Ruth 4

Comments 2 Peter 2
There was a taboo on selling land in Israel because that would be like selling the birthright of your children. That would be like "despising dominion".^[1]
Elimelech "sold" the use of his land, but not the title to it. This was only a sessioned title for a period of time.
Widows did not inherit without a proper heir (see Numbers 27:8-11) but Naomi could not bear children, Ruth stayed loyal to her mother in law and her offspring could inherit but she needed to mary the closest relative willing to marry her. Deuteronomy 25:5-9.
Boaz did not need to buy the land. His children would have inherited it. Naomi would have retained possession and Ruth, as the widow of Mahlon, also had a share.
The transaction with Boaz blessing Naomi for her support (Leviticus 25:25), as well as a future heir to inherit Elimelech's land, born to Ruth, her beloved daughter-in-law whom Boaz was legally obligated to marry after the transaction.
The verb to "buy" is from qanah קָנָה KufNunHey^[2] appearing 84 times in the Bible but in this case actually appears as קָנִ֥יתִי KufNunYodTavYod which only appears in Genesis 4:1 "I have gotten a man"; Genesis 47:23; Ruth 4:9; Ruth 4:10; Ecclesiastes 2:7.
The replacing of the Hey with YodTavYod which is the letter Tav standing for faith surrounded by the divine spark Yod is significant.
While bloodlines may have value here we see Ruth, a foreigner, and Boaz inheriting "all that was Elimelech's" because of the virtue and humble service of Ruth and the recognition of that virtue by Boaz. The Kingdom of God is from generation to generation by faith and righteousness.
[1]

1 Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.

2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.

3 And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's:

4 And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.

5 Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.

6 And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.

7 Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel.

8 Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe.

9 And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi.

10 Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.

11 And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:

12 And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman.

13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son.

14 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.

15 And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.

16 And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.

17 And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18 Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,

19 And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,

20 And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon,

21 And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,

22 And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.

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Preceded by: Judges - Followed by: 1 Samuel

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Footnotes

↑ See 2 Peter 2:10
↑ 07069 ^הנק^ qanah \@kaw-naw’\@ a primitive root; v; {See TWOT on 2039} AV-Buy 46, get 15, purchased 5, buyer 3, possessor 3, possessed 2, owner 1, recover 1, redeemed 1, misc 7; 84
1) to get, acquire, create, buy, possess
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to get, acquire, obtain
1a1a) of God originating, creating, redeeming His people
1a1a1) possessor

1a1b) of Eve acquiring

1a1c) of acquiring knowledge, wisdom

1a2) to buy

1b) (Niphal) to be bought

1c) (Hiphil) to cause to possess

[1] See 2 Peter 2:10

[2] 07069 ^הנק^ qanah \@kaw-naw’\@ a primitive root; v; {See TWOT on 2039} AV-Buy 46, get 15, purchased 5, buyer 3, possessor 3, possessed 2, owner 1, recover 1, redeemed 1, misc 7; 84
1) to get, acquire, create, buy, possess
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to get, acquire, obtain
1a1a) of God originating, creating, redeeming His people
1a1a1) possessor

1a1b) of Eve acquiring

1a1c) of acquiring knowledge, wisdom

1a2) to buy

1b) (Niphal) to be bought

1c) (Hiphil) to cause to possess

[1]

[2]

Ruth 4

Footnotes

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