SECTION XIII
Text:
rÜ2j*t v±3s`7a0c «y`e0k1k «h1f0k2Ż‘k*t hˇ!Ż1c }Ż*g±*n7A
t¨‡k4v ,ť®r‘k#t z*g`«c
»r#nt`œ•u j
:h7,`r4g•b‘o!g ih„1e7c0s!, v`‚fşu vף“!n
h„!rťc4g*, t‚µ oˆ•dşu
oh„!r7gş°8v‘,#t h!,hˆĐť1m t¨‚k4v iÜ3vh2r4j*t
}Ż0f±8k7vşu «iťr`m0eĐh‘r#A4t v‹3s7Ľ8c LĐh®•bh2g y
:oh!r7gş°8v iť„c4t}AĐh r‚#A4t2n ,h´!,7Aşu
ohÜ1k2ƒ8v‘k#t «}Ż0f8k7vşu ,ˇ!n7mşu L×2gşd¶b h±!Ż0k1c0k
Septuagint
Ruth
2:8 kai; ei\pen Boo" pro;" Rouq oujk h[kousa" quvgater mh;
poreuqh'/" ejn ajgrw'/ sullevxai eJtevrw/ kai; su; ouj
poreuvsh/ ejnteu'qen w|de kollhvqhti meta; tw'n
korasivwn mou
Ruth
2:9 oiJ ojfqalmoiv sou eij" to;n ajgrovn ou| eja;n qerivzwsin kai;
poreuvsh/ katovpisqen aujtw'n ijdou; ejneteilavmhn
toi'" paidarivoi"
tou' mh; a{yasqaiv sou kai; o{ ti diyhvsei" kai; poreuqhvsh/ eij" ta;
skeuvh kai; pivesai o{qen a]n uJdreuvwntai ta; paidavria
Ruth
2:8-9 And Boöz said to Ruth, “Will you not listen,
daughter? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here: stick here
with my young maidens. 9 Let
your eyes be on the field wherever they may reap, and go after them. Behold, I have
commanded the servant boys not to touch you; and when you shall thirst, you
will go to the vessels and drink from where the servant boys draw water.”
Targum:
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TANAKH |
Translation |
SEPTUAGINT |
Translation |
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r#nt`ϥu |
and he said |
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z*g`«c |
Boaz |
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‘k#t |
to |
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,ť®r |
Ruth |
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t¨‡k4v |
not |
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}Ż*g±*n7A |
you heard |
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hˇ!Ż1c |
my daughter |
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‘k*t |
not |
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h1f0k2Ż |
you go |
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«y`e0k1k |
to glean |
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v±3s`7a0c |
in field |
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rÜ2j*t |
another |
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oˆ•dşu |
and also |
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t‚µ |
not |
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h„!rťc4g*, |
you go away |
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vף“!n |
from here |
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v`‚fşu |
and here |
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ih„1e7c0s!, |
you stay |
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‘o!g |
with |
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:h7,`r4g•b |
my servant girls |
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LĐh®•bh2g |
eyes of you |
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v‹3s7Ľ8c |
in the field |
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‘r#A4t |
where |
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«iťr`m0eĐh |
they harvest |
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}Ż0f±8k7vşu |
and you follow |
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iÜ3vh2r4j*t |
after them |
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t¨‚k4v |
not |
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h!,hˆĐť1m |
I told |
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oh„!r7gş°8v‘,#t |
the men |
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h±!Ż0k1c0k |
not |
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L×2gşd¶b |
to touch you |
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,ˇ!n7mşu |
and you are thirsty |
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«}Ż0f8k7vşu |
and you go |
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‘k#t |
to |
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ohÜ1k2ƒ8v |
the jars |
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,h´!,7Aşu |
and you get drink |
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r‚#A4t2n |
from what |
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iť„c4t}AĐh |
they filled |
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:oh!r7gş°8v |
the men |
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Peshitta
2:8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, My daughter, have you not heard the saying, Do not glean in a field which is not yours? Now therefore stay here, and spend the night with my maidens.
2:9 Look at the field where they are reaping, and follow them; behold, I have charged the young men that no man shall harm you; and when you get thirsty, go and drink from the vessels which the young men have drawn.
