Ruth 3:14
“And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Ruth rests until early morning and rises before dawn, as Boaz guards her reputation.
What Does Ruth 3:14 Mean?
Ruth lies at Boaz's feet until morning, then rises early, before the light is strong enough for one to recognize another. Boaz, mindful of her honor, says, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor. He takes care that nothing about this night should give occasion for gossip or cast a shadow on Ruth's good name or the integrity of what has passed between them.
Boaz's concern for Ruth's reputation reveals the same righteousness that has marked him throughout. He guards her honor as carefully as he has guarded her safety, ensuring that the redemption to come will be untainted by suspicion. Purity of conduct and the protection of another's good name matter deeply to God. In a world quick to assume the worst, Boaz models a holy carefulness, doing right and being seen to do right. His protective discretion shows that true love safeguards the honor of the beloved, and that the work of redemption is carried out in the light of integrity, above reproach before God and others.