What does Ruth 2:8 mean?
Ruth loves Naomi. Naomi provided her with a family, a loving mother, and introduced her to the true God. Those gifts inspired Ruth to leave her home and birth-family behind and follow Naomi to Israel. Even if she must be homeless and glean loose barley after the harvesters, Ruth knows her place is with Naomi (Ruth 1).Boaz has heard of Ruth's devotion to her mother-in-law. He feels led to provide Ruth with even more. She has come to his field to ask permission to scavenge leftover grain (Ruth 1:22 2:2–7). He readily agrees but adds more instructions: she is not to glean in any other fields. This is not meant as a restriction, but as a safeguard. Boaz does not want her to go to a field where he cannot command the harvesters to leave her in peace (Ruth 2:9).
She is to keep close or "join" his female servants. After the men cut the stalks of barley and lay them on the ground, the women come along and bind them into bundles. Ruth is to follow close behind the women and pick up what they leave loose.
When the team moves to another field, Ruth is to follow. When they stop to drink, she is to join them (Ruth 2:9). Boaz gives Ruth every benefit of being an employee, yet everything she gathers she gets to keep. In this way, he ensures she can gather more than any gleaner could hope for (Ruth 2:15–17).
Here, Boaz tells Ruth to "listen." Next, he will "charge" his young men. Boaz is an important man and expects to be obeyed for the good of others.
Ruth 2:8–13 depicts Boaz meeting Ruth and giving her instructions. Ruth has come to his field to glean barley for herself and her mother-in-law Naomi. Boaz has heard how Ruth left behind her home and family to care for Naomi; he wants to do what he can to help. He tells Ruth to stay in his fields with his female servants and drink the water his male servants provide. Ruth is overwhelmed by Boaz's considerations, but Boaz knows it's the least he can do.
Ruth 2 kindles the hope that Naomi's life might not be over. Her husband and sons died in Moab. Now, Naomi has arrived back in Bethlehem with her foreign daughter-in-law, Ruth. Ruth sets out to provide for them by gleaning behind the harvesters. She happens upon Boaz, a relative of her father-in-law, who respects her love and sacrifice for Naomi and makes incredible concessions for her throughout the barley and wheat harvests. As the harvest progresses, Naomi realizes Boaz could marry Ruth.
