And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:
When Ruth got up to gather grain, Boaz gave orders to his workers, saying, 'Let her gather grain even among the bundles of wheat, and don't bother her or give her any trouble.'
Boaz is showing extraordinary kindness to Ruth by giving her special privileges to gather grain and protecting her from any mistreatment by his workers.
📚 Historical Context
In ancient Israel during the time of the Judges, a period of social instability and moral challenges, the Law of Moses instructed farmers to leave some grain in their fields for the poor and widows to glean, ensuring basic provision for the vulnerable. Ruth, a Moabite widow who had followed her mother-in-law Naomi to Bethlehem, was humbly gathering leftover barley in Boaz's field as part of this custom. Boaz, a wealthy landowner and relative of Naomi, showed extraordinary kindness by ordering his workers to allow Ruth to glean freely among the harvested sheaves without any mistreatment, highlighting the cultural emphasis on hospitality toward foreigners and the needy.
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