Stone’s Translation
2:8 Then Boaz
said to Ruth, “Hear me well, my daughter. Do not go to glean in glean in another field, and don’t leave here, but stay close to my maidens.
2:9 Keep your another eyes on the field which they are harvesting and follow after them. I have ordered field!” the servants not to molest you. Should you become thirsty, go to the jugs and drink from that which the servants have drawn.”
KJV
2:8 Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:
2:9 [Let] thine eyes [be] on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of [that] which the young men have drawn.
Peshat Level:
Targum
2:8 Then said Boaz to Ruth: "Will you not listen to me, my daughter? Do not go to gather grain in any other field, nor leave this place to go to another nation, but continue here with my young women.
2:9 "Mark the field that they will reap, and follow them. Have I not charged the servants not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink the water which the servants have drawn."
Rashi
2:9 And should you become thirsty then go to the vessels (I.e.,) and if you become thirsty, do not be ashamed
Gemarah Level:
Talmud Babli
Shabbath 113b And cleave here by my maidens: was it then Boaz's practice to cleave to the women? — Said R. Eleazar, As soon as he saw that, ‘and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth cleaved unto her,’ he said, It is permitted to cleave unto her.
Midrash Level:
Midrash Rabbah
Ruth IV:7 THEN SAID BOAZ TO RUTH: HEAREST THOU NOT MY DAUGHTER? GO NOT TO GLEAN IN ANOTHER FIELD (II, 8), as in the verse, Thou shalt have no other gods before Me (Exodus XX, 3)1 NEITHER PASS FROM HENCE, compare This is my God, and I will glorify Him (EX. XV, 2). BUT ABIDE HERE FAST BY MY MAIDENS, this refers to the righteous who are called maidens, as it is said, Wilt thou play with him as with a bird, or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens.? (Job XL, 29).
Ruth IV:8 LET THINE EYES BE ON THE FIELD THAT THEY DO REAP, AND GO THOU AFTER THEM. HAVE I NOT CHARGED THE YOUNG MEN THAT THEY SHALL NOT TOUCH THEE? AND WHEN THOU ART ATHIRST, GO UNTO THE VESSELS, AND DRINK OF THAT WHICH THE YOUNG MEN HAVE DRAWN (II, 9). THINE EYES refers to the Sanhedrin. There are two hundred and forty-eight limbs in the human body, and they follow only the eyes. This is the meaning of the verse, LET THINE EYES BE ON THE FIELD, etc., AND GO THOU AFTER THEM. THAT THEY SHALL NOT TOUCH THEE, i.e. that they will not discourage you [from becoming a Jewess]. AND WHEN THOU ART ATHIRST, GO UNTO THE VESSELS. these are the righteous who are called vessels, as in the verse, How are the mighty fallen and the vessels of war perished (II Sam. 1, 27). AND DRINK OF THAT WHICH THE YOUNG MEN HAVE DRAWN refers to the Festival of Water-Drawing. And why is it called ' Drawing ‘? For from there they drew the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, as it is said, Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation (Isaiah XII, 3).
Zohar Level:
Soncino
Zohar, Shemoth, Section 2, Page 218a R. Judah began a discourse on the
verse: “Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after
them;... and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that”,
etc. (Ruth II, 9). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘raises a problem; for the point of
it is not at all apparent.’ R. Isaac interposed, saying: ‘But are there not
many more verses in Scripture which seem to be needless, and the purpose of
which is not apparent, yet we know that they conceal within them deep
esoterical doctrines.’ Then R. Judah, resuming his discourse, said: ‘As regards
this verse, whoever just looks at it and does not study it deeply is like a man
who looks at a dish without tasting it. In truth, there is an inner meaning in
it, and it has been composed under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It
amounts to this. Boaz, the Judge of Israel, observed the modesty of that
righteous woman in that she did not turn her eyes hither and thither, but only
looked straight in front of her, and that she had a benignant eye, and that
there was no trace of impudence in her. He thus spoke in praise of her eyes.
