Questions on the Octateuch 8.1–8.2
Greek text: PG 80.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Prologue 8
8.1PG 80 80:517
Τι δήποτε τὸ κατὰ τὴν Ῥούθ συνεγράφη; Πρῶτον μὲν διὰ τὸν Δεσπότην Χριστόν. Ἐξ αὐτῆς γὰρ κατὰ σάρκα βεβλάστηκε Διὸ δὴ καὶ ὁ θεῖος Ματθαῖος τὴν γενεαλογίαν συγγράφων, τὰς μὲν ἐπ᾿ ἀρετῇ πολυθρυλλήτους γυναῖκας κατέλιπε, τὴν Σάῤῥαν, καὶ τὴν Ῥεβέκκαν, καὶ τὰς ἄλλας· τῆς δέ γε Θάμαρ ἐμνημόνευσε, καὶ τῆς Ῥαάβ, καὶ τῆς ῾Ῥούθ· καὶ μέντοι καὶ τῆς τοῦ Οὐρίου, διδάσκων ὡς πάντων ἀνθρώπων χάριν ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ μονογενὴς Υἱὸς ἐνηνθρώπησε, καὶ Ἰουδαίων, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐθνῶν, ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ δικαίων Ἡ μὲν γὰρ Ῥοὐθ Μωαβίτις, ἡ δὲ γε Βερσαβεὲ παρανόμως συνήφθη τῷ βασιλεῖ. πόρνη δὲ καὶ ἡ ῾Ῥαὰβ, ἀλλὰ διὰ πίστεως τῆς σωτηρίας τετύχηκε· καὶ ἡ Θάμαρ δὲ ταύτῃ λαμπρύνεται. Οὐ γὰρ ἀκολασίας ἕνεκα τῷ κηδεστῇ κεκοινώνηκεν· ἀλλ᾽ ὁρῶσα μὴ βουλόμενον αὐτῇ συνάψαι τὸν παῖδα, ἔκλεψε τὴν γεωργίαν, ἵνα βλαστήσῃ τὴν εὐλογίαν. Αὐτίκα γοῦν μετὰ τοῦτον τὸν σπόρον ἄλλον οὐκ ἐδέξατο σπόρον, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀγαμίαν ἠγάπησεν. Ἴδοι δ᾽ ἄν τις καὶ τὴν Ῥούθ, διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν, τοὺς μὲν γεγεννηκότας καταλιποῦσαν, ἀκολουθήσασαν δὲ τῇ πενθερᾷ. Εἶπε γὰρ, φησὶν, ἡ Ῥούθ· Μή μοι γένοιτο τοῦ καταλιπεῖν σε, ἢ τοῦ ἀποστρέψαι ὄπισθέν σου, ὅτι οὗ ἐὰν πορευθῇς σὺ, πορεύσομαι· καὶ οὗ ἐὰν αὐλισθῇς αὐλισθήσομαι ἐκεῖ ὅτι ὁ λαός σου λαός μου· καὶ οὗ ἂν ἀποθάνῃς ἀποθανοῦμαι, καὶ ἐκεῖ ταφήσομαι. Τάδε ποιήσαι μοι Κύριος, καὶ τάδε προσθείη, ὅτι ὁ θάνατος διαστελεῖ ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ. Καὶ ταῦτα εἴρηκε πολλάκις ὑπὸ τῆς κηδεστρίας παρακληθεῖσα πρὸς τοὺς γεγεννηκότας ἐπανελθεῖν· ᾿Αποστράφητε γὰρ, ἔφη, θυγατέρες μου· καὶ ἵνα τί πορεύεσθε μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ; Μὴ ἔτι μοι υἱοὶ ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ μου, καὶ ἔσονται ὑμῖν εἰς ἄνδρας; Αποστράφητε δὴ θυγατέρες μου, ὅτι γεγήρακα, τοῦ μὴ εἶναι ἀνδρὶ, καὶ ὅτι εἶπον οὐκέτι μοι ὑπόστασις τοῦ γενέσθαι με ἀνδρί. Καὶ τέξομαι υἱοὺς, μὴ αὐτοὺς προσδέξεσθε ἕως οὗ ἀνδρυνθῶσιν, ἢ αὐτοῖς κατασχεθήσεσθε τοῦ μὴ γενέσθαι ἀνδρί; Μὴ δὴ θυγατέρες μου, ὅτι ἐπικράνθη μοι ὑπὲρ ὑμᾶς, ὅτι ἐξῆλθεν ἐν ἐμοὶ χεὶρ Κυρίου. Οὔτε, φησὶν, ἐγκύμων εἰμὶ, ἵνα τοῖς ὑπ᾿ ἐμοῦ τεχθησομένοις ἀναμείνητε συναφῆναι, οὔτε ἀνδρί με γήμασθαι δυνατὸν διὰ τὸ γῆρας ἵνα προσμένητέ μου τὸν γάμον, καὶ τὴν παιδοποιίαν, καὶ τὴν ἐκείνων ἀναστροφήν. Ἐγὼ γὰρ θεήλατον ἐδεξάμην πληγήν. Ἔδει μὲν οὖν καὶ διὰ τὸν Δεσπότην ἀνάγραπτον γενέσθαι τῆς Ῥούθ τὸ διήγημα ἱκανὴ δὲ ὅμως καὶ αὐτὴ κατ᾿ αὐτὴν ἡ ἱστορία πᾶσαν προσενεγκεῖν ὠφέλειαν τοῖς τὰ τοιαῦτα κερδαίνειν ἐπισταμένοις. Διδάσκει γὰρ ἡμᾶς καὶ τῆς Νοεμὶν τὰς χαλεπάς συμφορὰς, καὶ τὴν ἐπαινετὴν καρτερίαν, καὶ τῶν νυμφῶν τὴν τε σωφροσύνην, καὶ τὴν περὶ τὴν πενθερὰν φιλοστοργίαν· καὶ διαφερόντως τῆς Ῥούθ, ἡ γεγηρακυῖαν γυναῖκα καὶ πεπονημένην τῶν γεγεννηκότων προϋτίμησε διὰ τὴν τῆς γνώμης εὐσέβειαν, καὶ τὴν τοῦ ὁμοζύγου μνήμην. Ἐδίδαξε δὲ ἡμᾶς καὶ τοῦ Βοὸς τὴν ἀρετήν. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον φιλοτίμως τῇ Ῥούθ τοῦ καρποῦ μετέδωκεν ἀλλὰ καὶ λόγοις ἐψυχαγώγησε. Μὴ πορευθῇς γὰρ, ἔφη, θύγατερ, ἐν ἀγρῷ ἑτέρῳ συλλέξαι· ἀλλ᾽ ὧδε κολλήθητι μετὰ τῶν κορασίων μου. Κελεύσας δὲ αὐτῇ καὶ συνεσθίειν καὶ συμπίνειν τοῖς θερίζουσιν, ἐπήγαγεν Απαγγελίᾳ ἀπηγγέλη μοι, ὅσα πεποίηκας μετὰ τῆς πενθερᾶς σου, μετὰ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν τὸν ἄνδρα σου, καὶ πῶς κατἐλιπες τὸν πατέρα σου, καὶ τὴν μητέρα σου, καὶ τὴν γῆν τῆς γενέσεώς σου, καὶ ἐπορεύθης πρὸς λαὸν, ὃν οὐκ ᾔδεις ἐχθὲς καὶ τρίτης Αποτίσαι σοι Κύριος τὴν ἐργασίαν σου, καὶ γένοιτο ὁ μισθός σου πλήρης παρὰ Κυρίου Θεοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, πρὸς ὃν ἦλθες πεποιθέναι ὑπὸ τὰς πτέρυγας αὐτοῦ. Καὶ τετύχηκεν ἡ εὐλογία τέλους. Ἔλαβε γὰρ τὸν μισθὸν πλήρη παρὰ Κυρίου, πρόγονος γενομένη τῆς τῶν ἐθνῶν εὐλογίας. Οὐ μόνον δὲ αὐτῇ τροφῆς μετέδωκεν ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτουργὸς τῆς θεραπείας ἐγένετο· οὐκ ἄλλῳ διακονῆσαι προστάξας, ἀλλ᾿ αὐτὸς κατασκευάσας τὰ ἄλφιτα, καὶ τοὺς ἄρτους μάλα φιλοτίμως προσενεγκών. Κορεσθεῖσα γὰρ ἀπήνεγκε τὸ περιττεῦσαν τῇ πενθερᾷ. Εὐγνωμόνως δὲ καὶ ἡ κηδέστρια τὸν ἀπόντα εὐεργέτην ταῖς εὐλογίαις ἡμείψατο. Ἔφη γὰρ, Εἴη ὁ ἐπιγνούς σε εὐλογημένος, ὅτι ἐχόρτασε ψυχὴν κενὴν, καθὼς ἐποίησε μεθ᾽ οὗ ἐποίησεν Οὐ γὰρ εἰς τὴν σὴν, φησὶ, πενίαν ἀπέβλεψεν· ἀλλ᾽ εἰς τὸν νομοθέτην, ὃς διηγόρευσε πᾶσαν ποιῆσαι τῶν χηρῶν ἐπιμέλειαν.
