Stumbling Words for a Determined Young Lady: Notes on Ruth 2:7b

Abstract

It is well known to both translators and students of the Bible, that some words or verses are very difficult, not only to translate but also to understand. The Hebrew text of Ruth 2:7b is one of them. The purpose of this paper is to consider some of the inherent problems of this text—such as unclear meaning of words and uncanny grammatical structures—and to provide an overview of ancient and modern ways to deal with the difficulties. While it is logical to assume that the author of Ruth expected to be understood (including when resorting to intentional ambiguity), we also need to consider that the original manuscripts are lost and that the possibility of a corrupted text could explain its awkwardness. The various translations of Ruth 2:7b stem from attempts to make sense of a text of which the exact original, word-by-word meaning might not be established beyond all reasonable doubt, but of which the basic intended meaning seeps through unmistakably: Ruth indeed is a hard worker, worthy of Boaz's attentions.