Ruths Recompense, Commentary on Ruth · Chapter 4 · Verse 5
Verſe 5. Then ſaid Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it alſo of Ruth the Moabiteſse, the wife of the dead, to raiſe vp the name of the dead vponupon his inheritance.
BOaz propoundeth now the thing principally intended. In which may be noted, when it was ſpoken of, what, and the end why.
Then ſaid Boaz.] When hee ſaw him forward to buy the land, and as one prepared thereby, in his vnderſtanding, to hauehave the offer of Ruth made to him, then he propounded her, teaching this, that then a matter is fit to be ſpoken of, when the party may ſeeme to bee prepared thereunto▪ and this is wiſedome both concerning ſpirituall and corporall things. Thus may we ſee how Boaz did here; ſo the wiſe woman of Tekoa did to Dauid; and2. Sam. 14. 1. King. 20. 39, 40, 42. in like ſort Nathan to Dauid; the Prophet to Ahab; and thus did Ioſeph prepare his brethren, before hee diſcouered himſelfe to them. And in this manner doth God in ſhewing his will to vsus; he prepared his people in giuing the Law: andExod. 19. Iohn Baptist muſt prepare the way before Chriſt come with the Goſpell: and ſo muſt Paul be prepared with humiliation, before the Lord tell him his good pleaſure, and put him into his function to carry his Name vntounto the Gentiles. And thusAct. 9. Acts 1. and 2. did Peter, before he propounded the chuſing of Mathias, and the Word of glad tidings to the Iewes: for in doing this, we may greatly further what we doe intend. And therefore let vsus learne this wiſedome to put it alſo into practice.
What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it alſo of Ruth the Moabiteſse.] The reaſon of this ſpeech of buying firſt of Naomi, then of Ruth, is this: Naomi was Elimelechs widdow, to whom the land did belong, and whom the kinſman ſhould hauehave married; but ſeeing ſhee was too old to marry, and to beare children; and now Ruth yong, and the widdow of one of Naomi her ſonnes, ſhee was to ſupply Naomi her defect; and ſhee, when the land was to bee redeemed, muſt alſo be married to the Kinſman, albeit ſhee was a Moabiteſſe: for Gods Law was not partiall, but extended in Iſrael, in that caſe, for which the Law was giuen to the woman, whether ſhee were an Iſraeliteſſe, or of another nation, and married to an Iſraelite. Note here, that Boaz at the firſt propounded not ſo much as he intended: yea, what is principally intended, is often last propounded, as here, or wholely concealed, vſuall with Statiſts: as we may ſee in1. Sam. 18. 9, 17, 21, 25. Saul, who propounded the marriage of his daughter to Dauid, as if hee honoured and loued him, when the end of his policie was to deſtroy him. Ieroboam propoundeth tranquillitie and reſt to Iſrael, and that he had care to ſaue them from ſo great coſt & trouble, as to go vp to Ieruſalem, there to worſhip; hee would for their eaſe, hauehave them worſhip at Dan and Bethel the golden Calues: but this their fleſhly eaſe, effected by this deuiliſh policie, was not intended, but the ſafety of himſelfe, and the confirming of the Kingdome1. King. 12. 26, 27. to himſelfe, of which yet in the end he was deceiued. Seeing that leſſe is at firſt propounded ſometime then intended, and the maine thing now and then concealed, as theſe examples ſhew, and as wee may ſee it in the Serpent that Grand Politician vntounto Eue; let men learne to be wiſe to ſift the drift, if they hauehave to do with men of wiſedome, and of a deepe reach; elſe auoid them, if their owne apprehenſion bee too ſhallow to conceiue them, leſt by credulity they bee ouerthrowne. But it may here be asked, ſeeing Boaz did propound not that which at the first he chiefely aimed at, whether it be lawfull ſo to doe? I anſwer, Yes: for to propound one thing before another, is not euill, neither to conceale ſometime part of our mind, as wee may ſee in Samuel, ſo aduiſed by1. Sam. 16. 