Ruth 4:8 (ASV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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.

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.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "near", "kinsman", "said", "boaz", "thyself", "drew", and "shoe". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "near" and "kinsman", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "Now this was the custom in former..." into verse 9's "And Boaz said unto the elders and...", so "near" and "kinsman" 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 "near" and "kinsman" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.