Ruth Chapter 2 Answers

About These Answers


DAY ONE
Questions and Answers


1.  Read the first seven verses of Ruth Chapter 2 to answer the following questions:  

  • Whose idea was it to glean (gather) grain in the fields?
    It was Ruth’s idea to work as a gleaner (verse 2).
  • Did Ruth know she was gleaning in the field of Boaz? 
    No, although you might think by reading the text of verse 2.  Ruth intended to glean in Boaz’s field, she stated that she wanted to glean in the field after “him in whose sight I find favor.”  This indicates she didn’t know whose field she would be in or where she would glean. Verse 7 indicates she asked permission of the servant of Boaz, not Boaz himself because he wasn’t there yet (verses 4 and 7).
  • What time of day was the plan made to glean in the grain fields?
    The plan must have been made in the early morning. Verse 7 indicates Ruth started early in the morning. Verses 2 and 3 indicate Ruth pitched the idea to Naomi and when she approved it, Ruth took action right away.
  • How was Ruth known to the young man in charge of the reapers? 
    She must have introduced herself to the young man when she asked for permission, or she was know by reputation to him before she asked for permission.

2.  Why was Ruth so surprised to be treated with favor by Boaz?

Answer: Ruth was surprised to be treated with favor because:

  • she did not understand that Boaz knew who she was – the servant told Boaz who she was (verse 6); and
  • because she was a foreigner (likely dressed differently) and expected to be treated less favorably than an Israelite (verse 10).

3.  What's the hardest part about your job?  How do you react when doing a job that perhaps isn't to your full potential?  What attitude should we have?  (Read Colossians 3:23)

Your Answer Here


DAY TWO
Questions and Answers


4.  How was Ruth known to Boaz?

Answer: 

Boaz had not obviously met her prior to seeing her in the fields because he asked his servant who she was when he saw her (verse 5).  However, he knew her by her reputation as indicated in verse 11.

5.  What can you determine about the character of Boaz from the reading of Ruth Chapter 2?

Answer:

  • He was a man who respected God (vs 4).
  • He was a decent, kind, and generous man (vss 8-9, 14-16).
  • He was a man who recognized the provision of God.  He could have taken the pompous position that Ruth has sought refuge by his provision, but instead he stated that Ruth had sought the refuge under the wings of the God of Israel (vs 12).

6.  Have you ever struggled in helping someone because they are different from you?

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DAY THREE
Questions and Answers


7.  What can you determine about the character of Ruth from reading the following verses from Ruth Chapter 2:

  • Verse 2 - She took initiative to solve problems
  • Verses 7 & 17 - She was a hard worker and not lazy
  • Verses 10 & 13 - She was unassuming
  • Verse 18 - She was kind and thoughtful

8.  How do Ruth and Boaz both benefit from the law as prescribed in your reading of Leviticus 23:22 and Deuteronomy 24:19-21?

Ruth obviously benefited in being provided a portion of the harvest as a gleaner.

Boaz benefited by being blessed by the Lord for his obedience (See Deuteronomy 19:19).

Leviticus 23:22:22: 

“And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.”

Deuteronomy 24:19-21:

19 “When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over them again. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. 21 When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not strip it afterward. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.

9.  What are some sacrifices we can make for people?  What's the biggest sacrifice you've ever made for someone?

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DAY FOUR
Questions and Answers


10. Which verses from Ruth Chapter 2 indicate the character of the relationship between Naomi and Ruth and what was the nature of that relationship?

  • Verse 2 - Naomi called Ruth her daughter  
  • Verse 11 - Boaz praised Ruth for her care & concern for Naomi
  • Verses 14 & 18 - Ruth brought Naomi leftovers from a meal she had earlier

11. Consider how Boaz treated Ruth as a poor relative and the promise of God from the Scripture cited from Psalm 41 on the subject.

1 Blessed is he that considereth the poor: The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. 2  The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; And he shall be blessed upon the earth: And thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. Psalm 41:1-3

Would you (or do you) have the same attitude towards your relatives who are in need?

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DAY FIVE
Questions and Answers


12.  What does verse 23 of Ruth Chapter 2 and your review of Deuteronomy 16:9-12 tell you about the length of time Ruth worked in the fields?

Ruth worked about seven weeks in the fields, assuming she started at the beginning of the barley harvest as indicated at the end of chapter one.  This is the determination by Harper’s Bible Dictionary (see below). 

Barley was one of the two staple grain crops in the biblical period (wheat was the other). Bread made of barley was the food of lower-income people (Ezekiel 4:12; John 6:9).

Seven weeks elapsed from the beginning of the barley harvest in late April until the completion of the wheat harvest at the beginning of June (Deuteronomy 16:9-12; Ruth 2:23). The harvest culminated at the feast of Pentecost.

DAY SIX
Questions and Answers


13.  How can this study of Ruth, Boaz, and Naomi help us in our relationships with our families?

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