Ruth 2:20 is Naomi’s response when she learns that the field where Ruth gleaned belongs to Boaz. Naomi sees God’s hand in the timing and calls a blessing on Boaz, then reminds Ruth that he is a close relative of their family, someone with a duty to help. The speaker is Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, and she is speaking to Ruth after Ruth comes home with a large amount of barley.
Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the LORD, who has not abandoned his kindness to the living and to the dead.” Naomi said to her, “The man is a close relative to us, one of our near kinsmen.”
Ruth 2:20 (WEB)
What Ruth 2:20 Means
Naomi begins with a blessing: “May he be blessed by the LORD.” In the Hebrew world a blessing was a real act of speaking good over someone and asking God to act on that person’s behalf. Naomi is saying that Boaz deserves God’s favor because of how he treated two vulnerable women. She is not merely being polite; she is recognizing a kindness that she did not expect.
The phrase “who has not abandoned his kindness to the living and to the dead” points to God’s steady loyalty. The word translated kindness carries the idea of faithful, covenant love. Naomi believes that God’s faithfulness has not ended with her husband and sons, who have died, and it has not ended for Ruth and herself, who are still living. The verse does not promise a specific outcome for Ruth, but it shows Naomi trusting that God keeps faith with the people who belong to him.
The last sentence explains why Naomi says this. Boaz is “a close relative to us, one of our near kinsmen.” Under Israelite law, a близкий relative could redeem family land and, in certain cases, marry a widow to continue the family line. Naomi’s words signal that she sees a real legal and family possibility here, not just a chance meeting in a field.
The Context of Ruth 2:20
The Book of Ruth is a short narrative in the Hebrew Bible, placed among the Writings in the Jewish canon and among the historical books in most Christian Bibles. Its author is unknown, and tradition has often linked it with the period of the judges, though scholars debate the exact date. The story follows a Moabite woman who chooses to stay with her Israelite mother-in-law and enter the people and faith of Israel.
Just before verse 20, Ruth tells Naomi that she gleaned in the field of a man named Boaz. Just after it, Naomi advises Ruth to keep working in Boaz’s fields, where she will be safe. Read in this setting, verse 20 is the turning point where Naomi moves from grief and bitterness toward hope. Her blessing and her mention of kinship set up the plan that will unfold through the rest of the book.
Key Phrases in Ruth 2:20
Ruth 2:12
May the LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given to you from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”
(WEB)
Boaz tells Ruth that the LORD will reward her for what she has done for Naomi and that she has come under his wings for refuge. Reading this verse alongside Ruth 2:20 shows that the blessing Naomi speaks is already at work, and that God’s reward and protection are rooted in Ruth’s loyal love.
Deuteronomy 25:5
If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies, and has no son, the wife of the dead shall not be married outside to a stranger. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her, and take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her.
(WEB)
This verse describes the law of levirate marriage, which gave a widow’s family a duty to continue the family line. It explains the background for Naomi’s reference to a near kinsman and helps you see why her words carry such weight in the story.
A Short Prayer From Ruth 2:20
Lord, you have not stopped being faithful to the people you love, even when life has brought loss and uncertainty. Thank you for the kindness of others who notice us and offer help, and for the way you work through ordinary moments to care for your people. Help me to recognize your hand in my days, to bless those who serve me, and to trust that your steady love continues in every season. Amen.
