them, ſo as they durſt not offer her any wrong, but would quietly ſuffer her to bee amongſt them. Whence note, I. Young poore women and ſtrangers euen then were ſubiect to abuſe; and young men too wantonly giuen towards ſuch. This Boaz knew, and therefore gaue them this charge: For youth is vanitie, as Salomon ſpeaketh, and luſt is as a commanding law ouer their hearts, except they hauehave grace to reſtraine the ſame, and that muſt bee by ordering themſeluesPſal. 119. 9. according to Gods Word. Let youth take notice hereof. II. That Boaz had a command ouer his ſeruants, ſo as they ſtood in awe of his word; elſe what had this beene for Ruths ſafetie? Neither would he hauehave thus ſpoken, HaueHave not I charged them? but that hee knew his word to bee a law to them. And ſuch authoritie ſhould Maſters hauehave ouer ſeruants, who ſhould bee ſubiect to their Maſters, and not ſtubborne & gain-ſaying, without care to ſhew obedience, as too many be. III. That Boaz taketh care of her ſafetie; for louelove doth not onelyonly good, but ſeeketh to preuent ill from ſuch as they doe louelove and intertaine. Such care was in Lot towards his Gueſts; and in the oldGen. 19. Iud. 19. 16, 23. man of Gibeah towards the Leuite: for this is a fruit of louelove, and alſo of faithfulneſſe, when any one hath taken another into his protection, and admitted among ſuch as he hath authoritie ouer. This is an vſe for Magiſtrates; they ſhouldIob 29. 12, 17. Pſal. 82. 3, 4. Pro. 31. 8, 9. care for the preſeruation of others by their authoritie, for therefore are they ſet in ſuch aProu. 24. 11. place: and if they hauehave not this care, it is their ſinne; and as they muſt ſee to all, ſo eſpecially to the Fatherleſſe, Widowes, and Strangers, andExod. 22. Mal. 3. 5. poore Labourers; for wrong offered to theſe, greatly diſpleaſeth God, which hee threatneth to reuenge. And this ſhould teach Gouernours of families, ſo to rule and order their families, as they ſuffer not one to wrong another; that their eyes bee vponupon them ſo, as they ſhould not dare to offend againſt honeſtie and chaſtitie, by ſitting among, and dallying with yong women, by filthie and wanton ſongs, by any other allurements to ſinne, which young women are to auoid, as they hauehave a care to preſerue their chaſtitie; and young mens vanitie and wickedneſſe herein muſt be reſtrained by their Parents and Maſters: yet are there ſome ſo farre from this, as they can take pleaſure in the light behauiour and wanton ſpeeches of ſeruants and others, eſpecially in reaping their harueſt, allowing them thus, as they account it, to be merrie with their tongues, to make their hands to worke the faſter: but this is in compariſon a light fault, (though alſo a foule ſinne, Epheſ. 5.) for ſome Maſters are authors of vncleannes, and deflowreHeb. 13. Prou. 6. Mal. 3. 5. maidens themſelues, like luſtfull and foule adulterers; but let ſuch remember the wrath of God againſt them.
And when thou art a thirſt, goe vntounto the veſſels, and drink of that which the young men hauehave drawne.] Thirſt will come vponupon the painefull labourer, and it muſt be quenched: Boaz therefore had prouided for his ſeruants veſſels for water, which the young men drew; of this hee giueth Ruth leaue to drinke. It may ſeeme a very ſmall kindneſſe to vouchſafe her libertie to drinke of the water; but we muſt know that it was common drinke for the beſt, aſwell as the worſt: Saul drunke1. Sam. 26, 11. Iudg. 4. Gen. 21. 14. and 24. water; Siſera called for water; Abraham gaue a bottle to Hagar for Iſhmael his ſonne: and his ſeruant drank water at Rebeccaes hand. It was not eaſie neither to come by, in ſuch an hot and high countrie, water was not eueryevery where ſo plentifull, as appeareth by the ſtrife of Abimelechs andGen. 26. 19, 20. and 21. Iſaaks ſeruants; by Hagars lamenting for want of water; by the Miracle wrought for Samſon: Iudg. 15.for the countrie was hot, and the waters aboue the earth ſoone dried vp, the ſprings were hard to be found, and wells were very deepe; ſo as this was a very good fauour of Boaz to Ruth; Ioh. 4.and Ruth, we ſee in the next verſe, tooke it to be a great kindneſſe, and was very thankfull in all humilitie. By this we ſee, that a worke of mercy and louelove may be ſhewed in a ſmall matter, as in a cupMat. 10. 42. of cold water ſometime, which ſhal not loſe the reward: for it is merciemercy to ſupply the want of others for an heartie compaſſion, how little ſoeuer the thing be. This may teach men to bee thankfull for ſupply of their want, though the matter be but little, and not to thinke merciemercy and kindneſſe to conſiſt in great gifts, and good turnes to be done in things of weight onelyonly.