路得记 4:2

Chinese NCV (Simplified)

波阿斯又邀請城裡的十個長老，對他們說：“請坐在這裡。”他們就坐下來了。

Parallel Translations

Chinese Union (Simplified)
波 阿 斯 又 从 本 城 的 长 老 中 拣 选 了 十 人 ， 对 他 们 说 ： 请 你 们 坐 在 这 里 。 他 们 就 都 坐 下 。

Contextual Overview

¹ Boaz went to the city gate and sat there until the close relative he had mentioned passed by. Boaz called to him, "Come here, friend, and sit down." So the man came over and sat down. ² Boaz gathered ten of the elders of the city and told them, "Sit down here!" So they sat down. ³ Then Boaz said to the close relative, "Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, wants to sell the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. ⁴ So I decided to tell you about it: If you want to buy back the land, then buy it in front of the people who are sitting here and in front of the elders of my people. But if you don't want to buy it, tell me, because you are the only one who can buy it, and I am next after you." The close relative answered, "I will buy back the land." ⁵ Then Boaz explained, "When you buy the land from Naomi, you must also marry Ruth, the Moabite, the dead man's wife. That way, the land will stay in the dead man's name." ⁶ The close relative answered, "I can't buy back the land. If I did, I might harm what I can pass on to my own sons. I cannot buy the land back, so buy it yourself." ⁷ Long ago in Israel when people traded or bought back something, one person took off his sandal and gave it to the other person. This was the proof of ownership in Israel. ⁸ So the close relative said to Boaz, "Buy the land yourself," and he took off his sandal.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the elders: Exodus 18:21, Exodus 18:22, Exodus 21:8, Deuteronomy 29:10, Deuteronomy 31:28, 1 Kings 21:8, Proverbs 31:23, Lamentations 5:14, Acts 6:12

Reciprocal: Joshua 20:4 - at the entering Job 29:7 - General Isaiah 8:2 - I took

Cross-References

Genesis 3:23
So the Lord God forced Adam out of the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.

Genesis 4:25
Adam had sexual relations with his wife Eve again, and she gave birth to a son. She named him Seth and said, "God has given me another child. He will take the place of Abel, who was killed by Cain."

Genesis 4:26
Seth also had a son, and they named him Enosh. At that time people began to pray to the Lord .

Genesis 9:20
Noah became a farmer and planted a vineyard.

Genesis 37:13
Israel said to Joseph, "Go to Shechem where your brothers are grazing the flocks." Joseph answered, "I will go."

Genesis 47:3
The king said to the brothers, "What work do you do?" And they said to him, "We, your servants, are shepherds, just as our ancestors were."

Exodus 3:1
One day Moses was taking care of Jethro's flock. (Jethro was the priest of Midian and also Moses' father-in-law.) When Moses led the flock to the west side of the desert, he came to Sinai, the mountain of God.

Psalms 127:3
Children are a gift from the Lord ; babies are a reward.

Amos 7:15
But the Lord took me away from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'

Luke 11:51
from the killing of Abel to the killing of Zechariah, who died between the altar and the Temple. Yes, I tell you that you who are alive now will be punished for them all.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he took ten men of the elders of the city,.... Who were such, not merely in age but in office, who were the heads of thousands, fifties, and tens; ten of whom were a quorum to do business in judiciary affairs, to determine such matters as Boaz had propose, as to whom the right of redemption of a brother and kinsman's widow, and her estate, belonged, and who were the proper witnesses of the refusal of the one to do it, and of the other's doing it and from hence the Jews e gather, that the blessing of the bride and bridegroom at their marriage is not to be done by less than ten persons:

and said, sit down here, and they sat down; and so made a full court.

e Misnah Megillah, c. 4. sect. 3. T. Bab. Cetubot, fol. 7. 1. Midrash Ruth, fol. 35. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Every city was governed by elders (see Deuteronomy 19:12; Judges 8:14). For the number “ten,” compare Exodus 18:25. Probably the presence of, at least, ten elders was necessary to make a lawful public assembly, as among modern Jews ten (a minyon) are necessary to constitute a synagogue.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ruth 4:2. He took ten men — Probably it required this number to constitute a court. How simple and how rational was this proceeding!

1. The man who had a suit went to the city gates.

2. Here he stopped till the person with whom he had the suit came to the gate on his way to his work.

3. He called him by name, and he stopped and sat down.

4. Then ten elders were called, and they came and sat down.

5. When all this was done, the appellant preferred his suit.

6. Then the appellee returned his answer.

7. When the elders heard the case, and the response of the appellee, they pronounced judgment, which judgment was always according to the custom of the place.

8. When this was done, the people who happened to be present witnessed the issue.

And thus the business was settled without lawyers or legal casuistry. A question of this kind, in one of our courts of justice, in these enlightened times, would require many days' previous preparation of the attorney, and several hours' arguing between counsellor Botherum and counsellor Borum, till even an enlightened and conscientious judge would find it extremely difficult to decide whether Naomi might sell her own land, and whether Boaz or Peloni might buy it! O, glorious uncertainty of modern law!