Ruth 3:15
“Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and she went into the city.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Boaz fills Ruth's shawl with six measures of barley to carry home before she returns to the city.
What Does Ruth 3:15 Mean?
Before Ruth departs, Boaz fills her veil, her shawl, with six measures of barley, a generous gift, and lays it upon her to carry home. She then returns to the city in the early light. The grain is both a practical provision for Ruth and Naomi and a token, a pledge that Boaz is in earnest and will not send Ruth away empty.
Boaz's gift speaks his intentions louder than words. He will not let Ruth go home empty-handed; he sends provision ahead even as he prepares to fulfill his promise. The generosity that first met Ruth in his field now follows her home again, a sign of the fuller redemption to come. So God often gives tokens of His faithfulness, pledges of provision, while the greater fulfillment is still being worked out. Ruth, who once came home heavy with gleaned grain, comes home again bearing a gift of love. The hands of the redeemer are never closed; they give, and give, until the promise is complete.