Ruth - 4:8



8 So the near kinsman said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself." He took off his shoe.

Verse In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of Ruth 4:8.

Differing Translations

Compare verses for better understanding.
Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe.
So Booz said to his kinsman: Put off thy shoe. And immediately he took it off from his foot.
And he that had the right of redemption said to Boaz, Buy for thyself; and he drew off his sandal.
And the redeemer saith to Boaz, 'Buy it for thyself,' and draweth off his sandal.
So the near relation said to Boaz, Take it for yourself. And he took off his shoe.
So the near kinsman said to Boaz, 'Buy it for yourself.' And he took off his sandal and gave it to him.
And so Boaz said to his kinsman, "Take off your shoe." And immediately he released it from his foot.

*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.


Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

And therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, buy it for me,.... Which is repeated to show he gave his full consent to it, that he should make the purchase of it if he pleased, and which he confirmed by the following rite:
so he drew off his shoe; thereby signifying that he relinquished his right to the purchase of the estate, and ceded it to him; the Targum has it,"and Boaz drew off the glove off his right hand, and bought it of him;''and so Aben Ezra,"and Boaz drew off his shoe, and gave it to his kinsman,''as if this was some acknowledgment for yielding his right unto him; and about this there is a great dissension among the Jewish writers (l); one says it was the shoe of Boaz that was plucked off; another says it was the shoe of the kinsman; which latter seems most correct: and it may be observed, that this custom is different from what is enjoined Deuteronomy 25:6 there the woman was to pluck off the shoe of him that refused to marry her, but here the man plucked off his own shoe, who chose not to redeem; nor is there mention of spitting in his face; nor does it appear that Ruth did the one or the other; though Josephus (m) affirms it, and says, that she both plucked off his shoe, and spit in his face; neither of which are mentioned.
(l) Midrash Ruth, fol. 35. 2. (m) Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 9. sect. 4.)

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