The Meaning of Ruth 2:3 Explained

Ruth 2:3

KJV: And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

YLT: And she goeth and cometh and gathereth in a field after the reapers, and her chance happeneth -- the portion of the field is Boaz's who is of the family of Elimelech.

Darby: And she went; and she came and gleaned in the fields after the reapers; and she chanced to light on an allotment of Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

ASV: And she went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on the portion of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And she went,  and came,  and gleaned  in the field  after  the reapers:  and her hap  was to light  on a part  of the field  [belonging] unto Boaz,  who [was] of the kindred  of Elimelech. 

What does Ruth 2:3 Mean?

Context Summary

Ruth 2:1-13 - Gleaning After The Reapers
In great desolation of soul, Naomi had returned. She was no longer the happy woman of earlier days. Ruth also must sometimes have experienced the depression of homesickness which often steals over the heart of the stranger. But the two women found solace where sad hearts will always find it, first in God and then in ministry to each other, 2 Corinthians 1:4; 2 Corinthians 7:6. In fact, Ruth's devotion to her mother became the common talk of the village, Ruth 2:11.
Notice the beautiful old-time salutations between the employer and his employees. The omission of these courteous greetings is one of the mistakes of our modern civilization. We live in a time when the relations between master and servant, between mistress and maid, are strangely altered, being largely financial and selfish. Each tries to get as much as possible out of the other, and thus the personal touch is absent. Is it to be wondered at that the human machine runs hard and sometimes breaks down? But Boaz was clearly a good man. He had won the respect of the whole neighborhood, and his tender words to the young stranger, saluting her as a nestling under the wings of Jehovah, indicated that he dwelled "in the secret place of the Most High." [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 2:3 mean?

And she left and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers and she happened to come to the part of the field [belonging] to Boaz who [was] of the family of Elimelech
וַתֵּ֤לֶךְ וַתָּבוֹא֙ וַתְּלַקֵּ֣ט בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה אַחֲרֵ֖י הַקֹּצְרִ֑ים וַיִּ֣קֶר מִקְרֶ֔הָ חֶלְקַ֤ת הַשָּׂדֶה֙ לְבֹ֔עַז אֲשֶׁ֖ר מִמִּשְׁפַּ֥חַת אֱלִימֶֽלֶךְ

וַתֵּ֤לֶךְ  And  she  left 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וַתָּבוֹא֙  and  went 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
וַתְּלַקֵּ֣ט  and  gleaned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: לָקַט  
Sense: to pick up, gather, glean, gather up.
בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה  in  the  field 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
אַחֲרֵ֖י  after 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
הַקֹּצְרִ֑ים  the  reapers 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: קָצוּר 
Sense: to be short, be impatient, be vexed, be grieved.
וַיִּ֣קֶר  and  she  happened 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָה 
Sense: to encounter, meet, befall, happen, come to meet.
מִקְרֶ֔הָ  to  come 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: מִקְרֶה  
Sense: unforeseen meeting or event, accident, happening, chance, fortune.
חֶלְקַ֤ת  to  the  part 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חֶלְקָה 
Sense: portion, parcel.
הַשָּׂדֶה֙  of  the  field 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
לְבֹ֔עַז  [belonging]  to  Boaz 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֹּעַז 
Sense: ancestor of David, kinsman-redeemer to Ruth, daughter-in-law of Naomi.
אֲשֶׁ֖ר  who  [was] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
מִמִּשְׁפַּ֥חַת  of  the  family  of 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מִשְׁפָּחָה  
Sense: clan, family.
אֱלִימֶֽלֶךְ  Elimelech 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱלִימֶלֶךְ  
Sense: Naomi’s husband.