And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.
Now it's true that I am your close relative who can help you, but there is another relative who is even closer to your family than I am.
Boaz is telling Ruth that while he can legally marry her and help her family, there's another relative who has the first right to do so.
📚 Historical Context
In the era of the Judges in ancient Israel, there was a custom called the kinsman-redeemer, where a close relative was obligated to help widowed family members by marrying them to preserve the family line and inheritance, as outlined in Mosaic laws. Boaz is speaking to Ruth, a Moabite widow, acknowledging that he qualifies as her kinsman-redeemer but must defer to a closer relative who has the prior legal claim. This practice underscores the importance of family loyalty and social obligations in Israelite society to protect the vulnerable.
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