Ti dēpote to kata tēn Rhouth synegraphē? Prōton men dia ton Despotēn Christon. Ex autēs gar kata sarka beblastēke Dio dē kai ho theios Matthaios tēn genealogian syngraphōn, tas men ep᾿ aretę̄ polythryllētous gynaikas katelipe, tēn Sarrhan, kai tēn Rhebekkan, kai tas allas; tēs de ge Thamar emnēmoneuse, kai tēs Rhaab, kai tēs ῾Rhouth; kai mentoi kai tēs tou Ouriou, didaskōn hōs pantōn anthrōpōn charin ho tou Theou monogenēs Huios enēnthrōpēse, kai Ioudaiōn, kai tōn allōn ethnōn, hamartōlōn kai dikaiōn Hē men gar Rhouth Mōabitis, hē de ge Bersabee paranomōs synēphthē tǭ basilei. pornē de kai hē ῾Rhaab, alla dia pisteōs tēs sōtērias tetychēke; kai hē Thamar de tautę̄ lamprynetai. Ou gar akolasias heneka tǭ kēdestę̄ kekoinōnēken; all᾽ horōsa mē boulomenon autę̄ synapsai ton paida, eklepse tēn geōrgian, hina blastēsę̄ tēn eulogian. Autika goun meta touton ton sporon allon ouk edexato sporon, alla tēn agamian ēgapēsen. Idoi d᾽ an tis kai tēn Rhouth, dia tēn eusebeian, tous men gegennēkotas katalipousan, akolouthēsasan de tę̄ pentherą. Eipe gar, phēsin, hē Rhouth; Mē moi genoito tou katalipein se, ē tou apostrepsai opisthen sou, hoti hou ean poreuthę̄s sy, poreusomai; kai hou ean aulisthę̄s aulisthēsomai ekei hoti ho laos sou laos mou; kai hou an apothanę̄s apothanoumai, kai ekei taphēsomai. Tade poiēsai moi Kyrios, kai tade prostheiē, hoti ho thanatos diastelei ana meson emou kai sou. Kai tauta eirēke pollakis hypo tēs kēdestrias paraklētheisa pros tous gegennēkotas epanelthein; ᾿Apostraphēte gar, ephē, thygateres mou; kai hina ti poreuesthe met᾿ emou? Mē eti moi huioi en tę̄ koilią mou, kai esontai hymin eis andras? Apostraphēte dē thygateres mou, hoti gegēraka, tou mē einai andri, kai hoti eipon ouketi moi hypostasis tou genesthai me andri. Kai texomai huious, mē autous prosdexesthe heōs hou andrynthōsin, ē autois kataschethēsesthe tou mē genesthai andri? Mē dē thygateres mou, hoti epikranthē moi hyper hymas, hoti exēlthen en emoi cheir Kyriou. Oute, phēsin, enkymōn eimi, hina tois hyp᾿ emou techthēsomenois anameinēte synaphēnai, oute andri me gēmasthai dynaton dia to gēras hina prosmenēte mou ton gamon, kai tēn paidopoiian, kai tēn ekeinōn anastrophēn. Egō gar theēlaton edexamēn plēgēn. Edei men oun kai dia ton Despotēn anagrapton genesthai tēs Rhouth to diēgēma hikanē de homōs kai autē kat᾿ autēn hē historia pasan prosenenkein ōpheleian tois ta toiauta kerdainein epistamenois. Didaskei gar hēmas kai tēs Noemin tas chalepas symphoras, kai tēn epainetēn karterian, kai tōn nymphōn tēn te sōphrosynēn, kai tēn peri tēn pentheran philostorgian; kai diapherontōs tēs Rhouth, hē gegērakuian gynaika kai peponēmenēn tōn gegennēkotōn proÿtimēse dia tēn tēs gnōmēs eusebeian, kai tēn tou homozygou mnēmēn. Edidaxe de hēmas kai tou Boos tēn aretēn. Ou gar monon philotimōs tę̄ Rhouth tou karpou metedōken alla kai logois epsychagōgēse. Mē poreuthę̄s gar, ephē, thygater, en agrǭ heterǭ syllexai; all᾽ hōde kollēthēti meta tōn korasiōn mou. Keleusas de autę̄ kai synesthiein kai sympinein tois therizousin, epēgagen Apangelią apēngelē moi, hosa pepoiēkas meta tēs pentheras sou, meta to apothanein ton andra sou, kai pōs katelipes ton patera sou, kai tēn mētera sou, kai tēn gēn tēs geneseōs sou, kai eporeuthēs pros laon, hon ouk ę̄deis echthes kai tritēs Apotisai soi Kyrios tēn ergasian sou, kai genoito ho misthos sou plērēs para Kyriou Theou Israēl, pros hon ēlthes pepoithenai hypo tas pterygas autou. Kai tetychēken hē eulogia telous. Elabe gar ton misthon plērē para Kyriou, progonos genomenē tēs tōn ethnōn eulogias. Ou monon de autę̄ trophēs metedōken alla kai autourgos tēs therapeias egeneto; ouk allǭ diakonēsai prostaxas, all᾿ autos kataskeuasas ta alphita, kai tous artous mala philotimōs prosenenkōn. Korestheisa gar apēnenke to peritteusan tę̄ pentherą. Eugnōmonōs de kai hē kēdestria ton aponta euergetēn tais eulogiais hēmeipsato. Ephē gar, Eiē ho epignous se eulogēmenos, hoti echortase psychēn kenēn, kathōs epoiēse meth᾽ hou epoiēsen Ou gar eis tēn sēn, phēsi, penian apeblepsen; all᾽ eis ton nomothetēn, hos diēgoreuse pasan poiēsai tōn chērōn epimeleian.
