Ruth 4:12 (ASV)

Passage

and let thy house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which Jehovah shall give thee of this young woman.

Nearby Context

Ruth 4:10 Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.

Ruth 4:11 And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. Jehovah make the woman that is come into thy house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Bethlehem:

Ruth 4:12 and let thy house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which Jehovah shall give thee of this young woman.

Ruth 4:13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife; and he went in unto her, and Jehovah gave her conception, and she bare a son.

Ruth 4:14 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be Jehovah, who hath not left thee this day without a near kinsman; and let his name be famous in Israel.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "house", "like", "perez", "tamar", "bare", "judah", and "seed". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "house" and "like", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "And all the people that were in..." into verse 13's "So Boaz took Ruth and she became...", so "house" and "like" 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 "house" and "like" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.