The Meaning of Ruth 2:14 Explained

Ruth 2:14

KJV: And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.

YLT: And Boaz saith to her, 'At meal-time come nigh hither, and thou hast eaten of the bread, and dipped thy morsel in the vinegar.' And she sitteth at the side of the reapers, and he reacheth to her roasted corn, and she eateth, and is satisfied, and leaveth.

Darby: And Boaz said to her at mealtime, Come hither and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers; and he reached her parched corn, and she ate and was sufficed, and reserved some.

ASV: And at meal-time Boaz said unto her, Come hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers, and they reached her parched grain, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left thereof.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Boaz  said  unto her, At mealtime  come  thou hither,  and eat  of the bread,  and dip  thy morsel  in the vinegar.  And she sat  beside  the reapers:  and he reached  her parched  [corn], and she did eat,  and was sufficed,  and left. 

What does Ruth 2:14 Mean?

Context Summary

Rth 2:14-23 - Kindness To The Stranger
From the time of the Exodus, kind and thoughtful references are made to the strangers within the gates, Deuteronomy 5:14; Deuteronomy 10:19. These injunctions found beautiful exemplification in Boaz. How careful should be we who live on a higher level, so far as the knowledge of God is concerned, that we exceed the ancient Hebrews in tender regard for the lonely and bereaved! A desolate woman, whose husband had met with an accident, and was without food or fire, said the other day to a visitor whom God had sent on an errand of mercy, "I thought nobody cared." Like Boaz, it is our business to speak kindly to such, though not of our kith and kin, and who can know how far our words may travel!
We have a glimpse into Naomi's soul in Ruth 2:20. It would seem as if she had come to the conclusion that God had forgotten and forsaken her. But when Ruth repeated the words of Boaz, the human love rekindled her faith in God's love. She began to see God's purpose shaping itself. The rainbow shone on the retreating cloud of her tears. What an opportunity is presented, each day we live of bringing the consciousness of God to weary and heavy-laden lives! [source]

Chapter Summary: Rth 2

1  Ruth gleans in the field of Boaz
4  Boaz takes notice of her
8  and shows her great favor
18  That which she got, she carries to Naomi

What do the individual words in Ruth 2:14 mean?

And said to her Boaz at the time of food come here and eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar So she sat beside the reapers and he passed to her parched [grain] and she ate and was satisfied and kept some back
וַיֹּאמֶר֩ לָ֨ה בֹ֜עַז לְעֵ֣ת הָאֹ֗כֶל גֹּ֤שִֽׁי הֲלֹם֙ וְאָכַ֣לְתְּ מִן־ הַלֶּ֔חֶם וְטָבַ֥לְתְּ פִּתֵּ֖ךְ בַּחֹ֑מֶץ וַתֵּ֙שֶׁב֙ מִצַּ֣ד הַקּֽוֹצְרִ֔ים וַיִּצְבָּט־ לָ֣הּ קָלִ֔י וַתֹּ֥אכַל וַתִּשְׂבַּ֖ע וַתֹּתַֽר

וַיֹּאמֶר֩  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָ֨ה  to  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
בֹ֜עַז  Boaz 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֹּעַז 
Sense: ancestor of David, kinsman-redeemer to Ruth, daughter-in-law of Naomi.
לְעֵ֣ת  at  the  time 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common singular construct
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
הָאֹ֗כֶל  of  food 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֹכֶל  
Sense: food.
גֹּ֤שִֽׁי  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: נָגַשׁ  
Sense: to draw near, approach.
הֲלֹם֙  here 
Parse: Adverb
Root: הֲלֹם  
Sense: here, hither.
וְאָכַ֣לְתְּ  and  eat 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
הַלֶּ֔חֶם  the  bread 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
וְטָבַ֥לְתְּ  and  dip 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: טָבַל  
Sense: to dip, dip into, plunge.
פִּתֵּ֖ךְ  your  piece  of  bread 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: פַּת 
Sense: fragment, bit, morsel (of bread), piece.
בַּחֹ֑מֶץ  in  the  vinegar 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹמֶץ  
Sense: vinegar.
וַתֵּ֙שֶׁב֙  So  she  sat 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
מִצַּ֣ד  beside 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: צַד 
Sense: side.
הַקּֽוֹצְרִ֔ים  the  reapers 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: קָצוּר 
Sense: to be short, be impatient, be vexed, be grieved.
וַיִּצְבָּט־  and  he  passed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צָבַט  
Sense: (Qal) to reach, hold out.
לָ֣הּ  to  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
קָלִ֔י  parched  [grain] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קָלִי  
Sense: parched grain, roasted grain.
וַתֹּ֥אכַל  and  she  ate 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
וַתִּשְׂבַּ֖ע  and  was  satisfied 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׂבַע  
Sense: to be satisfied, be sated, be fulfilled, be surfeited.
וַתֹּתַֽר  and  kept  some  back 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָתַר  
Sense: to be left over, remain, remain over, leave.