For there are eyes that throw a blight on any spot on which they are cast. But
he observed in her a kindly eye, and he also saw that everything prospered in
her hands, that the more she gleaned the more the gleaning in the field
increased; and so Boaz recognized that the Holy Spirit hovered over her. Hence
he thus addressed her, saying: “Let thine eyes be on the field that they do
reap, and go thou after them”, to wit, “after thine eyes”. For the phrase
“after them” cannot be construed as alluding to the gleaners, as if so it
should have been written “and glean thou” instead of “and go thou”. Boaz thus
bade her “go after” her eyes, having observed that her eyes carried with them a
blessing and were the cause of a manifold increase in the gleaning. “Other
people”, he as much as said, “are not permitted to follow after their eyes, but
thou mayest follow thine eyes, for they are the begetters of manifold
blessings.” The verse may also be explained as follows. Boaz saw, under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that great kings and rulers were destined to
issue from her, they being called the “eyes” of the people, as in the passage:
“And it shall be, if it be done in error through the eyes of the congregation”
(Numbers xv, 24), alluding to the Sanhedrin. For, as the members of the body
must follow the eyes, which are the leaders of the body, so kings, members of
the Sanhedrin, and other rulers, lead the way for the people to follow. This is
thus what Boaz indicated in his words: “Let thine eyes be in the field”. The
term “field” is a reference to
Other Commentaries:
Me’am Lo’ez
2:8
Boaz said to Ruth: “Have you not heard, my daughter? Go not to glean in another
field; neither pass from here, but stay here close to my girls.”
Boaz had offered Ruth gifts of money and clothing, which she refused, insisting she would take only what God gave her. Whereupon Boaz urged her at least not to go to any other field—not even one owned by him—but to “stay here,” where he would look after her and protect her.
“Have you not heard my overseer praise you?” he asked. “Why go to another field where you may be unwelcome or unappreciated? Stay where you are, on the women’s side of my field.”
Alternately: “Having heard me ask the overseer about you, perhaps you think I begrudge you your picking. On the contrary—I insist that you stay in my field and continue to pick behind the reapers, or, if you like, among the girls.”
The expression tukv, “have you not,” contains an extra letter vav (u, numerically equivalent to 6), to reflect the six times that the Torah speaks of the harvest (katzir, rhme) and warns us to fulfill the harvest laws.
When
you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corner of your
field, neither shall you gather the gleaning of your harvest (Leviticus 19:9).
When you reap the harvest of your land, you s!iall not wholly reap the corner
of your field, neither s!iall you gather the gleanings of your harvest; you
shall leave them for t!ie poor, and for t!ie stranger: ! am the Lord your God
(Leviticus 23:22). That which grows of itself of your harvest you shall not
reap, and the grapes of your undressed vine you s!iall not gather (Leviticus
25:5). When you reap your harvest in the field, and have forgotten a sheaf in
the field, you s!iall not go back to fetch it; it shall be for the stranger,
for the fatherless, and for the widow (Deuteronomy 24:19).
In other words, Boaz said to her: “Have you not heard that six times the Torah declares that peah, leket, and shikechah belong to the poor?”
According to a different interpretation, Boaz asked Ruth whether she could hear him, for he spoke to her from a distance out of propriety. He also addressed her as “my daughter,” to avoid any semblance of impure thought towards her. Hence his name Boaz—”in him there is strength.”
His saintly conduct reflects the general practice among our sages to address every woman as “my daughter” as a ruse against the evil inclination.
The term ,gna means “understand” as well as “hear.” And Boaz is thus also perceived as saying to Ruth: “Even if you understand the overseer’s remark about you as being derogatory, nevertheless do not go to another field. If you did not so understand it, then surely you must not pass from here.”
Or else: “Have you heard him criticize you for leaving your house too often (“having sat in the house a little”—v. 7)? Then to prevent any more evil talk, do not go to a different field, but stay here and pick with my girls.”
Even according to the view that the overseer tried to discourage Boaz from marrying Ruth, by describing her as a poor Moabite who returned with Naomi, his remarks in fact highlighted her virtue. For he could find nothing to criticize about her character or conduct. On the contrary, Boaz foresaw that the royal dynasty would come from her, and he told her “not to glean in another field.” He asked her not to “pass from here” even after she had picked her fill, thereby hinting that she would find her destiny with him.
2:9
“Keep your eyes on the field that they will harvest, and walk after them. Have
I not ordered my men not to touch you? When you grow thirsty, go to the vessels
and drink from that which the men draw.”
