Ruth 2:2
And Ruth the Moabitess said to her mother in law: If thou wilt, I will go into the field, and glean the ears of corn that escape the hands of the reapers, wheresoever I shall find grace with a householder that will be favourable to me. And she answered her: Go, my daughter.
Open Ruth 2:2 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Dixitque Ruth Moabitis ad socrum suam : Si jubes, vadam in agrum, et colligam spicas quæ fugerint manus metentium, ubicumque clementis in me patrisfamilias reperero gratiam. Cui illa respondit : Vade, filia mea.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ εἶπεν Ῥοὺθ ἡ Μωαβεῖτις πρὸς Νωεμείν Πορευθῶ δὴ εἰς ἀγρόν, καὶ συνάξω ἐν τοῖς στάχυσιν κατόπισθεν οὗ ἐὰν εὕρω χάριν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ. εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῇ Πορεύου, θυγάτηρ.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַתֹּאמֶר֩ ר֨וּת הַמּוֹאֲבִיָּ֜ה אֶֽל נָעֳמִ֗י אֵֽלְכָה נָּ֤א הַשָּׂדֶה֙ וַאֲלַקֳטָּ֣ה בַשִׁבֳּלִ֔ים אַחַ֕ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶמְצָא חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינָ֑יו וַתֹּ֥אמֶר לָ֖הּ לְכִ֥י בִתִּֽי
Haydock's commentary
To me. It was the privilege of the poor and of strangers to glean, Deuteronomy xxiv. 19., and Leviticus xix. 9. Yet Ruth asks leave, through civility. (Calmet)
This law is no longer in force, but it would be inhuman for the rich to deny this liberty to those who are in distress, and willing rather to work than to beg. (Tirinus)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Ambrose Concerning Widows, Chapter VI. Naomi is an instance of a widow receiving back from her daughter-in-law the fruits of her own good training, and is a token that necessary support will never fail the good widow. And if her life appears sad, she is happy, since the promises of the Lord are made to her. St. Ambrose then touches upon the benefits of weeping
33. Does the widow Naomi seem to you of small account, who supported her widowhood on the gleanings from another’s har vest, and who, when heavy with age, was supported by her daughter-in-law? It is a great benefit both for the support and for the advantage of widows, that they so train their daughters-in-law as to have in them a support in full old age, and, as it were, payment for their teaching and reward for their training. For to her who has well taught and well instructed her daughter-in-law a Ruth will never be wanting who will prefer the widowed life of her mother-in-law to her father’s house, and if her husband also be dead, will not leave her, will support her in need, comfort her in sorrow, and not leave her if sent away; for good instruction will never know want. …