Ruth 2:5 (ASV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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:

Ruth 2:7 And she said, Let me glean, I pray you, and gather after the reapers among the sheaves. So she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, save that she tarried a little in the house.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "said", "boaz", "servant", "over", "reapers", "whose", and "damsel". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "said" and "boaz", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "And behold Boaz came from Bethlehem and..." into verse 6's "And the servant that was set over...", so "said" 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 "said" and "boaz" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.