And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.
And he said, 'Who are you?' And she answered, 'I am Ruth, your servant. Please spread your cloak over me, for you are a close relative who can redeem me.'
Ruth is asking Boaz, her deceased husband's relative, to marry her and take responsibility for her according to Jewish law.
📚 Historical Context
In ancient Israel, when a man died without children, his closest male relative (called a 'kinsman-redeemer') had the responsibility to marry the widow to continue the family line and protect her financially. Ruth's request for Boaz to 'spread his skirt' over her was a symbolic way of asking him to marry her and fulfill this duty. This conversation takes place at night on the threshing floor where Boaz was sleeping to guard his grain harvest.
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