Ruth 2:10: Ruth's Gratitude
- Dr. Dilday
- Aug 26, 2019
- 2 min read
Verse 10:[1] Then she (1 Sam. 25:23) fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?
[Worshipping upon the ground[2]] Or, toward the ground (Piscator). Than which no great honor was able to be exhibited. See on Matthew 2:11; 8:2 (Grotius). She humbly honored him, with her body bent to the ground (Drusius).
She fell on her face: this was the humblest posture of reverence; either civil, when performed to men, or religious, when to God. See Genesis 18:2; 33:3; 42:6; Matthew 2:11; 8:2.
[And thou hast deemed me worthy to know[3]] That thou shouldest acknowledge me (Drusius, Piscator, Junius and Tremellius). That thou shouldest have such an accounting of me. Verse 19, blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee.[4] Thus in Psalm 8, what is man, that thou are mindful of him?[5] To know here is to love the one that thou knowest (Drusius). Thou shouldest acknowledge, that is, esteem, value; a synecdochical Metonomy of the efficient. For, what we have acknowledged as good, that we value (Piscator).
Take knowledge of me, that is, show any respect and kindness to me; for words of knowledge in Scripture commonly include affection.
[A stranger, וְאָּנֹכִ֖י נָכְרִיָּֽה׃] Seeing that I am a foreigner (Junius and Tremellius, Pagnine), or, stranger. But I prefer, since I am unknown. Verbatim: and I am unknown: in Hebrew נָכְרִיָּה/nocria. Thus strangers are called by antiphrasis, because their family and parents are unknown; or, they are easily picked out by others because of their foreign habit and countenance. Note the figure, that thou shouldest know me, seeing I am unknown (Drusius).
[1] Hebrew: וַתִּפֹּל֙ עַל־פָּנֶ֔יהָ וַתִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ אָ֑רְצָה וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֗יו מַדּוּעַ֩ מָצָ֙אתִי חֵ֤ן בְּעֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ לְהַכִּירֵ֔נִי וְאָּנֹכִ֖י נָכְרִיָּֽה׃
[2] Hebrew: וַתִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ אָ֑רְצָה.
[3] Hebrew: לְהַכִּירֵנִי.
[4] Hebrew: יְהִ֥י מַכִּירֵ֖ךְ בָּר֑וּךְ.
[5] Hebrew: מָֽה־אֱנ֥וֹשׁ כִּֽי־תִזְכְּרֶ֑נּוּ.
I believe that Ruth is showing a great example for us. Ruth is showing so much gratitude toward Boaz. Its an example for us that we should show gratitude, love, and thankful to our Lord Jesus for being so loving and looking out for us through thick and thin.
Robert Hawker's Poor Man's Portion: '"Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?"—Ruth 2:10
My soul! dost thou not find continual causes for sending forth the same inquiry as this poor Moabitess did, when thou art receiving some renewed instance of Jesus's favour? Her heart was overwhelmed with the kindness of Boaz, in permitting her to glean only in his fields, and to eat a morsel of food with his servants: but thy Boaz, thy Kinsman-Redeemer, hath opened to thee all his stores of grace and mercy; he bids thee come and take of the water of life freely; yea, he is to thee, himself, the bread of…
Matthew Henry: 'Ruth received his favours with a great deal of humility and gratitude, and conducted herself with as much propriety in her place as he did himself in his, but little thinking that she should shortly be the mistress of that field she was now gleaning in. (1.) She paid all possible respect to him, and gave him honour, according to the usage of the country (Ruth 2:10): She fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground. Note, Good breeding is a great ornament to religion; and we must render honour to whom honour is due. (2.) She humbly owned herself unworthy of his favours: "I am a stranger (Ruth 2:10) and not like one of th…