Boaz(booz)
“In him is strength, or fleetness”
Summary
A wealthy and godly Bethlehemite who became the kinsman-redeemer of Ruth the Moabitess, through whom he became an ancestor of David and of Jesus Christ.
☩Character and Background
Boaz was a wealthy landowner of Bethlehem, described as a 'mighty man of wealth' or 'man of standing.' He was a kinsman of Elimelech, Naomi's deceased husband, and thus related to the family that had left Bethlehem during the famine. His character is revealed throughout the book of Ruth: he was devout ('The Lord be with you' was his greeting to the reapers), generous to the poor, protective of the vulnerable, and scrupulously honorable in his dealings.
☩The Kinsman-Redeemer
When Ruth came to glean in his fields, Boaz extended special protection and provision to her, having heard of her devotion to Naomi. Though attracted to Ruth, he knew there was a nearer kinsman with prior right to redeem the family inheritance. When that kinsman declined to marry Ruth along with redeeming the land, Boaz publicly purchased the right to do both, declaring before the elders at the gate: 'Ruth the Moabitess have I purchased to be my wife.' His role as goel prefigures Christ's work of redemption.
☩Ancestor of David and Christ
Boaz and Ruth's son was Obed, the father of Jesse, the father of David. Matthew's genealogy includes Boaz, noting he was 'begotten of Salmon by Rahab,' though the generations between the conquest and David require some compression in the biblical lists. Through this lineage, the Moabitess Ruth and her faithful redeemer Boaz became ancestors of the Messiah.
☩The Pillar Boaz
The name Boaz was also given to one of the two bronze pillars erected in the porch of Solomon's temple, the other being Jachin. The pillar stood on the left side, was eighteen cubits high, hollow, and surmounted by an ornamental chapiter. The name is interpreted to mean 'in Him is strength,' while Jachin means 'He will establish'—together signifying that God's kingdom is established in strength.
Related Verses25 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.James Orr (ed.), "Boaz," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. I (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 2.John McClintock and James Strong, "Boaz," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. I (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 3.George Morrish, "Boaz," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).