Here is a question I might ask my Sabbath School class to get the discussion started:

When you looked at the courtship procedures of Boaz and Ruth, were you comfortable or uncomfortable with them? Why or why not?

The courtship that was in vogue, or acceptable, or condoned, or whatever at that time is quite foreign to our time. It sounded really weird to me when I first heard this story. Over the years their customs have been explained, somewhat, so that it makes more sense, but it still seems really weird that Ruth would go to where Boaz was sleeping and lay down at his feet. EUWWWW!!!

I wonder if this statement it a euphism for something else....... like the story where Isaac was "walking in the fields" when Rebecca first saw him is a euphism for he was "taking a leak", (please pardon the way that sounds.)

I guess these ancient customs and ways of doing things is so different from the way that we do them that we just have to take all of that into account when we read the story and not attach our cultural ways of doing things to theirs.

Mu 2cents.

Morning Glory

Compare 1 Samuel 24: 3; Judges 3: 24 in a literal translation such as KJV. "Covering ones feet" is the literal Hebrew and was clearly a euphimism for relieving oneself, which is how the NKJV and the RSV and others translate it.

On Gen. 24:63, most translators believe the Hebrew word-- Strong's #7742, suach-- means "meditate," "prayer. "strolling," or "walking." The LXX and the Vulgate have "meditate." The oldest Semitic versions, the Samaritan books of Moses and the Targum of Onkelos [Aramaic], render it "to pray." However, no one knows its meaning with complete certainty.

It makes sense, in the light of the seriousness of Eliezer's mission to find Issac a wife, that Isaac would be thinking a great deal about it and even praying for God to guide Eliezer's choice of a bride. There is no reason to believe Isaac was merely out in the field relieving himself. At least no translators that I know of have so translated it. If Isaac was relieving himself, it's hard to understand why the ancient versions would translate the Hebrew to mean he was praying rather than that he was covering his feet, as the original has it in those places where men were indeed relieving themselves. Praying or mediating or walking are never euphimisms for relieving oneself, whereas "covering ones feet" most certainly is, as seen above.

On the other hand, just to be certain of what he was doing out there in the fields that evening, you might want to ask Issac this question when you get to heaven--that is, if you don't think it's too private.

I would like to know if Naomi was testing Boaz to see how he would respond to Ruth sleeping at his feet. His response was with the greatest integrity and grain was given to her to "possibly" protect her if she were discovered leaving from Boaz's company and also to signify to Naomi that he accepted the "proposition". If Ruth had been discovered leaving Boaz's bed wouldn't they both have been subject to death by stoning? Another question I have is, how could Naomi be so sure that Boaz would not rest until the "thing" was done that day? Thanks!

Naomi obviously had gone over in her mind what relatives could help the two of them and how each scenario would turn out. Boaz apparently had quite a reputation in Bethlehem of getting things done, and Noami had noticed this.

I think we sometimes assume that Boaz was sleeping in a regular bed, but probably he was sleeping on a mat of some kind with his clothes wrapped tightly around him. According to some commentators, servants laying at the master's feet could request that the master allow a little of their outer garment for covering - that would fit Ruth's case. Uncovering his feet - perhaps those feet of his would get a little chilly and alert Boaz he had a problem to solve.

To me the custom of the servants requesting cover would mean that Ruth would not be in any danger of stoning. The extra grain? Probably it is true that would be a signal to Naomi.