Why was the story of Ruth written? First, because of Christ the Master; for he sprang from her according to the flesh. For this reason the divine Matthew, writing the genealogy, left out the women famous for virtue, Sarah, Rebekah and the others, but mentioned Tamar, Rahab and Ruth, and also the wife of Uriah, teaching that the only-begotten Son of God became man for the sake of all human beings, Jews and the other nations, sinners and righteous. For Ruth was a Moabite, and Bathsheba was joined to the king unlawfully. Rahab too was a harlot, but obtained salvation through faith; and Tamar is made illustrious by the same. For she did not have relations with her father-in-law out of licentiousness; but seeing that he was unwilling to join his son to her, she stole the tillage so that the blessing might spring up. And indeed, after this sowing she received no other seed, but loved the unmarried state. One can also see Ruth, because of her piety, leaving her parents and following her mother-in-law. “For Ruth said,” it says, “‘Far be it from me to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge; your people shall be my people; and where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also, if anything but death separates me from you.’” And she said this though often urged by her mother-in-law to return to her parents: “Turn back, my daughters,” she said; “why do you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb, that they may become your husbands? Turn back, my daughters, for I am too old to have a husband; for I said, ‘I have no hope of having a husband.’ And if I bear sons, would you wait for them until they are grown, or would you refrain for them from having husbands? No, my daughters, for it is more bitter for me than for you, for the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.” I am neither pregnant, she means, so that you might wait to be joined to those born of me, nor can I marry because of old age, so that you might wait for my marriage, the begetting of children and their growing up; for I have received a blow sent by God. The story of Ruth had to be written because of the Master; yet the history in itself is enough to bring every benefit to those who know how to profit from such things. It teaches us Naomi's hard calamities and praiseworthy endurance, and the daughters-in-law's chastity and affection for their mother-in-law, and especially Ruth's, who preferred an old and afflicted woman to her parents because of the piety of her mind and the memory of her husband. It has also taught us the virtue of Boaz. For he not only generously gave Ruth a share of the crop, but also comforted her with words: “Do not go to glean in another field, daughter,” he said, “but stay here with my young women.” And having bidden her eat and drink with the reapers, he added: “It has been fully told me all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not know before. May the Lord repay your work, and may your reward be full from the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to trust.” And the blessing reached its fulfilment: she received a full reward from the Lord, becoming the ancestress of the blessing of the nations. He not only gave her food but served her himself, ordering no one else to wait on her, but himself preparing the roasted grain and very generously offering the loaves. For when she was satisfied she took what was left over to her mother-in-law. Her mother-in-law too gratefully repaid the absent benefactor with blessings: “Blessed be he who took notice of you,” she said, “for he has filled an empty soul, as he did with the one with whom he did it.” For he did not look at your poverty, she means, but at the lawgiver, who directed that every care be taken of widows.
