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by Katie Erickson

Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!"
Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. Through the offspring the LORD gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.”
- Ruth 4:9-12

This pivotal moment in Ruth’s narrative doesn’t just bring closure to her personal journey, but it echoes through the annals of Israelite history and ultimately ties into the genealogy of Jesus Himself. In this, we see the importance of witnesses, and we see many ways that this story is connected to the rest of the narrative of Scripture.

The statement “You are witnesses” appears twice in verses 9-10 and again in the people's response in verse 11. This repetition is intentional. In ancient Israelite society, legal transactions—especially those involving land, inheritance, or marriage—required public validation. By declaring, “Today you are witnesses,” Boaz isn’t just following tradition; he’s binding the community to the moment.

In a time without written legal contracts, the spoken word held tremendous power. Legal transactions had to be ratified in the presence of community elders to be considered valid and binding. By gathering elders at the city gate, Boaz ensures that his redemptive act of buying Naomi’s land and marrying Ruth is recorded not on parchment, but in the collective memory of the town. Witnesses serve as both validators and protectors. If anyone ever questioned Ruth’s or her future child’s right to Mahlon’s legacy, the community could say, “We were there. We saw it. It is true.”

This public acknowledgment also carries spiritual weight. Ruth’s journey from Moabite outsider to beloved member of Israel is something worth celebrating and remembering. Boaz’s actions publicly reverse her shame into honor. The people affirm that they, too, accept Ruth – not only as Boaz’s wife but as a mother in Israel’s lineage.

Verses 11-12 include a powerful blessing from the townspeople. They invoke Rachel and Leah, the matriarchs of Israel, and Tamar, the widow who bore Perez to Judah. These names are all placed here with significance; each points to stories of struggle, blessing, and divine fulfillment.

Rachel and Leah, the wives of Jacob, were considered the mothers of the twelve tribes of Israel. Invoking their names is essentially asking that Ruth, a formerly barren Moabite widow, be considered a new matriarch, building the house of Israel further. This echoes the reversal seen in Ruth’s story. Much like Rachel and Leah, who endured jealousy, barrenness, and hardship, Ruth faced widowhood and cultural exclusion. Yet God, in His mercy, includes them all in His redemptive plan.

The part of the blessing that mentioned Ephrathah and Bethlehem roots Ruth and Boaz not just in a family, but in a place—Bethlehem, which means the House of Bread in Hebrew. This town is already becoming a location of divine drama. From Ruth would come David, Israel’s greatest king. And from David’s line would come Jesus, the Bread of Life (John 6:35), born in that very town. To be “famous in Bethlehem” is to be part of God’s enduring promise.

Finally, there is a reference to Tamar, Judah, and Perez. This reference may seem odd since Tamar’s story in Genesis 38 involves deception and scandal. Widowed and left childless, she disguised herself to force Judah, her father-in-law, to fulfill his duty. Yet from that messy situation came Perez, who became a significant ancestor in the line of David. Ruth’s story echoes Tamar’s. Both were foreigners (Tamar was likely a Canaanite), both were widows, both fought for their right to preserve a family line, and both were ultimately vindicated by God. In mentioning Tamar, the people of Bethlehem acknowledge a divine pattern: God can bring forth life, legacy, and royalty from even the most unlikely situations.

Even though the narrative of Ruth takes place in the time period of the Judges, Israel already had a rich history and legacy that they were preserving as a nation. Boaz’s fulfillment of the role of guardian-redeemer officially brought Ruth into the nation of Israel. But as the witnesses present that day at the city gate foretold, Ruth would also be part of the lineage of the long-awaited Messiah. Boaz’s redemption of Ruth was not required of him, just as Jesus’ redemption of us was not required. Both were done out of love and involved sacrifice by the redeemer.

Just as the witnesses at the city gate were important for acknowledging the redemption that occurred that day, we are important witnesses of the redemption that happened through Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross and resurrection centuries ago. While we did not personally witness it firsthand, we have the whole Bible and the Holy Spirit who testifies in our lives about the events of that day and what they mean for the salvation of the entire world.

We are part of the legacy and heritage of the family of believers, just as Ruth became part of the legacy of the nation of Israel. We are called to bear witness to the faith that we have been given by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Live your life as a witness to this truth.

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