And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.
Boaz replied to her, 'I have been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband died. I know how you left your father and mother and the land where you were born, and came to live among people you had never known before.'
Boaz is acknowledging Ruth's incredible loyalty and sacrifice - how she gave up everything familiar to care for her grieving mother-in-law among strangers.
📚 Historical Context
This conversation takes place during harvest time in ancient Israel, when Ruth, a young Moabite widow, was gleaning leftover grain in Boaz's fields to survive. Ruth had chosen to stay with her Israelite mother-in-law Naomi after both their husbands died, leaving her homeland of Moab to live as a foreigner in Bethlehem. Boaz, a wealthy landowner and relative of Naomi's deceased husband, had heard about Ruth's remarkable devotion and was showing her kindness.
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