Matt 1:3 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 1:5–6 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 38:13–30 (allusion, high confidence) · Josh 2:1 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Sam 11:2–5 (allusion, medium confidence) · Ruth 1:16–17 (quotation, high confidence) · Ruth 1:11–13 (quotation, high confidence) · Ruth 2:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Ruth 2:11–12 (quotation, high confidence) · Ruth 2:14 (allusion, high confidence) · Ruth 2:18–20 (quotation, high confidence) · Deut 24:19–21 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Ruth's story was written because Christ descended from her, and Matthew names Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba to show Christ came for all; it also teaches the virtues of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz.
- The question is intact; the edition prints it without a question mark. Matt 1:3, 5–6; Gen 38; Josh 2; 2 Sam 11; Ruth 1:8–13 (1:11–13 quoted), 1:16–17, 2:8–12, 2:14, 2:18–20 (Septuagint); Deut 24:19–21. Theodoret's remark that Tamar afterwards remained unmarried is his own inference (cf. Gen 38:26). A note on the foreign origin of Tamar, Rahab and Ruth and marginal catchwords printed inside the paraphrase of Naomi's words are removed (logged).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (note and marginal catchwords leaked into the word; split word; stray letters and lost question mark; stray mark): συνεγράφη διΠρῶτον → συνεγράφη; Πρῶτον; Μή. ἔτι → Μὴ ἔτι; τεχθητῶν πάντων ἐθνῶν, καὶ ἁμαρτ. καὶ ἡ Ῥαὰβ καὶ ἡ Ῥοὐθ ἀλλόφυλοι - Χαναναίαι γὰρ ἡ Θάμαρ καὶ ἡ Ῥαάβ· ἡ δὲ Ῥούθ κ. τ. λ. ἀπαντήσαι μοι τοῦ κ. λ. σομένοις → τεχθησομένοις; Ἐδί - δαξε → Ἐδίδαξε; Μὴ πο ρευθῇς → Μὴ πορευθῇς.
Topics: Christology, Marriage
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Oct. 8.1 (PG 80 80:517; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-octateuchum/8-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-octateuchum/8-1
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
8.2PG 80 80:521
Ἐπιμέμφονταί τινες καὶ τῇ Νοεμὶν καὶ τῇ ῾Ῥούθ, τῇ μὲν ὡς ὑποθεμένῃ, τῇ δὲ ὡς ὑπακουσάση τε καὶ πραξάσῃ, καὶ παρὰ τοὺς πόδας καθευδησάσῃ τοῦ Βοόζ Ακούσασα ἡ Ῥοὐθ εἰρηκυίας τῆς πενθερᾶς, ὅτι ἐγγίζει ἡμῖν ὁ ἀνὴρ, ἐκ τῶν ἀγχιστευόντων ἡμῖν ἐστι, τῆς πολλῆς ἀνεμνήσθη θεραπείας, καὶ ᾠήθη τὸν Βοὸζ, ὡς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς συγγενῆ συναφθῆναι αὐτῇ κατὰ τὸν νόμον ἐθέλειν, ὥστε τοῦ τετελευτηκότος φυλάξαι τὴν μνήμην. Τοῦτο γὰρ δηλοῖ τὰ ἑξῆς. Εἶπε γὰρ, φησὶ, Ῥοϋθ πρὸς τὴν πενθερὰν αὐτῆς καὶ ὅτι εἶπε, Μετὰ τῶν κορασίων μου κολλήθητι, ἕως ἂν τελέσωσιν ὅλον τὸν ἀμητὸν τὸν ὑπάρχοντά μοι. Τούτων ἀκούσασα τῶν λόγων ἡ Νοεμὶν, ὑποτίθεται αὐτῇ παρὰ τοὺς πόδας καθευδῆσαι τοῦ Βοὸζ, οὐχ ἵνα τὴν ὥραν ἀποδῶται· τοὐναντίον γὰρ δηλοῖ τὰ τῆς εἰσηγήσεως ῥήματα. Ἐλεύσῃ γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ ἀποκαλύψεις τὰ περὶ ποδῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ κοιμηθήσῃ. καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπαγγελεῖ σοι ἃ ποιήσεις. Οὕτως ἐθάρῥει τῇ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς καὶ σωφροσύνῃ καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ. Ἐβεβαίωσαν δὲ τοὺς λόγους αἱ πράξεις. Κατὰ γὰρ τὰς ὑποθημοσύνας τῆς πενθερᾶς, πάντων ὕπνῳ κατεχομένων, προσεκλίθη παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τοῦ Βοὸζ ἡ Ῥούθ· ὁ δὲ ἤρετο τίς εἴη· ἡ δὲ τῆς τοῦ τετελευτηκότος συγγενείας