Ruth 4:7 (ASV)

Passage

Now this was [the custom] in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: a man drew off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the [manner of] attestation in Israel.

Nearby Context

Ruth 4:5 Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.

Ruth 4:6 And the near kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: take thou my right of redemption on thee; for I cannot redeem it.

Ruth 4:7 Now this was [the custom] in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: a man drew off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the [manner of] attestation in Israel.

Ruth 4:8 So the near kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thyself. And he drew off his shoe.

Ruth 4:9 And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech`s, and all that was Chilion`s and Mahlon`s, of the hand of Naomi.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "all things", "custom", "former", "time", "israel", "concerning", "redeeming", and "exchanging". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "all things" and "custom", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 6's "And the near kinsman said I cannot..." into verse 8's "So the near kinsman said unto Boaz...", so "all things" and "custom" 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 "all things" and "custom" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.