Ruth 2:9 (DRB)

Passage

And follow where they reap. For I have charged my young men, not to molest thee: and if thou art thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink of the waters whereof the servants drink.

Nearby Context

Ruth 2:7 And she desired leave to glean the ears of corn that remain, following the steps of the reapers: and she hath been in the field from morning till now, and hath not gone home for one moment.

Ruth 2:8 And Booz said to Ruth: Hear me, daughter, do not go to glean in any other field, and do not depart from this place: but keep with my maids,

Ruth 2:9 And follow where they reap. For I have charged my young men, not to molest thee: and if thou art thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink of the waters whereof the servants drink.

Ruth 2:10 She fell on her face, and worshipping upon the ground, said to him: Whence cometh this to me, that I should find grace before thy eyes, and that thou shouldst vouchsafe to take notice of me, a woman of another country?

Ruth 2:11 And he answered her: All hath been told me, that thou hast done to thy mother in law after the death of thy husband: and how thou hast left thy parents, and the land wherein thou wast born, and art come to a people which thou knewest not heretofore.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "follow", "where", "reap", "charged", "young", "molest", "thee", and "thou". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "follow" and "where", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "And Booz said to Ruth Hear me..." into verse 10's "She fell on her face and worshipping...", so "follow" and "where" 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 "follow" and "where" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.