Ruth 2:23 (ASV)

Passage

So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz, to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.

Nearby Context

Ruth 2:21 And Ruth the Moabitess said, Yea, he said unto me, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.

Ruth 2:22 And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter-in-law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, and that they meet thee not in any other field.

Ruth 2:23 So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz, to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "kept", "fast", "maidens", "boaz", "glean", "barley", "harvest", and "wheat". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "kept" and "fast", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter-in-law...", giving immediate footing for "kept" and "fast". In Ruth context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "kept" and "fast" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.