Ruth 4

¹ Boaz went to the gate of the town and sat down there. Soon the family redeemer Boaz had spoken about came by. Boaz said, “Come over here and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.

² Then Boaz took ten men of the town’s elders and said, “Sit here.” And they sat down.

³ He said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has returned from the territory of Moab, is selling the portion of the field that belonged to our brother Elimelech.

⁴ I thought I should inform you: Buy it back in the presence of those seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you want to redeem it, do it. But if you do not want to redeem it, tell me so that I will know, because there isn’t anyone other than you to redeem it, and I am next after you.”
“I want to redeem it,” he answered.

⁵ Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from Naomi, you will acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the deceased man, to perpetuate the man’s name on his property.”

⁶ The redeemer replied, “I can’t redeem it myself, or I will ruin my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption, because I can’t redeem it.”

Note · Ruth 4.1–6

La décision se prend avec des témoins et des conséquences matérielles

Le parent accepte d’abord le rachat, puis refuse lorsqu’est liée à l’affaire la continuité du nom du défunt par Ruth. Il invoque son propre héritage. Le récit ne donne pas assez de détails pour calculer tout son risque patrimonial ou lui attribuer avec certitude un mépris ethnique. La procédure de ce livre ne doit pas être confondue avec un code complet du droit foncier israélite.

⁷ At an earlier period in Israel, a man removed his sandal and gave it to the other party in order to make any matter legally binding concerning the right of redemption or the exchange of property. This was the method of legally binding a transaction in Israel.

⁸ So the redeemer removed his sandal and said to Boaz, “Buy back the property yourself.”

⁹ Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I am buying from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech, Chilion, and Mahlon.

¹⁰ I have also acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, to perpetuate the deceased man’s name on his property, so that his name will not disappear among his relatives or from the gate of his hometown. You are witnesses today.”

¹¹ All the people who were at the city gate, including the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is entering your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built the house of Israel. May you be powerful in Ephrathah and your name well known in Bethlehem.

¹² May your house become like the house of Perez, the son Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring the Lord will give you by this young woman.”

Note · Ruth 4.7–12

Un geste de transmission ne doit pas être confondu avec tous les rites de la sandale

Le narrateur explique une ancienne coutume de validation : un homme remet sa sandale. Ruth ne vient pas retirer celle du parent en lui crachant devant le visage, comme dans le cas de refus du lévirat décrit en Deutéronome 25. Les témoins bénissent ensuite la Moabite en la rapprochant de Rachel et de Léa. Son origine n’est pas effacée pour qu’une place lui soit reconnue dans l’histoire d’Israël.

¹³ Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. He slept with her, and the Lord granted conception to her, and she gave birth to a son.

¹⁴ The women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you without a family redeemer today. May his name become well known in Israel.

¹⁵ He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. Indeed, your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

¹⁶ Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and became his nanny.

¹⁷ The neighbor women said, “A son has been born to Naomi,” and they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Note · Ruth 4.13–17

La joie fait place au soin et reconnaît l’amour déjà donné

Le mariage et la conception sont racontés brièvement ; les femmes s’adressent ensuite à Naomi et reconnaissent combien Ruth l’aime. Dire qu’un fils lui est né souligne cette restauration familiale, sans effacer Ruth comme mère. Naomi prend soin de l’enfant, tandis que l’entourage le nomme. L’avenir reçu appartient ainsi à plusieurs relations, pas à la seule réussite d’un couple.

¹⁸ Now these are the family records of Perez:
Perez fathered Hezron,

¹⁹ Hezron fathered Ram,
Ram fathered Amminadab,

²⁰ Amminadab fathered Nahshon,
Nahshon fathered Salmon,

²¹ Salmon fathered Boaz,
Boaz fathered Obed,

²² Obed fathered Jesse,
and Jesse fathered David.

Note · Ruth 4.18–22

La généalogie élargit l’horizon sans réduire Ruth à un moyen

La lignée de Pérets à David relie famine, migration et entraide à l’histoire royale. Le récit nous a pourtant fait connaître Ruth bien avant son rôle d’ancêtre : son travail et sa fidélité valent aussi pour les personnes qu’elle accompagne. Matthieu 1.5 reprendra son nom dans la généalogie de Jésus. Cette réception chrétienne ouvre un autre horizon sans retirer au livre sa propre fin tournée vers David.