2. God himſelfe to ſpeake: yea that may bee ſometime ſpoken, and in ſome caſe, which may ſeeme to further a thing in hand, and yet bee the way to preuent, and tend to the well-fare of another, as the counſell of Huſhai to Abſalom; which counſell2. Sam. 17. was not to ouerthrow Abſalom, though by Gods hand it fell out ſo, but to prouide for the ſafety of Dauid, and to croſſe the counſell of Achitophel, which tended to the vtter deſtruction of Dauid, the Lords Anoynted; which was honeſt and godly policie, in which no euill, but good was intended of Huſhai his part, which differs much from the damnable policie of Saul and Ieroboam: which ſubtill men moſt commonly follow and put in practice. We may alſo obſerue here maintenance for Naomi, and marriage for Ruth, ſo as both the widdowes were cared for: for of widdowes Exo. 22. 22, 23.God hath euer had an eſpeciall care. To a widdow muſt Eliah goe to preſerue both his owne and1. King. 17. her life: for a widdow muſt Eliſha worke a miracle2. King. 4. 1. to diſcharge her debts, that ſhee and her children alſo may liue: for widdowes left childleſſe, aDeut. 25. Law was made for their marriage, and maintenance allowed for ſuch, if ſhee were a PrieſtsLeuit. 22. 13. daughter, when ſhe returned to her fathers houſe. And therefore let men hauehave reſpect to the widdowes, as Iames exhorteth, who maketh it aIames 1. 27. chiefe ſigne, or character of our Religion before God.
The wife of the dead.] This ſheweth how Ruth came to hauehave a right in an Iſraelite to marry with him, becauſe her husband was an Iſraelite, and the Law was, that the widdow of ſuch a one, the next kinſman ſhould marry, if hee died without iſſue. But yet this is not all: for Orpha was the wife of the dead too; ſhee was married to Chillion brother to Mahlon: but Ruths Religion and comming with Naomi to dwell among Gods people, giuegive her this benefit of Gods Law. By which wee may learne, that Religion, and not any earthly priuiledge, doth interest vsus into the Law of God and the benefit thereof: for otherwiſe Orpha had as much right by the Law to the Kinſman and to Boaz as Ruth had. If therefore we claime a benefit by the Word, let vsus bee religious: for godlineſſe hath the promiſe of this life, and the life to come: but vntounto the wicked no hope, ſo long as they ſo remaine, but to them the threatnings and curſes be due.
To raiſe vp the name of the dead vponupon his inheritance.] This was Moſes Law, and ordainedDeut. 25. 5. for diuers cauſes: firſt, to ſhew that by death, the right of inheritance was not loſt: for it is called his inheritance, which figured out this, that by death we loſe not our right of Heauen, which is called our inheritance. Secondly, to prouide that the widow ſhould not be without children; thereby typing, or figuring vntounto vsus, that the Church ſhould not be left barren. Thirdly, to make the dead to liue againe, and his name to remaine among ſuch as were in the land of the liuing: ſo teaching, that the dead ſhould riſe, and enioy Life euerlaſting. Fourthly, to preſerue theDeut. 25. 6. name of the dead, that it ſhould not bee put out: ſo giuing vsus to know, that God keepeth our names in remembrance, and we ſhall not periſh. Fifthly and laſtly, to preſerue the honour of the firſt borne; when hee that was begotten by the kinſman, was to beare the name of the dead, and not his name which begot him: ſo God would teach vsus, that Chriſt, the firſt begotten, ſhould be honoured; and ſuch as were begotten by ſpirituall Fathers, the Miniſters of the Word, ſhould carry Chriſts Name, and from him bee called Chriſtians, & not by the name of their Teachers, as if they begot people to themſelues, but onelyonly to Chriſt, to keepe vp his Name amongſt his Saints for euer. Beſides theſe ends, and this typicall and figuratiue meaning, wee may obſerue, that by Moſes Law, kindred were to vphold the name of their houſe, that it periſhed not: for itPſal. 109. 13. Ier. 22. 