Ruth 2:12 (KJV)

What does Ruth 2:12 mean?

Boaz asks the LORD to repay Ruth fully for the kindness she has shown Naomi. He describes Ruth’s move to Israel as seeking shelter under the protection of Israel’s God.

The key is “under whose wings thou art come to trust.” The Hebrew behind “trust,” חָסָה (chasah), means to seek refuge. Boaz pictures Ruth as someone who has come beneath God’s wings for safety. Ruth is a Moabite widow who has left her homeland to accompany Naomi; Boaz understands that decision as seeking protection with Naomi’s God.

The Hebrew behind Ruth 2:12

• “LORD” — יהוה (YHWH): This is God’s personal name, represented in the KJV by “LORD” in capital letters. Boaz names him as the “God,” אֱלֹהִים (elohim), of “Israel,” יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisrael). The foreign-born Ruth has sought refuge with the God of the people she has joined.

• “recompense thy work” — שָׁלַם (shalam), פֹּעַל (po‘al): “Recompense” means to repay or reward; “work” means a deed or action. Here, Ruth’s “work” refers to her conduct toward Naomi. In the preceding verse, Boaz mentions Ruth’s care for her mother-in-law after her husband’s death and her departure from her own family and country.

• “a full reward” — שָׁלֵם (shalem), מַשְׂכֹּרֶת (maskoret): “Full” means complete, and “reward” can mean wages or payment. Boaz asks that Ruth receive a complete return for what she has done. “Recompense” and “full” come from the same Hebrew root, linking repayment with completeness.

• “wings” — כָּנָף (kanaph): The word means a wing and can also refer to the edge of a garment. Here, “under whose wings” pictures shelter beneath a bird’s wings. Later, in Ruth 3:9, the same word appears as “skirt,” when Ruth asks Boaz to spread his garment over her, connecting the language of shelter with her request for his protection.

Why Ruth 2:12 matters

• Boaz is expressing a wish for Ruth’s reward. “The LORD recompense” and “a full reward be given” are words of blessing, asking God to recognize Ruth’s deeds.

• Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi and her refuge with God belong together. Boaz speaks first of what Ruth has done for Naomi, then describes her as having come under the wings of Israel’s God. He sees her journey as both an act of family loyalty and a move into God’s protection.