Ruth 3:13
“Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman's part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the LORD liveth: lie down until the morning.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Boaz pledges, by the living Lord, to redeem Ruth himself if the nearer kinsman will not.
What Does Ruth 3:13 Mean?
Boaz gives Ruth a firm and binding promise. Let her stay the night, and in the morning he will settle the matter: if the nearer kinsman will perform the part of a redeemer, well and good; but if he will not, then, as the LORD liveth, Boaz himself will redeem her. He seals his pledge with an oath in the name of the living God, the surest vow he can make.
Ruth's redemption is now certain; one way or another, she will be redeemed. Boaz binds himself by the living Lord to see it through, leaving no room for doubt. Here is the assurance every troubled heart longs for, a faithful redeemer who will not fail. Boaz's solemn oath foreshadows the unbreakable promise of the greater Redeemer, who pledges Himself to rescue His people and swears it by His own life. Ruth may now rest through the night in peace. Her redemption rests on the sworn word of a man who keeps faith, and behind him, on the faithfulness of God.
In the Original Language
ga'al (גָּאַל), 'do the kinsman's part' — to act as redeemer: to buy back, restore, and protect a kinsman's life and inheritance.