Boaz told Ruth to look the field over and pick wherever she liked; and he had instructed his men not to stop her. If the reapers finished harvesting this field, she was welcome to follow them to the next one. And he gave her permission not only to draw water, but even to drink of the water drawn by the men.
For her protection, he instructed her to walk “after them,” that is, only behind the reapers. so that they would not gaze at her and come to sinful thoughts. In addition, he took the precaution of instructing his men not to touch her. When she became thirsty, she was not to accept water from any of the men, but to take only from the vessels, in order to keep herself above suspicion.
According to one interpretation, Ruth was not to follow the reapers but first to check the field; if they had already left it, she could then go in alone and pick. No one would harm her, since he had already forewarned his men.
Some commentators draw the opposite conclusion. She was not to go alone, but only “after them”—where there were many reapers.
However, the terms iurmeh, “they will harvest,” and ivhrjt, “after them,” end with the letter nun (i), the feminine form, implying that Boaz instructed her to follow his girls.
Some say that Boaz appointed her overseer—hence “keep your eyes on the field.” Although she would have to mingle with the fieldhands in order to observe their work, this was not contrary to Torah law, for they were righteous men, and the halacha is that one woman may be alone with two or more righteous men. Nor would they harm her Out of jealousy, for he had taken the precaution of warning them.
As overseer, she would not have to draw water for herself, but drink from what the men would draw for her.
Or else, Boaz asked her to keep her eyes on his field in order to increase its blessing, for he recognized that Ruth’s “benevolent eye” brought blessing upon whatever fell under her gaze.
The expression ,nmr, “you will become thirsty,” is missing a letter yud (h, equivalent to 10), to hint that ten wicked kings—including the infamous Manasseh (2 Kings 20,21)—would descend from her. Accordingly, he said to her later (v. 14), “and dip your morsel in the vinegar.”
Abraham Ibn Ezra
Malbim
8. Boaz then said to Ruth, "Now, my daughter, listen." You are judged here favorably and therefore, Do not go to gather in another field, where the owner may not disp1ay good will, and do not even leave here: even to my own fields (for Boaz had many parcels of land). Do not go to another field where the harvesters and their supervisor might disdain you. Not only that, but stay here close to my girls: even in this field, on one side were young male harvesters and on the other were young female workers. Boaz advised Ruth to stay with his maidens and not to go near the male workers.
9. Keep your eyes on the field where they [the
girls] are harvesting and follow them. Do not be afraid that the young
men will be angry because of your avoiding them. I have [already] instructed
the lads not to disturb you. Furthermore, "And [in you are thirsty,
you may go to the [drinking] vessels and drink from them where the lads draw
[water]." In Divrei Hayamim I, 11:17, King David said, "Who
can bring me water from the well at the gates of
Alshich
(9)”Keep
your eyes on the field which they are harvesting and follow after them. Haven’t
I commanded the laborers to refrain from molesting you? If you become thirsty,
you should go to the jugs to drink from what the laborers have drawn.”
Whom does Boaz urge Ruth to follow behind? He has just told her to stay close to the girls, so if the reference is to them, why repeat it?
Earlier,
we mentioned that the Hebrew hrjt means “far behind.” This
compounds the difficulty, as she was previously told to stay as close as
possible to them! Besides, what difference does it make if she was among them
or behind them? In fact, later (verse 23), we see that she stayed close to
the girls in the fields. It does not state that she walked after them!
We
could interpret iehcs,, stay close, as being parallel
in meaning to ivhrjt, after them. But why isn’t
the text consistent? Why does it use one word here and an entirely
different word later? There must be some difference between them.
Haven’t
I commanded the laborers... Is this relevant? If she was in the company of
females, how could they come to molest her? Later (verse 22), Na’omi told Ruth:
It is good, my daughter, that you go out in the company of his young women. Why
does she use the word htm,, go out, instead
of ihecs,, stay close, the term used by Boaz?
There is a practical problem, too. Were the girls so diligent that they followed Ruth everywhere she went in Boaz’s fields until the end of the barley and wheat harvest? It was not the practice of young women to go harvesting in the fields each day, especially those of Boaz’s household. They generally went once or twice at the onset of the harvest season, and even during that time they built huts to shade themselves from the heat of the sun, venturing out only in the early morning or late evening when it was cooler. Then after a few days, they would all return to town as modest girls should, leaving only the men and boys in the fields. But, the verses imply that the womenfolk stayed with Ruth throughout the season, a period of three months (Midrash Ruth Rabbah 5:11).