ἀνέμνησεν. Ὁ δὲ τὸ μὲν πραχθὲν ἐπήνεσε, τὴν δὲ σωφροσύνην οὐ προὔδωκεν, ἀλλὰ τῷ νόμῳ τὴν γαμικὴν διετήρησεν ὁμιλίαν. Εὐλογημένη γὰρ, ἔφη, σὺ τῷ Κυρίῳ Θεῷ, θύγατερ, ὅτι ἠγάθυνας τὸν ἕλεόν σου τὸν ἔσχατον ὑπὲρ τὸν πρῶτον, τοῦ μὴ πορευθῆναί σε ὀπίσω νεανίσκων, ἤτοι πτωχῶν, ἤτοι πλουσίων Δεδήλωκας, φησὶ, δι' ὧν ἔπραξας, ὡς οὐκ ἐπιθυμίᾳ δουλεύσασα τοῦτο δέδρακας. Ἢ γὰρ ἂν πρὸς τοὺς νέαν ἄγοντας ἡλικίαν ἐφοίτησας, οὐ πλοῦτον, οὐ πενίαν, ἀλλὰ μόνην λογιζομένη τῆς ἡδονῆς τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν. ᾿Αλλ' ἐλήλυθας πρὸς ἄνδρα πατρός σου τάξιν πληροῦντα. Τοῦτο γὰρ σημαίνει τὸ θύγατερ. Καὶ δις δὲ αὐτὴν οὕτω κέκληκε Καὶ νῦν, θύγατερ, μὴ φοβοῦ πάντα ὅσα ἂν εἴπῃς ποιήσω σοι. Οἶδε γὰρ πᾶσα φυλὴ τοῦ λαοῦ μου, ὅτι γυνὴ δυνάμεως εἶ σὺ, καὶ ὅτι ἀληθῶς ἀγχιστεὺς ἐγώ εἰμι. Οὐδείς μοι, φησὶν, ἐπιμέμψεται σύ τε γὰρ ἐπαινῇ παρὰ πάντων κἀγὼ διὰ τὴν συγγένειαν, οὐ διὰ τὴν ἀκολασίαν, τὸν γάμον ποιήσομαι. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐστιν ἕτερος πλησιαίτερος συγγενὴς, ἐκείνῳ με δεῖ πρότερον διαλεχθῆναι, ἵνα εἰ μὲν ἕλοιτο, γήμῃ κατὰ τὸν νόμον . εἰ δ᾽ οὐ, ἐγὼ δή σοι τότε τὸν γαμικὸν ἐπιθήσω ζυγόν. Τοσαύτη ἡ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἀρετὴ, ὅτι κόρης νέας εὐπρεποῦς νύκτωρ πρὸς αὐτὸν φοιτησάσης, τὴν σωφροσύνην ἐφύλαξε, καὶ τῷ νόμῳ τὸ πρᾶγμα τετήρηκε, καὶ οὐδὲ τῷ γάμῳ παρὰ τὸν νόμον προσἐδραμεν, ἀλλὰ τῷ πλησιαιτέρῳ τοὺς περὶ τοῦ γάμου προσενήνοχε λόγους εἶτ᾿ ἐκείνου παραιτησαμένου τὸν γάμον, τότε λοιπὸν τῇ ἀξιεπαίνῳ γυναικὶ συνηρμόσθη. ᾿Αξιάγαστα δὲ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ῥήματα. Οὐ γὰρ πρώτους αὐτῷ τοὺς περὶ τοῦ γάμου προσενήνοχε λόγους· ἀλλὰ περὶ τῆς τῶν ἀγρῶν κτήσεως διελέχθη. Ἔπειτα ἐκείνου τὸ συμβόλαιον ἀσπαστῶς δεξαμένου, τὸν περὶ τοῦ γάμου λόγον προστέθεικεν εἰρηκὼς δίκαιον εἶναι τὸν τοῦ τετελευτηκότος κτώμενον τοὺς ἀγροὺς, γῆμαι καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα, καὶ φυλάξαι τῇ παιδοποιίᾳ τοῦ κατοιχομένου τὴν μνήμην. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ διὰ τὸν γάμον καὶ τὸ τῶν ἀγρῶν ἐκεῖνος ἡρνήσατο συμβόλαιον, ὑπελύσατο μὲν κατὰ τὸν νόμον καὶ τὸ ὑπόδημα δέδωκεν ἠγάγετο δὲ ὁ Βοὸζ τὴν Ῥούθ. Ὅτι δὲ οὐχ ἡδονῇ δουλεύων ἠνέσχετο γῆμαι, δηλοῖ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ ἀξιέπαινα ῥήματα. Εἶπε γὰρ, φησὶ, Βοὸζ τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις, καὶ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ· Μάρτυρες ὑμεῖς σήμερον, ὅτι κέκτημαι πάντα τὰ τοῦ ᾿Αβιμέλεχ καὶ πάντα ὅσα ὑπάρχει τῷ Μααλὼν, καὶ τῷ Χελεὼν ἐκ χειρὸς Νοεμίν· καί γε Ῥοὺς τὴν Μωαβίτιν, τὴν γυναῖκα Μααλών, κέκτημαι ἐμαυτῷ εἰς γυναῖκα, τοῦ ἀναστῆσαι τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ τεθνηκότος ἐπὶ τῆς κληρονομίας αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἐξολοθρευθήσεται τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ τεθνηκότος ἐκ τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς αὐτοῦ. ῎Αξιον θαυμάσαι τῶν εἰρημένων καὶ τὸ εὐσεβὲς, καὶ τὸ ἀκριβές. Οὐ παραβαίνω γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸν νόμον, Μωαβῖτιν γυναῖκα λαμβάνων, ἀλλὰ τὸν θεῖον νόμον πληρῶ, τοῦ τετελευτηκότος ἄσβεστον φυλαχθῆναι τὴν μνήμην σπουδάζων. Ἐκράτυναν δὲ καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι τῇ εὐλογίᾳ τὸν γάμον. Εἶπον δὲ οὕτως Δῴη Κύριος τὴν γυναῖκά σου τὴν εἰσπορευομένην εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου, ὡς Ῥαχήλ καὶ Λείαν, αἳ ᾠκοδόμησαν ἀμφότεραι τὸν