Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.

RUTH 4:5KJV
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Ruth 4:5 (KJV)

What does Ruth 4:5 mean?

Ruth 4:5 means that Boaz tells the other relative that buying Naomi’s land also includes taking Ruth, the Moabite widow, as a wife in order to carry on her late husband’s family line and inheritance. This was part of the custom to make sure the name and property of the deceased would not disappear from Israel.

In this scene, Boaz is speaking to a closer relative at the town gate, where legal matters were settled. Boaz explains that redeeming (buying back) Naomi’s land comes with the responsibility to marry Ruth, “the Moabitess,” so that her deceased husband’s name would continue. This makes clear that the transaction is not just about property, but about preserving family heritage and caring for both Naomi and Ruth.

The Hebrew behind Ruth 4:5

  • "buyest" (קָנָה, qanah): This word means to acquire or purchase. Boaz uses it to show that redeeming the land is a legal act, not just a casual favor.
  • "raise up" (קוּם, qum): This word means to establish or set up. Here, it refers to continuing the deceased man’s family line through Ruth, highlighting the duty to preserve his name.
  • "name" (שֵׁם, shem): In Hebrew culture, a person’s name represented their identity and legacy. Boaz stresses that the goal is to keep the deceased’s name alive within his inheritance.

Why Ruth 4:5 matters

  • Ruth 4:5 clarifies that redeeming the land is inseparable from marrying Ruth, which might not have been obvious to the other relative or to readers unfamiliar with Israelite customs.
  • The verse emphasizes the importance of family loyalty and the lengths to which the community would go to protect a family’s name and inheritance.
  • Ruth 4:5 connects the story to the wider biblical theme of redemption, showing how personal sacrifice and responsibility were woven into Israel’s laws and traditions.

Where else these words appear

“Ruth” Hebrew H7327 · used in 12 verses

  • Ruth 1:4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.
  • Ruth 1:22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.
  • Ruth 2:22 And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field.

“Moabitess” Hebrew H4125 · used in 16 verses

  • Deuteronomy 2:11 Which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims; but the Moabites call them Emims.
  • Ruth 2:2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.
  • 1 Chronicles 11:46 Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite,

“Naomi” Hebrew H5281 · used in 20 verses

  • Ruth 1:2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.
  • Ruth 1:21 I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?
  • Ruth 2:22 And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field.

“Boaz” Hebrew H1162 · used in 22 verses

  • Ruth 2:1 And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.
  • Ruth 2:15 And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:
  • Ruth 4:9 And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi.