Now this in former times was the manner in Israel between kinsmen, that if at any time one yielded his right to another: that the grant might be sure, the man put off his shoe and gave it to his neighbour; this was a testimony of cession of right in Israel.
Ruth 4:5 And Booz said to him: When thou shalt buy the field at the woman's hand, thou must take also Ruth, the Moabitess, who was the wife of the deceased: to raise up the name of thy kinsman in his inheritance.
Ruth 4:6 He answered: I yield up my right of next akin: for I must not cut off the posterity of my own family. Do thou make use of my privilege, which I profess I do willingly forego.
Ruth 4:7 Now this in former times was the manner in Israel between kinsmen, that if at any time one yielded his right to another: that the grant might be sure, the man put off his shoe and gave it to his neighbour; this was a testimony of cession of right in Israel.
Ruth 4:8 So Booz said to his kinsman: Put off thy shoe. And immediately he took it off from his foot.
Ruth 4:9 And he said to the ancients, and to all the people: You are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and Chelion's, and Mahalon's, of the hand of Noemi:
The verse centers on "former", "times", "manner", "israel", "between", "kinsmen", and "yielded". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "former" and "times", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 6's "He answered I yield up my right..." into verse 8's "So Booz said to his kinsman Put...", so "former" and "times" 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 "former" and "times" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.