οἶκον Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ποιήσαι δύναμιν ἐν Ἐφραθᾷ καὶ ἔσται ὄνομα ἐν Βηθλεέμ παρὰ πᾶσιν ἀοίδιμον ἀνθρώποις. Καὶ γένοιτο ὁ οἶκός σου, ὡς οἶκος Φαρές, ὃν ἔτεκε Θάμαρ τῷ Ἰούδᾳ, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ σπέρματός σου δῴη σοι Κύριος ἐκ τῆς παιδίσκης ταύτης. Αἰνίττονται τῆς εὐλογίας οἱ λόγοι καὶ ἑτέραν αὐτὸν ἐσχηκέναι γυναῖκα. Διὸ καὶ τῆς Ῥαχήλ, καὶ τῆς Λείας, κατὰ ταυτὸν ἐμνημόνευσαν, καὶ ἐπήγαγον, Αἳ ᾠκοδόμησαν ἀμφότεραι τὸν οἶκον Ἰσραήλ. Τὸ δὲ, ποιήσαι δύναμιν ἐν Ἐφραθᾷ, καὶ ἔσται ὄνομα ἐν Βηθλεέμ παρὰ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἀοίδιμον, τὸν σωτήριον προθεσπίζει τόκον, δι' ὃν γέγονεν ἡ Βηθλεὲμ ἀοίδιμος παρὰ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις. Τῆς δὲ Θάμαρ ἐμνημόνευσαν, ἐπειδὴ κἀκείνη ἀλλόφυλος οὖσα τὸν Φαρὲς γεγέννηκεν, ἐξ οὗ Δαβὶδ ὁ βασιλεὺς κατάγει τὸ γένος καὶ ὁ τούτου ἀπόγονος, καὶ δεσπότης, καὶ υἱὸς, καὶ Κύριος. Ἐκ ταύτης ὁ Ὠβὴδ ἐγεννήθη τοῦ Ἰεσσαὶ ὁ πατὴρ, ὃς ἔφυσε τὸν Δαβίδ. Τοῦτο τὸ βρέφος αἱ γυναῖκες προσενεγκοῦσαι τῇ Νοεμὶν ἔφασαν, Εὐλογητὸς Κύριος, ὃς οὐ κατέλυσέ σοι σήμερον τὸν ἀγχιστεύοντα καλέσαι τὸ ὄνομά σου ἐν Ἰσραήλ. Καὶ ἔσται εἰς ἐπιστρέφοντα ψυχήν. Τοῦτο δὲ, κατὰ μὲν τὸ πρόχειρον νόημα, τὴν ἐκείνης ψυχαγωγίαν δηλοῖ κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἀλήθειαν, τὴν τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐπιστροφήν. Ἐκεῖθεν γὰρ ἤνθησε τῆς οἰκουμένης ἡ σωτηρία. Ἐπειδὴ τῆς θείας χάριτος ἀπολαύσαντες, Μωσέως τοῦ νομοθέτου βίβλον καὶ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ προφήτου, καὶ τῶν Κριτῶν, καὶ τῆς Ῥούθ ἡρμηνεύσαμεν, φέρε πάλιν τοῦδε τοῦ φωτὸς τὴν αἴγλην λαβεῖν ἱκετεύσαντες, τὰς τῶν Βασιλειῶν ἀναπτύξωμεν ἱστορίας· τὰ μὲν σαφῆ παριόντες, τὰ δὲ σαφηνείας δεόμενα δῆλα τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσιν ἀποφαίνοντες· ἵνα σου τὴν αἴτησιν, ἐρασμιώτατε παίδων Ὑπάτιε, μὴ καταλείπωμεν ἀτελῆ. Αἴτιον δὲ γε τῆς ἀσαφείας, καὶ τὸ σπουδάσαι τοὺς ἑρμηνεύσαντας περὶ πόδα τὴν ἑρμηνείαν ποιήσασθαι ταυτὸ δὲ τοῦτο πάσχουσι καὶ οἱ τὴν Ἰταλῶν φωνὴν εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα μεταφέροντες γλώτταν. Πολλῆς γὰρ ἀσαφείας ἐκεῖνα μεστά. Πρῶτον δὲ τῆς ἱστορίας ἐρῶ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν Πλείστοι προφῆται γεγένηνται, ὧν τὰς μὲν βίβλους οὐχ εὕρομεν, τὰς δὲ προσηγορίας ἐκ τῆς τῶν Παραλειπομένων μεμαθήκαμεν ἱστορίας. Τούτων ἕκαστος εἰώθει συγγράφειν ὅσα συνέβαινε γίνεσθαι κατὰ τὸν οἰκεῖον καιρόν. Αὐτίκα γοῦν καὶ ἡ πρώτη τῶν Βασιλειῶν, καὶ παρ' Ἑβραίοις, καὶ παρὰ Σύροις, προφητεία Σαμουήλ ὀνομάζεται. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο γνῶναι ῥάδιον τῷ βουλομένῳ τὸ προειρημένον ἀναγνῶναι βιβλίον. Οἱ τοίνυν τῶν Βασιλειῶν τὴν βίβλον συγγεγραφότες, ἐξ ἐκείνων τῶν βιβλίων τὰς ἀφορμὰς εἰληφότες, μετὰ πλεῖστον συνέγραψαν χρόνον. Πῶς γὰρ οἷόν τε ἦν τῷ Σαούλ, ἢ τῷ Δαβὶδ συνηκμακότι τὰ ἐπὶ Ἐζεκίου καὶ Ἰωσίου γεγονότα συγγράψαι καὶ τὴν τοῦ Ναβουχοδονόσορ στρατιάν, καὶ τῆς Ἱερουσαλήμ τὴν πολιορκίαν, καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ τὸν ἀνδραποδισμὸν, καὶ τὴν εἰς Βαβυλῶνα μετάστασιν, καὶ τοῦ Ναβουχοδονόσορ τὴν τελευτήν; Δῆλον τοίνυν, ὡς τῶν προφητῶν ἕκαστος συνέγραψε τὰ ἐν τοῖς οἰκείοις πεπραγμένα καιροῖς. ῎Ἄλλοι δέ τινες ἐκεῖνα συναγαγόντες, τὴν τῶν Βασιλειῶν συντεθείκασι βίβλον. Καὶ αὖ πάλιν, τῶν ὑπὸ τούτων παραλειφθέντων ἕτεροί τινες ἱστοριογράφοι γεγένηνται· καὶ τὴν παρὰ σφῶν συγγραφεῖσαν Παραλειπομένων προσηγόρευσαν βίβλον· ὡς τὰ παρὰ τῶν προτέρων παραλειφθέντα διδάσκουσαν.
