Ruth 4:7
“Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The narrator explains the old custom of removing a shoe to confirm a legal transfer.
What Does Ruth 4:7 Mean?
The narrator pauses to explain an old custom for readers of a later time. In former days in Israel, to confirm a transaction of redeeming or exchanging, a man would draw off his shoe and give it to the other party, and this served as a binding testimony before all. The simple gesture made the agreement official and public, a witnessed seal upon the transfer of a right.
This brief note reminds us that the events of Ruth's story were grounded in real legal practice, witnessed and confirmed according to custom. Redemption was not a private sentiment but a public, binding act, sealed by recognized signs. There is something fitting in how seriously Israel treated such matters, marking them with a testimony that could not be denied. God's own work of redeeming His people is likewise certain and confirmed, sealed by His unbreakable word. The customs may change with the ages, but the truth they pointed to endures: redemption, once accomplished, is binding and sure.