Ruth 2:23 (KJV)

Passage

So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.

Nearby Context

Ruth 2:21 And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.

Ruth 2:22 And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field.

Ruth 2:23 So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "kept", "fast", "maidens", "boaz", "glean", "barley", "harvest", and "wheat". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "kept" and "fast", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter...", giving immediate footing for "kept" and "fast". In Ruth context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "kept" and "fast" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.