Epimemphontai tines kai tę̄ Noemin kai tę̄ ῾Rhouth, tę̄ men hōs hypothemenę̄, tę̄ de hōs hypakousasē te kai praxasę̄, kai para tous podas katheudēsasę̄ tou Booz Akousasa hē Rhouth eirēkuias tēs pentheras, hoti engizei hēmin ho anēr, ek tōn anchisteuontōn hēmin esti, tēs pollēs anemnēsthē therapeias, kai ǭēthē ton Booz, hōs tou andros syngenē synaphthēnai autę̄ kata ton nomon ethelein, hōste tou teteleutēkotos phylaxai tēn mnēmēn. Touto gar dēloi ta hexēs. Eipe gar, phēsi, Rhoÿth pros tēn pentheran autēs kai hoti eipe, Meta tōn korasiōn mou kollēthēti, heōs an telesōsin holon ton amēton ton hyparchonta moi. Toutōn akousasa tōn logōn hē Noemin, hypotithetai autę̄ para tous podas katheudēsai tou Booz, ouch hina tēn hōran apodōtai; tounantion gar dēloi ta tēs eisēgēseōs rhēmata. Eleusę̄ gar, phēsi, kai apokalypseis ta peri podōn autou, kai koimēthēsę̄. kai autos apangelei soi ha poiēseis. Houtōs etharrhei tę̄ tou andros kai sōphrosynę̄ kai dikaiosynę̄. Ebebaiōsan de tous logous hai praxeis. Kata gar tas hypothēmosynas tēs pentheras, pantōn hypnǭ katechomenōn, proseklithē para tous podas tou Booz hē Rhouth; ho de ēreto tis eiē; hē de tēs tou teteleutēkotos syngeneias anemnēsen. Ho de to men prachthen epēnese, tēn de sōphrosynēn ou proudōken, alla tǭ nomǭ tēn gamikēn dietērēsen homilian. Eulogēmenē gar, ephē, sy tǭ Kyriǭ Theǭ, thygater, hoti ēgathynas ton heleon sou ton eschaton hyper ton prōton, tou mē poreuthēnai se opisō neaniskōn, ētoi ptōchōn, ētoi plousiōn Dedēlōkas, phēsi, di' hōn epraxas, hōs ouk epithymią douleusasa touto dedrakas. Ē gar an pros tous nean agontas hēlikian ephoitēsas, ou plouton, ou penian, alla monēn logizomenē tēs hēdonēs tēn apolausin. ᾿All' elēlythas pros andra patros sou taxin plērounta. Touto gar sēmainei to thygater. Kai dis de autēn houtō keklēke Kai nyn, thygater, mē phobou panta hosa an eipę̄s poiēsō soi. Oide gar pasa phylē tou laou mou, hoti gynē dynameōs ei sy, kai hoti alēthōs anchisteus egō eimi. Oudeis moi, phēsin, epimempsetai sy te gar epainę̄ para pantōn kagō dia tēn syngeneian, ou dia tēn akolasian, ton gamon poiēsomai. Epeidē de estin heteros plēsiaiteros syngenēs, ekeinǭ me dei proteron dialechthēnai, hina ei men heloito, gēmę̄ kata ton nomon . ei d᾽ ou, egō dē soi tote ton gamikon epithēsō zygon. Tosautē hē tou andros aretē, hoti korēs neas euprepous nyktōr pros auton phoitēsasēs, tēn sōphrosynēn ephylaxe, kai tǭ nomǭ to pragma tetērēke, kai oude tǭ gamǭ para ton nomon prosedramen, alla tǭ plēsiaiterǭ tous peri tou gamou prosenēnoche logous eit᾿ ekeinou paraitēsamenou ton gamon, tote loipon tę̄ axiepainǭ gynaiki synērmosthē. ᾿Axiagasta de autou kai ta pros ekeinon rhēmata. Ou gar prōtous autǭ tous peri tou gamou prosenēnoche logous; alla peri tēs tōn agrōn ktēseōs dielechthē. Epeita ekeinou to symbolaion aspastōs dexamenou, ton peri tou gamou logon prostetheiken eirēkōs dikaion einai ton tou teteleutēkotos ktōmenon tous agrous, gēmai kai tēn gynaika, kai phylaxai tę̄ paidopoiią tou katoichomenou tēn mnēmēn. Epeidē de dia ton gamon kai to tōn agrōn ekeinos hērnēsato symbolaion, hypelysato men kata ton nomon kai to hypodēma dedōken ēgageto de ho Booz tēn Rhouth. Hoti de ouch hēdonę̄ douleuōn ēnescheto gēmai, dēloi autou kai ta axiepaina rhēmata. Eipe gar, phēsi, Booz tois presbyterois, kai panti tǭ laǭ; Martyres hymeis sēmeron, hoti kektēmai panta ta tou ᾿Abimelech kai panta hosa hyparchei tǭ Maalōn, kai tǭ Cheleōn ek cheiros Noemin; kai ge Rhous tēn Mōabitin, tēn gynaika Maalōn, kektēmai emautǭ eis gynaika, tou anastēsai to onoma tou tethnēkotos epi tēs klēronomias autou, kai ouk exolothreuthēsetai to onoma tou tethnēkotos ek tōn adelphōn autou, kai ek tēs phylēs autou. ᾿Axion thaumasai tōn eirēmenōn kai to eusebes, kai to akribes. Ou parabainō gar, phēsi, ton nomon, Mōabitin gynaika lambanōn, alla ton theion nomon plērō, tou teteleutēkotos asbeston phylachthēnai tēn mnēmēn spoudazōn. Ekratynan de kai hoi presbyteroi tę̄ eulogią ton gamon. Eipon de houtōs Dǭē Kyrios tēn gynaika sou tēn eisporeuomenēn eis ton oikon sou, hōs Rhachēl kai Leian, hai ǭkodomēsan amphoterai ton oikon Israēl, kai poiēsai dynamin en Ephrathą kai estai onoma en Bēthleem para pasin aoidimon anthrōpois. Kai genoito ho oikos sou, hōs oikos Phares, hon eteke Thamar tǭ Ioudą, kai ek tou spermatos sou dǭē soi Kyrios ek tēs paidiskēs tautēs. Ainittontai tēs eulogias hoi logoi kai heteran auton eschēkenai gynaika. Dio kai tēs Rhachēl, kai tēs Leias, kata tauton emnēmoneusan, kai epēgagon, Hai ǭkodomēsan amphoterai ton oikon Israēl. To de, poiēsai dynamin en Ephrathą, kai estai onoma en Bēthleem para pasin anthrōpois aoidimon, ton sōtērion prothespizei tokon, di' hon gegonen hē Bēthleem aoidimos para pasin anthrōpois. Tēs de Thamar emnēmoneusan, epeidē kakeinē allophylos ousa ton Phares gegennēken, ex hou Dabid ho basileus katagei to genos kai ho toutou apogonos, kai despotēs, kai huios, kai Kyrios. Ek tautēs ho Ōbēd egennēthē tou Iessai ho patēr, hos ephyse ton Dabid. Touto to brephos hai gynaikes prosenenkousai tę̄ Noemin