Ruth 2:13 is Ruth, a Moabite widow who has just moved to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law Naomi, responding to a man named Boaz. She is humbly asking to keep receiving his kindness, grateful that he has comforted her and spoken gently to her, even though she sees herself as lower than his own workers. The verse is spoken by Ruth directly to Boaz, a landowner in the fields where she has been gleaning.
Then she said, “Let me find favor in your sight, my lord, because you have comforted me, and because you have spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not as one of your servants.”
Ruth 2:13 (WEB)
What Ruth 2:13 Means
Ruth opens with the phrase “Let me find favor in your sight.” She is not demanding anything. She is asking that his good opinion of her continue, the way a person might ask a respected elder for a continued kindness. The word “favor” carries the sense of grace freely given, not wages earned.
She then gives two reasons for her request. Boaz has “comforted” her, which means he has eased the fear and loneliness of a woman who had lost nearly everything. He has also “spoken kindly” to her, using gentle words where harshness would have been easy. Her closing words, “though I am not as one of your servants,” show her humility. She knows she is a foreigner and a widow with no standing of her own, and she does not assume she deserves his notice.
The verse does not promise that every kind word will lead to a reward or a change in circumstances. It simply records a grateful heart receiving kindness and naming it honestly.
The Context of Ruth 2:13
The book of Ruth is a short narrative set in the period of the judges, when Israel had no king and life was often unstable. It is traditionally attributed to Samuel, though the author is not named in the text itself. Its original audience was the Israelite community, and the story was told to show how God works quietly through ordinary acts of loyalty and generosity.
Just before verse 13, Boaz explains that he has heard how Ruth cared for Naomi after her husband died, and he blesses her, saying she has come under the protection of the God of Israel. Verse 13 is her reply to that blessing. Right after it, Boaz invites her to eat with his workers and orders them to let her glean even among the sheaves. Read this way, Ruth’s humble words are the moment she receives open welcome, and they show how her quiet faithfulness is being noticed and rewarded.
Key Phrases in Ruth 2:13
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)
This verse comes just before Ruth’s words and contains Boaz’s blessing over her. Reading it with verse 13 shows that her gratitude is a response to a blessing already spoken over her, and that the favor she asks for is rooted in God’s care.
Psalm 68:5
A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
(WEB)
This psalm describes God as a father to the fatherless and a defender of widows. Ruth’s story shows that same care at work in human hands, which helps explain why Boaz’s kindness toward a widow carried such weight.
A Short Prayer From Ruth 2:13
Father, thank you for the people who have shown me kindness when I least expected it. Help me to receive their care with a grateful and humble heart, without rushing to repay or pretending I deserve it. Where I have felt like an outsider or a burden, remind me that you welcome me and provide for me through others. Teach me to speak honest, gentle words of thanks, and make me a source of comfort to someone who needs it today. Amen.