Looking
further ahead, what did Na’omi mean by saying, Now, Boaz, our
relative, with whose girls you have been...? (3:2). What purpose is there
in adding these words uh,urgb og ,hhv rat, With whose
girls you have been?
Who Reaped the Fields?
As
we said, lingering in the fields was not the practice of such modest girls as
those members of the household of Boaz, who was a great leader of
On the first day of harvest, Ruth went out to the fields. The womenfolk were only in one field, where Boaz was based. They had not volunteered to do work in other fields belonging to Boaz. Thus, Boaz told her, “Don’t go gathering in other fields; in this field you will be safe as you can remain in the company of the girls. If you feel you must go to other fields, by all means you are free to do so, but I cannot assure you absolute security. However, if you stay close behind my workers you should be safe, for I have explicitly ordered them not to touch you. Be careful not to flirt with them; keep your eyes only on the fields where they reap.”
This helps us to understand the differences between verses 8 and 9. In verse 8 Boaz was speaking of the field where the women and girls stayed. Since they would be company for Ruth, Boaz did not feel it necessary to warn the male laborers of her presence. But verse 9 speaks of the ‘other’ fields. Even there, Ruth would not be hampered if she stayed close to his reapers and kept her eyes on the field. It mattered not if she had left the field where the rest of the women were, for Boaz had commanded the laborers in the other fields to leave Ruth alone. Hence, even though she was told to stay close to the girls at the beginning of the harvest season, she was still protected when she wandered off to the other fields, for all Boaz’s employees were under strict instructions not to molest her.
When Ruth informed Na’omi (verse 21) that she had stayed close to the men, she was merely relating that she had followed Boaz’s advice. It was only during the first few days she was told to stay close to the girls, as that was only possible in one field. For the remainder of the season she was told to stay behind Boaz’s harvesters and this is, indeed, exactly what she reported to Na omi.
Did Ruth Deserve the Title of ‘Moabitess’?
The question remains: Why was Ruth given the title ‘Moabitess’ in verse 21? A closer look at the text will reveal that she did indeed alter the words of Boaz. He had told her to walk behind the workers: ivhrjt ,fkvu, and you should follow after them. Yet, when she reported to Na’omi, she said: hk rat ohrgbv og hkt rnt hf od, Also, he said to me ‘Stay close’ to my laborers. There is a vast difference between ‘following after’ and ‘staying close to.’ Na’omi’s answer to Ruth reflects this: It is good... that you go out... (verse 22). She meant to say: “He has told you to remain with the girls in the field. He did not tell you to go out picking with them in the fields. I, however, feel it would be a good idea if you went out with them in the fields, since you wouldn’t be left alone with the young men.
It was neither their, nor Boaz’s, original plan that the womenfolk should go harvesting in the fields. But in verse 23 we read that Ruth in fact stayed in the company of the girls for the duration of the harvest season, indicating that Boaz did not, in this case, prevent them from wandering through the fields. This was rather unusual, since girls did not generally do this sort of thing.
The only way to explain this deviation from the normal rules is by realizing that Ruth was no ordinary woman. Her exemplary modesty and her family connection to Boaz led the latter to believe that he was destined to redeem her, even though there were others who were more closely related to her. To ensure that this remained a possibility, he took the unusual step of allowing the female members of his household to venture out of their usual bounds so as to watch over Ruth and protect her from harm.
Boaz’s Concern for Ruth
Now we can appreciate Na’omi’s words in the next chapter (3:2): Now Boaz, our relative, with whose girls you have been... It was then that she felt she could unashamedly tell Ruth to lie at the feet of Boaz. She had no fear of embarrassing Ruth, as the Midrash says (Ruth Rabbah 6:1):
“King
David offered praise and thanks to God for the fact at Boaz had not cursed Ruth
but had blessed her.”
Na’omi reasoned that if Boaz had no interest in her, why he allowed his womenfolk to follow Ruth for three whole months, climbing hills and descending into valleys to keep her company?
