Ruth 2:3
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →As if by chance, Ruth ends up gleaning in a field belonging to Boaz, Elimelech's relative.
What Does Ruth 2:3 Mean?
Ruth sets out and begins to glean, and the narrator notes, almost with a smile, that her hap, her chance, was to come upon the portion of field belonging to Boaz, the very kinsman of Elimelech. To Ruth it seemed a random choice among many fields. To the reader, who has just met Boaz, it is anything but random. The pieces are quietly falling into place.
The text's gentle irony is the heart of the verse. What looks like coincidence, simply happening upon one field rather than another, is in truth the hidden hand of God arranging an encounter that will change everything. Scripture often shows providence working not through thunder and signs but through ordinary days and seemingly chance turns. Behind every happenstance that blessed her, God was steadily guiding Ruth's steps. The believer can take heart: there are no accidents in the care of the Lord, only mercies not yet recognized.
In the Original Language
miqreh (מִקְרֶה), 'hap' — chance or happenstance; the narrator's word winks at the reader, for what seems random is divinely guided.