Ruth 4:6 records a nearest relative choosing not to take on a costly family duty, so the responsibility passes to Boaz. The unnamed kinsman says he cannot redeem the land for himself because doing so could damage his own inheritance, and he gives the right to Boaz instead. The speaker is that near kinsman, and he is answering Boaz, who has just told him that buying Naomi’s land also means taking on Ruth, the Moabite widow.
The near kinsman said, “I can’t redeem it for myself, lest I endanger my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption for yourself; for I can’t redeem it.”
Ruth 4:6 (WEB)
What Ruth 4:6 Means
The phrase “I can’t redeem it for myself” is the heart of the verse. In ancient Israel, redeeming a relative’s property meant buying back land that had been sold out of the family, so it stayed within the clan. It was a responsibility, and it also carried risk. The kinsman sees that the purchase would cost him more than the field is worth to him, because it would tie up his own resources and possibly leave his own family’s inheritance in danger.
The verse then shows him handing the right to someone else: “take my right of redemption for yourself.” He is not making a moral judgment on Boaz or on the situation. He is simply declining a deal that he thinks threatens his own household. The verse does not promise that every such choice turns out well, and it does not reveal any hidden blessing for the kinsman. It only records a practical decision made within the customs of the day.
The Context of Ruth 4:6
The book of Ruth is a short narrative in the Hebrew Scriptures, traditionally attributed to an anonymous author, and it is usually read as a story about faithfulness and covenant love within a family. Its audience was the people of Israel, who knew the laws about land and levirate-style obligations well. The events are set in the period of the judges, and the story centers on Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz.
Just before verse 6, Boaz lays out the full situation: the land belonged to Elimelech, Naomi is selling it, and buying it also means acquiring Ruth in order to keep the dead man’s name alive. The kinsman’s refusal in verse 6 makes sense only against that backdrop. Right after it, verses 7 and 8 explain the custom of exchanging a sandal, and verse 9 has Boaz calling the elders to witness the transaction. Read in that sequence, verse 6 is the turning point where the family duty moves from a reluctant relative to the man who is willing to carry it.
Key Phrases in Ruth 4:6
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)
After Boaz takes up the redemption, the women of Bethlehem bless him and celebrate the child born to Ruth and Boaz, showing how the family duty Ruth 4:6 sets in motion leads to restoration for Naomi. This verse shows the outcome that the kinsman’s refusal made possible.
Leviticus 25:25
“‘If your brother becomes poor, and sells some of his possessions, then his kinsman who is next to him shall come, and redeem that which his brother has sold.
(WEB)
This law in Leviticus lays out the principle behind redemption: when a family member sells land, a near relative may buy it back. Reading it alongside Ruth 4:6 helps explain why the kinsman’s right existed and why transferring it was a serious matter.
A Short Prayer From Ruth 4:6
Lord, you see the choices I face when someone I love needs help and I am not sure I can carry it. Give me honesty about what I can and cannot bear, and keep me from pretending my limits do not exist. Where I am able, help me to step forward with courage, and where I am not, help me to point others toward the help they need. Shape my heart so that my decisions protect the people entrusted to me while still reflecting your faithfulness to those in need. Amen.
