Ruth 2:20
“And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Naomi blesses the Lord for His kindness and reveals that Boaz is one of their near kinsmen-redeemers.
What Does Ruth 2:20 Mean?
Naomi's response rises into worship. Blessed be he of the LORD, she says, recognizing that God has not left off His kindness to the living and to the dead, to Ruth and Naomi who live, and to their husbands who have died, for the family line itself may yet be preserved. Then she names the hope plainly: the man is near of kin, one of our redeemers.
The word she uses is weighty: a go'el, a kinsman-redeemer, one who by right and duty could buy back a family's land, restore its name, and lift it out of loss. Suddenly the harvest is more than food; it is the first sign of rescue. Naomi, who once called herself empty and bitter, now blesses the Lord whose kindness never truly ceased. Here Scripture lifts the eyes to a greater Redeemer still, for the kinsman who restores the lost points forward to Christ, who draws near to buy back His people and make them His own. Hope now has a name, and a role: redeemer.
In the Original Language
go'el (גֹּאֵל), 'kinsman' — a near relative with the right to redeem, restoring a family's land, name, and standing; an office that points to Christ the Redeemer.