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.
Then Boaz said, 'On the day you buy the field from Naomi, you must also marry Ruth the Moabite woman, who was married to the man who died, so that you can have children to carry on the dead man's name and keep his property in the family.'
Boaz is explaining that buying Naomi's land comes with the responsibility of marrying Ruth to preserve her deceased husband's family line.
📚 Historical Context
In ancient Israel, when a man died without children, his nearest male relative was expected to marry the widow and have children to continue the dead man's family name and inheritance. This practice, called levirate marriage, protected widows from destitution and ensured family property stayed within the bloodline. Boaz is reminding the closer relative of this legal obligation that comes with purchasing Elimelech's land.
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