Ver. 1. Shall I not seek rest for thee?] There is in most a propension to the nuptial conjunction. Requirit vir costam suam, requirit faemina sedem suam, say the Rabbis. The man misseth his rib; the woman would be in her old place again, under the man’s arm or wing. Non est requies mulieri donec nupserit, saith Aben Ezra. The unmarried life is trouble and disquietment. Hence marriage is called Portus iuventutis, the haven of young folk, who are usually tossed by lustful lingerings, as a ship is with waves; hence the Greeks call young men ηιθεοι of αιθω to burn, and αιζηοι of ζεω to boil. Hence they are called upon to put away evil from their flesh, (Ecclesiastes 11:10) that is, to mortify fleshly lusts: and admonished by the apostle, that “it is better for them to marry than to burn.” (1 Corinthians 7:9) Marriage being God’s medicine, which, if rightly applied, will cool and heal unruly lusts that war against the soul. That it may be well with thee.] That thou mayest arrive at those fair havens of a happy match: that marriage may be to thee a merry age. At Athens the bridegroom was wont to sing, “ εφυγον κακον, ευρον αμεινον.” I have changed a worse estate for a better. It was as it proved; for of some it may be said as it was of Sulla, that they had been happy, if they had never married: but this is from man’s corrupt heart, that like a toad, turneth all it taketh into rank poison. “It is not good for man to be alone.” Indeed, those that will marry shall be sure of “trouble,” and that “in the flesh” too: (1 Corinthians 7:28) but as it is said of Egypt, that as no country hath more venemous creatures, none more antidotes; so marriage hath many troubles, but with it many helps against trouble. “Coniugium humanae divina Academia vitae.”
Ver. 2. Behold, he winnoweth barley tonight.] By night they winnowed, ad auram nocturnam, as the Chaldee here hath it: (1.) Because more cool, as Genesis 3:8; (2.) Because then they had a better wind. Naomi remindeth Ruth of this opportunity, and willeth her to improve it. A well chosen season is one of the best advantages of any action. It may seem that Boaz himself had a hand in the work, howsoever an oversight. See Ruth 2:4. He might be of the mind of that Emperor who said, Quo maior fuero, tanto plus laborabo: the greater I am, the more pains I will take. Maximinus.
Ver. 3. Wash thyself therefore.] A sudore et sordibus, ne male oleres, from wet and filth, that thou smell not amiss, as slothful sluts use to do. And anoint thee.] That thou mayest smell well albeit, Optime olet faemina, quae nihil olet, said one; she smelleth best, who smelleth of nothing. And put thy raiment upon thee.] Thy very best, that may render thee most amiable. Use all lawful means to ingratiate. Hanc homines decorant quam vestimenta decorant. And get thee down to the floor.] Serve God’s providence by demanding marriage of him; which in those days, and in Ruth’s case, was neither unlawful nor immodest. (Deuteronomy 25:5) Consilium hoc est re legitimum, specie inhonestum, saith Junius here: Naomi’s counsel to Ruth was indeed honest, but seemingly not so. Diodat saith, that albeit the end she aimed at was good; yet it seemeth to be a womanish provision, somewhat less than honest, to bring it to pass: which was notwithstanding tolerated, directed, and blessed by God; as was also that in Genesis 27:9. Some ancients censure it for scandalous and dangerous. One saith that he doubteth not but all this was done by instinct from God; or else such holy women would never have done and spoken so. Let none be encouraged hereby to enter into God’s ordinance through the devil’s portal, lest they smart and smoke for it. Until he shall have done eating and drinking.] This they did more liberally at such times, and thereby were more merrily disposed, and apt to speak more freely. Auth, Imperf. Oper.
Ver. 4. And it shall be, when he lieth down.] He lay on the floor, as best liked himself, without bed or pallet. Hollinshead saith, that some old men he knew who told of times in England, that if the good man of the house had a mattress, or flock-bed, and a sack of chaff to rest his head on, he thought himself as well lodged as the lord of the town: for ordinarily they lay upon straw pallets covered with canvas, and a round log under their heads instead of a bolster. Pillows, they said, were only for women in child birth. And uncover his feet.] Naomi well knew the piety and chastity of both Boaz and Ruth, and confidently trusted that he would give the young widow good counsel. Otherwise this was a bold adventure: since people are so prone to fleshliness, and unbridled lust, like the wild fig, will soon mount over the wall: it is a “law of the members” in a double sense, as one saith.
Ver. 5. All that thou sayest unto me I will do.] The respect Ruth bare to her mother-in-law, and the hope of a good husband, made her thus submissive. Lyra and Carthusian seem to blame the counsel of Naomi, though they excuse the fact of Ruth, because a stranger, and a new convert.