Chapter
1 2 3 4
Verse
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Ruth 3:16
ESV And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did you fare, my daughter?” Then she told her all that the man had done for her,
NIV When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, 'How did it go, my daughter?' Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her
NASB When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, 'How did it go, my daughter?' And she told her all that the man had done for her.
CSB She went to her mother-in-law, Naomi, who asked her, "What happened, my daughter? "Then Ruth told her everything the man had done for her.
NLT When Ruth went back to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, 'What happened, my daughter?' Ruth told Naomi everything Boaz had done for her,
KJV And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her.

What does Ruth 3:16 mean?

The rhythm of Ruth 3 continues to follow that of Ruth 2: Ruth comes home from interacting with Boaz, and Naomi immediately asks how things went (Ruth 2:19). In the previous chapter, Naomi wanted to know if Ruth had been able to glean grain—and do so safely. Now, she wants to know if Ruth's proposal to Boaz was successful.

Ruth isn't sure. She did as Naomi said, going to the threshing floor, gently waking Boaz in the middle of the night, and presenting herself as marriage material. If she were asking for a simple marriage, he would have said yes. But since Ruth wants to marry a kinsman of her late father-in-law to buy his land and provide him with an heir, Boaz had to delay. Naomi's husband has a closer relation and Boaz must approach him first (Ruth 3:1–13). Ruth is engaged—she just doesn't know to whom!

Even so, Boaz did not leave Ruth empty-handed. He piled a load of grain in her shawl to give to Naomi (Ruth 3:15). Naomi is content—perhaps for the first time since they returned to Bethlehem (Ruth 3:18). Her goal has always been to see Ruth married to a good man who can provide her rest (Ruth 1:9; 3:1). One way or another, that's about to happen.
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