Ruth 4:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The blessing from the elders affirms that this union serves as a foreshadowing of what is to come: May the Lord make the woman who enters your home like Rachel and Leah, who established the house of Israel, and may she gain prosperity in Ephrathah, with a name honored in Bethlehem. Let your household be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah; from this young woman, the Lord will provide you with offspring. Boaz took Ruth to be his wife and she bore Obed, the father of Jesse, and grandfather of David. It is fitting that Matthew, in his Gospel aimed at the Gentiles, emphasized that the Lord, in commencing the gathering of the nations, welcomed foreigners into His family according to the flesh, indicating that this community would bring forth the Gatherer of Nations.

The elders affirmed the union with a blessing, indicating that Boaz may have had another spouse. In their blessing, they referred to Rachel and Leah together, saying, “Both of them shall build the house of Israel.” Furthermore, the phrase “Create strength in Ephrathah, and establish a name in Bethlehem” signifies a future saving birth, thereby highlighting how Bethlehem became renowned among all people.

Consider the parallel between Ruth's experience and our own. Ruth was a foreigner living in dire poverty, yet Boaz did not look down on her circumstances or her humble origins. Similarly, Christ, in accepting the Church, which was also an outsider and in profound need, enabled her to share in abundant blessings. Just as Ruth had never abandoned her father or rejected her homeland and kin, the Church, having only renounced her father's customs, became accepted by the Bridegroom. Concerning this, the prophet speaks to the Church, saying, “Forget your people” (Psalm 44:11).