Ruth 2:4

Now at that very moment, ¹  Boaz arrived from Bethlehem ²  and greeted ³  the harvesters, “May the Lord be with you!” They replied, ⁴  “May the Lord bless you!”

Ge 18:19; Jos 24:15; Ru 4:11; Ps 118:26; Ps 129:7,8; Ps 133:1-3; Lu 1:28; 2Th 3:16; 1Ti 6:2; 2Ti 4:22; 2Jo 1:10,11

¹ tn Heb “and look”; NIV, NRSV “Just then.” The narrator invites the audience into the story, describing Boaz’s arrival as if it were witnessed by the audience.

² map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.

³ tn Heb “said to.” Context indicates that the following expression is a greeting, the first thing Boaz says to his workers.

⁴ tn Heb “said to him.” For stylistic reasons “replied” is used in the present translation.