Ruth 2:10: Ruth's Gratitude

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.