The Meaning of Ruth 2:21 Explained

Ruth 2:21

KJV: And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.

YLT: And Ruth the Moabitess saith, 'Also he surely said unto me, Near the young people whom I have thou dost cleave till they have completed the whole of the harvest which I have.'

Darby: And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said to me also, Thou shalt keep with my young men until they have ended all my harvest.

ASV: And Ruth the Moabitess said, Yea, he said unto me, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Ruth  the Moabitess  said,  He said  unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast  by my young men,  until they have ended  all my harvest. 

What does Ruth 2:21 Mean?

Context Summary

Ruth 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: Ruth 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 2:21 mean?

And said Ruth the Moabitess also also He said to me by young men my my You shall stay close until that they have finished - all harvest my
וַתֹּ֖אמֶר ר֣וּת הַמּוֹאֲבִיָּ֑ה גַּ֣ם ׀ כִּי־ אָמַ֣ר אֵלַ֗י עִם־ הַנְּעָרִ֤ים אֲשֶׁר־ לִי֙ תִּדְבָּקִ֔ין עַ֣ד אִם־ כִּלּ֔וּ אֵ֥ת כָּל־ הַקָּצִ֖יר לִֽי

וַתֹּ֖אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
ר֣וּת  Ruth 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: רוּת  
Sense: daughter-in-law of Naomi, wife of Boaz, and grandmother of David.
הַמּוֹאֲבִיָּ֑ה  the  Moabitess 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מֹואָבִי  
Sense: an citizen of Moab.
גַּ֣ם ׀  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
כִּי־  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
אָמַ֣ר  He  said 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלַ֗י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הַנְּעָרִ֤ים  young  men 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: נַעַר  
Sense: a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer.
אֲשֶׁר־  my 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
לִי֙  my 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
תִּדְבָּקִ֔ין  You  shall  stay  close 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person feminine singular, Paragogic nun
Root: דָּבַק  
Sense: to cling, stick, stay close, cleave, keep close, stick to, stick with, follow closely, join to, overtake, catch.
עַ֣ד  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
אִם־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
כִּלּ֔וּ  they  have  finished 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: כָּלָה  
Sense: to accomplish, cease, consume, determine, end, fail, finish, be complete, be accomplished, be ended, be at an end, be finished, be spent.
אֵ֥ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַקָּצִ֖יר  harvest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קָצִיר 
Sense: harvest, harvesting.
לִֽי  my 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular

What are the major concepts related to Ruth 2:21?

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