Ruth 2:4 (ASV)

Passage

And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, Jehovah be with you. And they answered him, Jehovah bless thee.

Nearby Context

Ruth 2:2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.

Ruth 2:3 And she went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on the portion of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

Ruth 2:4 And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, Jehovah be with you. And they answered him, Jehovah bless thee.

Ruth 2:5 Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?

Ruth 2:6 And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "behold", "boaz", "came", "bethlehem", "said", "reapers", "jehovah", and "answered". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "behold" and "boaz", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "And she went and came and gleaned..." into verse 5's "Then said Boaz unto his servant that...", so "behold" and "boaz" belong inside that flow. In Ruth context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

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