SECTION XIV

 

Ruth 2:10

 

Text:

 

hÐbÜ2rh1ƒ8v0k «Šh«£bh2g0c i‹2j h!,t«7m7n »*g*n uh¡7k2t r#nt`±¯•u v7m}r×7t j„*¯}A!¯•u 7vhÜ£b7Ÿ‘k*g  «k`Ÿ!¯•u   h

:v¶œ!r0f¶b h„1f`b7tºu

 

 

Septuagint

Ruth 2:10 kai; e[pesen ejpi; provswpon aujth'" kai; prosekuvnhsen ejpi; th;n gh'n kai; ei\pen pro;" aujtovn tiv o{ti eu|ron cavrin ejn ojfqalmoi'" sou tou' ejpignw'naiv me kai; ejgwv eijmi xevnh

 

Ruth 2:10 And she fell on her face and bowed down to the ground and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should notice me, even though I am a foreigner?”

 

 

Targum:

 

TANAKH

Translation

SEPTUAGINT

Translation

k`Ÿ!¯•u

and she fell

 

 

‘k*g

to

 

 

7vhÜ£b7Ÿ

her face

 

 

j„*¯}A!¯•u

and she bowed

 

 

v7m}r×7t

to ground

 

 

r#nt`±¯•u

and she said

 

 

uh¡7k2t

to him

 

 

»*g*n

why

 

 

h!,t«7m7n

I found

 

 

i‹2j

favor

 

 

«Šh«£bh2g0c

in your eyes

 

 

hÐbÜ2rh1ƒ8v0k

to notice me

 

 

h„1f`b7tºu

and I am

 

 

:v¶œ!r0f¶b

foreigner

 

 

 

Peshitta

 

2:10 Then she fell on her face to the ground, and made obeisance to him, and said, Is it because I have found grace in your eyes, that you should recognize me, seeing that I am a stranger?

 

Stone’s Translation

 

2:10 Then she fell on her face, bowing down to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes that you should take special note of me though I am a foreigner?”

 

KJV

 

2:10 Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I [am] a stranger?            

 

 

Peshat Level:

 

Targum

 

2:10 Then she fell on her face and bowed to the ground, saying to him: "Why have I found favor in your eyes that you should befriend me, seeing that I am of a strange people, of the daughters of Moav; of a people which has not the merit to intermarry with the congregation of the Lord?"

 

 

Gemarah Level:

 

 

Midrash Level:

 

Midrash Rabbah

 

Ruth V:2 THEN SHE FELL ON HER FACE AND BOWED DOWN TO THE GROUND, AND SAID: WHY HAVE I FOUND FAVOUR IN THY SIGHT THAT THOU TAKEST COGNISANCE OF ME (II, 10). This teaches that she prophesied that he would make her his wife. [To take cognizance is understood as ‘to know one's wife’, carnally; cf. Genesis IV, 1 for a similar use of knew.]        

 

 

Zohar Level:

 

 

Other Commentaries:

 

Me’am Lo’ez

 

2:10  Then she fell on her face and bowed down to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes that you take note of me, though I am a foreigner?”

 

Ruth expressed her gratitude to Boaz by bowing down before him, and humbly asked why he had been so kind to her when she had done nothing to deserve it. “Why do you concern yourself about me—a for­eigner— when there are so many poor unfortunate girls picking in the fields?”

 

Ruth’s question was the proper response to Boaz’s generosity, for it was possible that he had erred in identifying her and that his kindness had been meant for another.

 

From Boaz’s response (v. 11), it is apparent that Ruth was asking whether his kindness to her was because “I am a foreigner,” who, he feared, might return to her people if he did not encourage her.

 

According to a different interpretation, Ruth wished to know whether Boaz’s kindness to her was simple generosity or a sign that he intended to marry her. “I do not know why I have found favor in your eyes,” she said, “and it is unthinkable that you have intentions of marriage, for I belong to a people known for immorality and stinginess, a people who did not greet Israel with bread and water.

 

‘Your forefather (Abraham) rejected Timnah, although she was a princess [and she therefore became a concubine to Elifaz, as it is written:  ...the sister of Lotan was Timnah; and Timnah was a concubine of Elifaz son of Esau” (Genesis 36:12,22)]. Certainly you must despise me, a poor woman from a people whom God has forbidden to be accepted as converts.”

 

At that moment, says the Midrash, the pertinent halacha had eluded Boaz. Whereupon a heavenly voice proclaimed: “‘An Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter the congregation of the Lord; even to the tenth generation shall none of them enter the congregation of the Lord forever’ (Deuteronomy 23:4)—an Ammonite, not an Ammonitess; a Moabite. not a Moabitess.”

 

Thus it was that that halacha was clarified on account of Ruth.

 

Abraham Ibn Ezra

 

 

Malbim

 

10. She fell upon her face and prostrated herself on the ground. She then said to him, "Why do you regard me favorably..." Ruth implied that Boaz's display of goodwill was either because she herself had found favor in his eyes due to something good he had seen in her, or because he knew her family and was doing so for their sake. Regarding the first reason Ruth questioned, "Why do you regard me favorably," and regarding the second one she queried, "...when I am a foreigner. "

 

Alshich

 

 (10)Then she fell on her face and spread out on the ground and said to him, “Why is it that I have found favor in your eyes so that you take notice of me? I am but a stranger.

 

First we will take a look at verse 10: the Hebrew word gusn seems out of place here. It is generally used when a complaint is being registered for some wrong or injustice, as in the question, “Why have you done such a thing?” The correct adverb in this case should be lht: “How is it that I have found favor...” Besides, it is hardly courteous of a person who has ‘found favor’ to ask, Why? Ruth should have expressed her delight at pleasing Boaz. Moreover, by adding . . .so that you take notice of me, she seems to have lauded herself for the fact that Boaz had honored her by taking notice of her.