And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed.
Ruth picked up the grain she had gathered and went back to town. Her mother-in-law Naomi saw how much grain she had collected. Ruth also brought out the leftover food from her lunch and gave it to Naomi.
Ruth generously shared both the grain she had worked hard to gather and her own leftover food with her mother-in-law Naomi.
📚 Historical Context
In the historical context of ancient Israel during the time of the Judges, around 1100 BC, gleaning was a practice mandated by God's law in Leviticus to allow the poor, widows, and foreigners to gather leftover grain from harvested fields, ensuring provision for the vulnerable. Ruth, a Moabite widow who had followed her mother-in-law Naomi back to Bethlehem after losing her husband, was engaging in this custom in Boaz's field as a means of survival and faithful support. This scene underscores the cultural norms of hospitality and divine care for outsiders in Israelite society.
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