Boaz
Boaz (kinsman redeemer of Ruth, from Bethlehem)
Boaz was a wealthy landowner in Bethlehem and a prominent figure in the Book of Ruth. He is the son of Salmon and Rahab, and becomes the husband of Ruth. Boaz is the great-grandfather of King David and is mentioned in the genealogy of person/jesus in Matthew 1:5-6.
Associations
- Associated with field (Ruth 2:3), drinking (Ruth 3:7, 1), wing (Ruth 3:9, 2), will not rest (Ruth 3:18), city gate (Ruth 4:1)
- Child of Salmon (Matthew 1:5, Ruth 4:21), Rahab (Matthew 1:5)
- Example of hospitality (Ruth 2:14)
- Gave-to Ruth (Ruth 2:14)
- Married to Ruth (Matthew 1:5, Ruth 4:13)
- Member of tribe of Judah (Ruth 2:1)
- Parent of Obed (Ruth 4:17, Ruth 4:21)
- Resident of Bethlehem (Ruth 2:1)
- Role as redeemer (Ruth 2:20, Ruth 3:9)
- Visited Bethlehem (Ruth 2:4)
Family
graph TD;
style person/boaz fill:#2fa4e7,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px;
person/obed(["Obed"])
person/boaz(["Boaz"])
person/ruth(["Ruth"])
person/nahshon(["Nahshon"])
person/salmon(["Salmon"])
person/jesse(["Jesse"])
person/mahlon(["Mahlon"])
person/rahab(["Rahab"])
person/kilion(["Kilion"])
person/elimelech(["Elimelech"])
person/naomi(["Naomi"])
person/elimelechs_redeemer(["Elimelech's Redeemer"])
click person/obed "../../person/obed/"
click person/boaz "../../person/boaz/"
click person/ruth "../../person/ruth/"
click person/nahshon "../../person/nahshon/"
click person/salmon "../../person/salmon/"
click person/jesse "../../person/jesse/"
click person/mahlon "../../person/mahlon/"
click person/rahab "../../person/rahab/"
click person/kilion "../../person/kilion/"
click person/elimelech "../../person/elimelech/"
click person/naomi "../../person/naomi/"
click person/elimelechs_redeemer "../../person/elimelechs_redeemer/"
person/boaz -->|parent of| person/obed
person/salmon -->|parent of| person/boaz
person/naomi -->|parent of| person/ruth
person/naomi <-->|married to| person/elimelech
person/elimelech -->|related to| person/boaz
person/ruth -->|parent of| person/obed
person/elimelech -->|parent of| person/mahlon
person/rahab -->|parent of| person/boaz
person/elimelech -->|parent of| person/kilion
person/ruth <-->|married to| person/kilion
person/nahshon -->|parent of| person/salmon
person/naomi -->|parent of| person/obed
person/rahab <-->|married to| person/salmon
person/ruth -->|related to| person/elimelechs_redeemer
person/boaz <-->|married to| person/ruth
person/elimelech -->|related to| person/elimelechs_redeemer
person/rahab .->|ancestor of| person/jesus
person/obed -->|parent of| person/jesse
Social / political
graph TD;
style person/boaz fill:#2fa4e7,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px;
person/boaz(["Boaz"])
group/judah(["tribe of Judah"])
click person/boaz "../../person/boaz/"
click group/judah "../../group/judah/"
person/boaz -->|member of| group/judah
Geographic
graph TD;
style person/boaz fill:#2fa4e7,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px;
person/boaz(["Boaz"])
person/ruth(["Ruth"])
place/bethlehem(["Bethlehem"])
person/elimelech(["Elimelech"])
person/naomi(["Naomi"])
click person/boaz "../../person/boaz/"
click person/ruth "../../person/ruth/"
click place/bethlehem "../../place/bethlehem/"
click person/elimelech "../../person/elimelech/"
click person/naomi "../../person/naomi/"
person/boaz .->|visited| place/bethlehem
person/boaz -->|resident of| place/bethlehem
person/naomi -->|resident of| place/bethlehem
person/ruth -->|resident of| place/bethlehem
person/elimelech -->|resident of| place/bethlehem
Vocational / functional
graph TD;
style person/boaz fill:#2fa4e7,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px;
role/redeemer(["redeemer"])
person/boaz(["Boaz"])
person/elimelechs_redeemer(["Elimelech's Redeemer"])
click role/redeemer "../../role/redeemer/"
click person/boaz "../../person/boaz/"
click person/elimelechs_redeemer "../../person/elimelechs_redeemer/"
person/elimelechs_redeemer -->|role as| role/redeemer
person/boaz -->|role as| role/redeemer
Action / event
graph TD;
style person/boaz fill:#2fa4e7,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px;
person/boaz(["Boaz"])
person/naomi(["Naomi"])
click person/boaz "../../person/boaz/"
click person/naomi "../../person/naomi/"
person/naomi -->|blessed| person/boaz
Textual / symbolic
graph TD;
style person/boaz fill:#2fa4e7,stroke:#333,stroke-width:4px;
theme/hospitality(["hospitality"])
person/ruth(["Ruth"])
person/boaz(["Boaz"])
event/drinking(["drinking"])
theme/will_not_rest(["will not rest"])
place/bethlehem(["Bethlehem"])
person/elimelech(["Elimelech"])
object/wing(["wing"])
object/city_gate(["city gate"])
place/ephrathah(["Ephrathah"])
animal/bird(["bird"])
object/field(["field"])
person/naomi(["Naomi"])
person/elimelechs_redeemer(["Elimelech's Redeemer"])
click theme/hospitality "../../theme/hospitality/"
click person/ruth "../../person/ruth/"
click person/boaz "../../person/boaz/"
click event/drinking "../../event/drinking/"
click theme/will_not_rest "../../theme/will_not_rest/"
click place/bethlehem "../../place/bethlehem/"
click person/elimelech "../../person/elimelech/"
click object/wing "../../object/wing/"
click object/city_gate "../../object/city_gate/"
click place/ephrathah "../../place/ephrathah/"
click animal/bird "../../animal/bird/"
click object/field "../../object/field/"
click person/naomi "../../person/naomi/"
click person/elimelechs_redeemer "../../person/elimelechs_redeemer/"
place/bethlehem .->|associated with| person/naomi
object/city_gate <.->|associated with| person/elimelechs_redeemer
place/ephrathah <-->|name matches| place/bethlehem
object/field <.->|associated with| person/ruth
object/field <.->|associated with| person/boaz
object/wing <.->|associated with| person/boaz
animal/bird .->|associated with| object/wing
person/boaz -->|example of| theme/hospitality
person/boaz <.->|associated with| theme/will_not_rest
place/bethlehem <.->|associated with| person/ruth
place/bethlehem .->|associated with| person/boaz
object/city_gate <.->|associated with| person/boaz
person/ruth <.->|associated with| object/wing
event/drinking <.->|associated with| person/boaz
place/bethlehem .->|associated with| person/elimelech
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"And Boaz drank and ate until his heart was good" is an idiom for getting drunk. Boaz celebrated with the reapers, had a lot to drink, and made good choices (Robert Whiting, 2025). ↩
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Boaz says in 2:1 "May Yahweh reward your work and may a full reward be given to you from Yahweh, the God of Israel, under whose wings you came to take refuge" and in 3:9, Ruth asks him to "Spread your wing over your servant because you are a redeemer." This is likely an allusion to Ruth taking refuge under the wings of God, and Boaz is being asked to symbolically do the same by spreading his "wing" (sometimes translated garment) over her. This is a culturally significant gesture indicating protection and care, akin to the way God protects His people (Robert Whiting, 2025). ↩