Ruth 2:20 means that Naomi recognizes God’s faithful kindness at work in a surprising place: a man named Boaz who has shown generosity to Ruth. Naomi also notices something practical, that Boaz is a close relative of their family, which matters under the customs of the time. The words are spoken by Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, to Ruth after Ruth returns from gleaning in Boaz’s field.
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. When she says “may he be blessed by the LORD,” she is asking God to reward Boaz for the favor he showed to Ruth, a foreign widow with no standing in Bethlehem. Naomi’s blessing is not just polite speech. She believes God sees what Boaz did and will respond to it.
The phrase “who has not abandoned his kindness to the living and to the dead” reveals what Naomi has been holding onto through grief. Her husband and sons have died, and she has been left with little. Yet she still trusts that God’s loyal love, the steadfast kindness the Hebrew word hesed describes, has not run out for her family, even in loss. This is a statement about God’s character, not a guarantee that every hard season will end quickly.
The second sentence, “The man is a close relative to us, one of our near kinsmen,” adds a legal and family detail. In that culture a kinsman-redeemer could protect widows and restore family property. Naomi is beginning to see that Boaz may be the one who can do this. The verse does not promise a romance or a marriage. It shows Naomi starting to hope again.
The Context of Ruth 2:20
The book of Ruth is a short narrative in the Hebrew Bible, traditionally attributed to Samuel, though its author is not named in the text. It is set during the period of the judges and written to show how God works quietly through ordinary family loyalty, not only through dramatic miracles. Its first readers would have understood the laws about gleaning and redemption without needing them explained.
Just before this verse, Ruth gleans barley in a field and returns home with a large amount of grain, which surprises Naomi. Naomi asks where Ruth worked, and when Ruth names Boaz, Naomi’s response shifts from concern to gratitude. Right after the verse, Naomi tells Ruth it is good to stay with Boaz’s young women, which gives the story its next step. Reading the verse in that sequence shows that Naomi’s blessing is the turning point from bitterness toward hope.
Key Phrases in Ruth 2:20
Psalm 136:1
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his loving kindness endures forever.
(WEB)
This psalm repeats the refrain that God’s steadfast love endures forever, the same loyal kindness Naomi trusts in Ruth 2:20. Reading the two together shows that her confidence was rooted in a long tradition of praise for God’s faithfulness.
Ruth 4:14
The women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you today without a near kinsman. Let his name be famous in Israel.
(WEB)
Near the end of the book, the women of Bethlehem bless God for providing a redeemer for Naomi. This verse shows how Naomi’s early blessing unfolds into the full answer she hoped for, making it a helpful companion for seeing the story’s arc.
A Short Prayer From Ruth 2:20
Lord, you are faithful even when my circumstances make it hard to see. Thank you for the people who show me kindness when I am weary or grieving. Bless them as they serve others, and help me receive their help with a grateful heart. Teach me to trust that your loyal love has not left me, in the living seasons and in the losses I carry. Amen.
