Bible Trivia - 3/24/2008

Question: How did Ruth indicate her willingness to marry Boaz?

Answer: She lay down at his feet. (Ruth 3:7)

Comments: The translation “uncovered his feet” (KJV) is literally accurate, however it is widely suggested that Ruth’s uncovering of Boaz’s “feet” was not so much an uncovering of his “feet” but rather his hypogastrium. “Feet” is a Hebrew euphemism.

When Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came secretly, and uncovered his feet and lay down. (Ruth 3:7, NASB)

The Hebrew word for foot is רגל (regel). Most of the time the word should be interpreted literally. (In Rabbinic Hebrew, it can also mean "leg.") Though less common, there are instances in which “feet” is a euphemism for the genitals (see Exodus 4:25; Judges 3:24; I Samuel 24:3; Isaiah 6:2, 7:20). In fact, the expression “to cover the feet” is the usual euphemism for urinating.

Many believe the passage in Ruth is an instance in which the “feet” should not be taken literally. A woman uncovering the feet seems an odd method of securing a husband. Thus, this possible interpretation would shed light on an otherwise strange text.

This also fits the immediate context and the context of Scripture as a whole. Vanderbilt professor Amy-Jill Levine (b. 1956) comments that threshing floors were associated with sexual activity, and that the Hebrew word for skirt (kanap) can also connote genitals, reinforcing the sexual subtext. (Amy-Jill Levine. "Ruth" in The Women's Bible Commentary: Expanded Edition with Apocrypha ed. Carol A. Newsom and Sharon H. Ringe. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1998. pp. 78-84.)

It also appears that both Ruth and Boaz are attempting to maintain secrecy. First, Boaz invites Ruth to stay the night but then rushes her off before it gets light enough for people to recognize each other (Ruth 3:13-14). Ruth also waited until everyone was asleep before she came.

If Ruth had sex with Boaz while he was drunk, it would be a close parallel to the behavior of her ancestress, Lot's daughter who founded Ruth's nation of Moab (Genesis 19). In both cases the imperative to continue the line overcame usual mores. Yair Zakovitch, professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, sees these texts as intentionally paralleling one another. He describes seven similarities: 1. Both stories feature one man and two women; 2. Both have the deaths of two men (Lot’s sons-in-law, Naomi’s sons); 3. These deaths threaten the destiny of the living immigrants; 4. Women seek to resolve the problem of descent; 5. In each case, the older woman (Naomi, Lot’s oldest daughter) provokes and prepares the encounter; 6. Lot and Boaz drank alcohol; 7. In Genesis, Lot’s daughter take their father to bed, while Boaz calls Ruth “My daughter” (3:10)

If the euphemistic interpretation is correct, her actions also fit the four women in the genealogy of Jesus as told in Matthew 1.

Not surprisingly, more conservative scholars stick to a literal interpretation. Daniel Block, a scholar at Wheaton College, defends the literal explanation in his commentary in the New American Commentary series. He claims that the word for feet is different, and based on a similar alternate form for "hands" as used in the image in Daniel, he takes it as the entire lower region. He claims that the author used a different word to avoid the sexual connotation that "uncovering [Boaz'] feet" might bring.

Regardless of interpretation, the intent of the passage is that Ruth offers a preview of marriage for Boaz. This sentiment is captured in Eugene Peterson (b. 1932)’s interpretation in The Message:

Boaz had a good time, eating and drinking his fill—he felt great. Then he went off to get some sleep, lying down at the end of a stack of barley. Ruth quietly followed; she lay down to signal her availability for marriage. (Ruth 3:7, The Message)