Ruth 2:20 means that Naomi, after hearing where Ruth had gathered grain, recognized that the man who had shown Ruth kindness was a relative who could help the two widows. Her blessing is a sign that she sees God’s faithful care reaching into an ordinary workday in a field. Naomi speaks these words to her daughter-in-law Ruth, the Moabite widow who has just returned from gleaning and reports the name of the landowner, Boaz.
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.” She is not praising Boaz for his own sake alone. She is asking that God would reward him, because his generosity to a foreign widow has been noticed. Naomi has been bitter since her husband and both sons died, and here she speaks with warmth for the first time in this chapter.
The next phrase, “who has not abandoned his kindness to the living and to the dead,” explains why she thinks God is involved. The Hebrew word for kindness (hesed) describes steadfast, loyal love that keeps its promises. Naomi believes that this loyal love has not ended with her dead husband and sons, and it still reaches the living women in her family. The verse does not promise that every hard season will end quickly, but it shows Naomi trusting that God’s loyalty continues.
Her second sentence, “The man is a close relative to us, one of our near kinsmen,” gives the practical reason for her hope. Under the law of the time, a близкий relative could take responsibility for the family of a deceased man. Naomi is beginning to see a path toward security for Ruth and herself.
The Context of Ruth 2:20
The Book of Ruth is a short narrative set in the period of the judges, and it is traditionally attributed to an unnamed writer, often associated with the prophet Samuel. Its first readers were Israelites who valued covenant loyalty, family land, and the care of widows and foreigners. The story moves from famine and loss in Moab to a harvest field in Bethlehem, and the reader is meant to see God working quietly through ordinary people.
Just before this verse, Ruth has gathered barley until evening and brought home far more than Naomi expected, and Ruth tells her where she worked. Just after it, Naomi advises Ruth to stay with Boaz’s young women so she will be safe in the fields. Read in that setting, the verse is the turning point where Naomi moves from grief to planning, and it helps explain why the story closes with a wedding rather than a funeral.
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 phrase that God’s loyal love endures forever, which echoes Naomi’s confidence that the LORD’s kindness has not been abandoned. Reading it alongside Ruth 2:20 helps you see that her hope rests on a theme running through all of Israel’s worship.
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)
At the close of the book, the women of Bethlehem bless the LORD for providing a redeemer for Naomi. This verse shows how Naomi’s early blessing in chapter two is fulfilled, and it lets you see the full arc of God’s care from the field to the family line.
A Short Prayer From Ruth 2:20
Lord, you have not abandoned your kindness, even when my life has felt bare and uncertain. Thank you for the people who have shown me generosity, and help me to notice them as your hands at work. Where I am tempted to think that loss has the final word, remind me of your steadfast love that reaches the living and the dead. Give me a grateful heart and the patience to trust your timing. Amen.