CHAPTER IX.

THE FORFEITED INHERITANCE

REDEEMED.

RUTH iv. 1-12. Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and behold the kinsman of whom Boaz spake, came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one, turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.

And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.

And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land which was our brother Elimelech's.

And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it; but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may

know for there is none to redeem it besides thee, and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.

Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.

And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself, for I cannot redeem it.

Now this was the manner in former time in Israel, concerning redeeming, and concerning changing, for to confirm all things: a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel.

Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee: so he drew off his shoe.

And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi.

Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place; ye are witnesses this day.

And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders said, We are witnesses; The Lord make the woman that is come into thine house, like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel; and do worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem.

And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, (whom Tamar bare unto Judah,) of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman.

THE last chapter of the book of Ruth makes us acquainted with a curious custom which was formerly observed by the Jews.

It would seem that before Boaz could take Ruth for his wife, there were certain forms to go through, according to the Jewish law. He must first offer her to her nearest kinsman that is, to the nearest kinsman of her late husband. And we have already seen that there was a person at Beth

lehem, who was more nearly related to Elimelech's family than Boaz was. Again, there was a piece of land in the neighbourhood of Bethlehem, which Elimelech had probably mortgaged when he left Judæa at the time of the famine. The right of recovering it again belonged to Naomi and Ruth; but they were too poor to buy it back. This piece of ground therefore must also be offered to the next kinsman. In fact, (according to the practice of the country) whoever bought this plot of ground must also marry Ruth.

Let us turn to the law, as it stands in the twenty-fifth chapter of DeuteWe read in the fifth verse, ronomy. "If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry with

out unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her. And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that the name be not put out of Israel. And if the man like not to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband's brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother. Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him and if he stand to it, and say, I like not to take her, then shall his brother's wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his