30. was a great curſe to hauehave a mans name rooted out. And though that Law doe not bind vsus, yet the Law of naturall louelove, and louing reſpect to our owne kindred, the name and credit of thoſe which we come of, yea, and the honour which our family may come vntounto by obtaining antiquitie, ſhould make vsus vphold it: for ancient families hauehave a certaine honour vponupon them for antiquitie ſake, though otherwiſe but poore and meane. Now, to keepe vp a name, and that inSee Verſe 12. good credit, we muſt obſerue and fulfill theſe things firſt, plant Religion, and keep that among vsus: for ſo God will vphold and ſtrengthen vsus, and bleſſe vsus and ours: the godly ſhall be had in an euerlaſting remembrance, but the name of the wicked ſhall rot. Secondly, bring vp our children, and ſo teach them to bring vp theirs, in honeſt courſes and callings, and not to let them liue idly and vainely: for nothing preuents euill more, nor vpholds a mans eſtate better, than to liue with induſtry and diligence in a calling: and what ouerthroweth houſes, and bringeth men to ruine, making Gallants to ſell away their inheritances, but that they hauehave beene idly brought vp, without callings, without honeſt imployments? Thirdly, keepe our Genealogies, from our Anceſtours, and the increaſe of our poſterities, to behold therein the Lords bleſſing, and to reioyce in our encreaſing the Lords Church. Fourthly, we muſt helpe them vp againe, which by Gods hand fall into decay: common charity, and naturall louelove doe perſwade hereunto, and our owne credit alſo, in keeping our name from contempt, if that reſpect may moue vsus: for the more poore, the leſſe eſteeme, and the greater contempt. Fifthly, we muſt labour to preferre our kindred to good marriages, to good places, as they ſhall be fit, and occaſions offered, as farre forth as we ſhall be able to the vtmoſt. Sixtly, we muſt louelove one another entirely. Which ſhall appeare: firſt, by our enquiring after one another, when we be ſeparated. Secondly, by viſiting one another neere, and ſending one to another farther off. Thirdly, by being glad to ſee any of them, though deſcended many degrees from vsus: for the further off, the better appeareth the antiquity of our kindred, and the greater encreaſe of our houſe. Fourthly, by being deſirous that one ſhould make vſe of another, before any other whatſoeuer: for this combineth them very neerely in affection. Fifthly and laſtly, to defend them in their iuſt cauſes, and to be as one man to preſerue them from wrongs and iniuries offered them vniuſtly: this doe, but yet onelyonly as farre as may ſtand with publike peace; for that muſt bee preferred before kindred, yea and our owne eſtate and liues, leſt we runne into factions and partakings, and ſo cauſe ciuill diſſention, which muſt be moſt carefully auoided: but otherwiſe, being no breach of publicke peace, no wrecke of conſcience, nothing againſt iuſtice and legall proceedings, we muſt defend them, and in their good courſes vphold them in louelove and charity. If eueryevery houſe and familie would doe thus, ſhould not men be happy? ſhould not eueryevery one reſt in peace vnderunder his owne vine? The rich friends would ſupply the want of their poore kindred, and the poore would honour them, and lay downe their liues for them. Charity would rule as Queene; and iuſtice would ſit in peace; Religion would flouriſh, and the Land would bee bleſſed, and people made renowned, admired and feared. Before I end this verſe, here it may be asked, Whether the Law of Moſes, mentioning a Deut. 25. ….brother, be to be vnderstood of naturall brethren, or onelyonly, as the Hebrewes vſe to vnderstand brother, a neere kinſman, and not a naturall brother?
Anſwer. It is to bee vnderſtood of a naturall brother: for the Law was in vſe before it wasGen. 38. 17, 18. written, and ſo then vnderſtood by Iudah and Thamar, God diſpenſing therewith: and Naomi Chap. 1. 13.thus vnderſtood it alſo: though, if there bee no brother, the nigheſt kinſman then muſt marry the widdow; therefore Ruth claimed it of Boaz, and Boaz did propound it to the neerer kinſman: beſides theſe, Learned men doe take the Law to be ſo meant.