Had Boaz’s wife been alive, she would not have dared to do such a thing. Boaz wouldn’t have allowed it either. As it was, however, there was good reason for Na’omi to send her, as we shall see later. She convinced Ruth of the necessity to go by stressing with whose girls you have been. This indicated that Boaz certainly was interested in her, as otherwise he would never have allowed his girls to accompany her for such a long period of time.
The Laborers: Were They Male or Female?
In verse 9 there is a grammatical inconsistency. Though the subject is masculine (ohrgb, laborers), the text which relates to them has ivhrjt ,fkvu, and you should follow after them, in the feminine. The correct form of the word is ovhrjt. Indeed, during the course of this Megillah, many such inconsistencies will be found, especially concerning genders. To name but a few:
(i) In chapter one, verse 13, we read vbdg, ivkv vbrca, ivkv, Would you Would you wait for them until they are grown up? Would you shut yourselves off... The subject is husbands, but the feminine form ivkv is used instead of the masculine ovkv.
(ii) In chapter one, verse 19, we read ovh,a vbfk,u, and they both went. Again the word ovh,a has a masculine ending. Since the verse refers to Na’omi and Ruth, the correct word here should be the feminine form: ivh,a!
(iii) The text in chapter four, verse 11, has ubc rat vtku kjrf, Like Rachel and like Leah both of whom built.. .Since the subjects are feminine, the word should be ivh,a, not ovh,a
Every
one of those irregularities has an explanation. I have heard it said that the
feminine gender was used by Na’omi to hint at the possibility that she may have
given birth to girls and not boys. Any hopes of Ruth and Orpab marrying her
future sons would certainly have been dashed! (This suggestion can be found in Shoresh
Yishai by R. Shlomoh Alkabetz on Ruth 1:13). The second case has been
explained in chapter one. The masculine gender was employed to denote that they
felt as strong as men, as they traveled from
In our case, the feminine gender is used in connection with the reapers, for Boaz wished Ruth to feel as if she were walking behind women, and thus she would have no fear of going to the fields to gather gleanings.
The third case will be discussed in the appropriate place.
How to Ask for a Drink!
If you become thirsty.. .Boaz meant to say as follows: “My orders to the workers to leave you alone apply only if you take precautions not to mingle with them, for if you do you will be ‘putting a stumbling block in the path of the blind,’ by bringing them to sin.
“If you feel thirsty, you may come to ask one of them to give you a drink. If it happens that they do not have water with them, you may be tempted to request one of them to draw water from the well. While this is going on, you will no doubt strike up a conversation with him, and his passion for a girl as beautiful as you will be aroused, which may lead to undesirable consequences. Better that you should go to the water jugs yourself. Don’t even ask if there is water available, but rather go and see for yourself. If they are empty, wait there until water is drawn up from the well by them, and then you can drink.”
Note that the text does not say, “drink that which is in the jugs,” or “drink from what has been drawn.” The future tense is supplied: from that which ‘will be’ drawn by the laborers.
“Don’t attempt to draw the water yourself, for one of them might rush over to help you or offer to do it for you and take the rope from you. You will undoubtedly refuse, and you will both be left holding the rope. This scene will be noticed by others, and they will immediately suspect that something is going on between you. You may even get caught up in a conversation with him. My advice to you is: Don’t draw water at all; drink only from what they draw.”
His words also implied that she should drink only if she was thirsty and not merely to cool herself down: “Only if you become thirsty should you ask to drink, for this will lessen the chances of your becoming involved with the men.”
Eyes Down!
The opening words of the verse, Keep your eyes on the field... were a warning about how Ruth should behave: “Don’t watch them so as to follow them to a different field, for they will assume that you have an interest in them, and consequently they will look for an opportunity to get closer to you. No good can come of this. Better to wait until they reach the other field and only then look to see where they have gone. Then, wait until they have begun their work after their rest time. Keep your eyes on the field ‘which they are reaping,’ i.e., while they are busy at their work and have no time for you, you can follow behind them.
Besides this, Boaz intended to convey to Ruth that her eyes should be on the field constantly. Even from afar she should refrain from looking at them, but only at the field itself, and thus she would be able to discern where they had just harvested.
The word ivhrjt, after them, in the plural, indicates that Boaz warned her to follow a group of reapers and not a single worker lest people suspect her of remaining alone with a man.