Old Testament · Judges
Boaz
“May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”Ruth 2:12
Biography
Boaz was a wealthy and honorable landowner in Bethlehem during the time of the judges, and a distant relative of Elimelech, the late husband of Naomi. When the widowed Moabite Ruth came to glean in his fields, Boaz immediately showed her exceptional kindness — protecting her, feeding her, and leaving extra grain for her. When Naomi recognized that Boaz was a potential kinsman-redeemer, she devised a plan for Ruth to approach him. Boaz responded with integrity and generosity, navigating the legal customs to take Ruth as his wife. Their union produced Obed, who became the grandfather of King David, placing Boaz in the direct lineage of Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Lesson
Boaz models the difference between bare compliance and generous faithfulness. The law required him to permit gleaning; he went beyond it. Custom required fair negotiation; he went beyond it. His whole conduct enacts the word hesed — the same word used for God's own covenant love. In an age when everyone did what was right in their own eyes, Boaz did what was right in God's eyes, and more than was required. The lineage of Jesus runs through this quiet field in Bethlehem, through a man who was kind to a foreigner because he valued faithfulness above everything else.