ephasan, Eulogētos Kyrios, hos ou katelyse soi sēmeron ton anchisteuonta kalesai to onoma sou en Israēl. Kai estai eis epistrephonta psychēn. Touto de, kata men to procheiron noēma, tēn ekeinēs psychagōgian dēloi kata de tēn alētheian, tēn tēs oikoumenēs epistrophēn. Ekeithen gar ēnthēse tēs oikoumenēs hē sōtēria. Epeidē tēs theias charitos apolausantes, Mōseōs tou nomothetou biblon kai Iēsou tou prophētou, kai tōn Kritōn, kai tēs Rhouth hērmēneusamen, phere palin toude tou phōtos tēn aiglēn labein hiketeusantes, tas tōn Basileiōn anaptyxōmen historias; ta men saphē pariontes, ta de saphēneias deomena dēla tois entynchanousin apophainontes; hina sou tēn aitēsin, erasmiōtate paidōn Hypatie, mē kataleipōmen atelē. Aition de ge tēs asapheias, kai to spoudasai tous hermēneusantas peri poda tēn hermēneian poiēsasthai tauto de touto paschousi kai hoi tēn Italōn phōnēn eis tēn Hellada metapherontes glōttan. Pollēs gar asapheias ekeina mesta. Prōton de tēs historias erō tēn hypothesin Pleistoi prophētai gegenēntai, hōn tas men biblous ouch heuromen, tas de prosēgorias ek tēs tōn Paraleipomenōn memathēkamen historias. Toutōn hekastos eiōthei syngraphein hosa synebaine ginesthai kata ton oikeion kairon. Autika goun kai hē prōtē tōn Basileiōn, kai par' Hebraiois, kai para Syrois, prophēteia Samouēl onomazetai. Alla touto gnōnai rhadion tǭ boulomenǭ to proeirēmenon anagnōnai biblion. Hoi toinyn tōn Basileiōn tēn biblon syngegraphotes, ex ekeinōn tōn bibliōn tas aphormas eilēphotes, meta pleiston synegrapsan chronon. Pōs gar hoion te ēn tǭ Saoul, ē tǭ Dabid synēkmakoti ta epi Ezekiou kai Iōsiou gegonota syngrapsai kai tēn tou Nabouchodonosor stratian, kai tēs Hierousalēm tēn poliorkian, kai tou laou ton andrapodismon, kai tēn eis Babylōna metastasin, kai tou Nabouchodonosor tēn teleutēn? Dēlon toinyn, hōs tōn prophētōn hekastos synegrapse ta en tois oikeiois pepragmena kairois. ᾿Alloi de tines ekeina synagagontes, tēn tōn Basileiōn syntetheikasi biblon. Kai au palin, tōn hypo toutōn paraleiphthentōn heteroi tines historiographoi gegenēntai; kai tēn para sphōn syngrapheisan Paraleipomenōn prosēgoreusan biblon; hōs ta para tōn proterōn paraleiphthenta didaskousan.
Some find fault with both Naomi and Ruth: with the one as having advised, with the other as having obeyed and acted and lain down at the feet of Boaz. When Ruth heard her mother-in-law say, “The man is near to us; he is one of our next of kin,” she remembered his great care and supposed that Boaz, as a relative of her husband, wished to be joined to her according to the law, so as to preserve the memory of the dead man. What follows shows this: “For Ruth said to her mother-in-law,” it says, “‘He also said, Stay close to my young women until they have finished all my harvest.’” Hearing these words, Naomi advises her to lie at the feet of Boaz, not to sell her youthful beauty; the words of the advice show the opposite: “You will go,” she says, “and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do.” So confident was she in the man's chastity and justice. And the deeds confirmed the words. Following her mother-in-law's advice, when all were asleep Ruth lay down at the feet of Boaz. He asked who she was; she reminded him of the kinship of the dead man. He praised what she had done, but did not betray his chastity; he kept marital intercourse for the law. “Blessed are you of the Lord God, daughter,” he said, “for you have made your last kindness better than the first, in not going after young men, whether poor or rich.” You have shown, he means, by what you did, that you did not do this as a slave to desire. Otherwise you would have gone to those of young age, considering neither wealth nor poverty, but only the enjoyment of pleasure. But you have come to a man who stands in the place of your father; this is what “daughter” signifies. And twice he called her so: “And now, daughter, do not fear; all that you say I will do for you. For the whole tribe of my people knows that you are a woman of worth, and that I am truly a kinsman.” No one will blame me, he means: you are praised by all, and I will make the marriage because of kinship, not because of licentiousness. But since there is another, nearer relative, I must speak with him first, so that if he chooses he may marry according to the law; and if not, then I will put the yoke of marriage on you. So great was the man's virtue that, when a young and beautiful girl came to him by night, he kept his chastity and kept the matter for the law; nor did he rush into marriage contrary to the law, but put the proposal of marriage to the nearer relative; and when he declined the marriage, then at last he was joined to the praiseworthy woman. His words to that man are also admirable. He did not first put the proposal of marriage to him, but spoke about the purchase of the fields. Then, when the other gladly accepted the contract, he added the matter of the marriage, saying that it was right that the one who acquired the dead man's fields should also marry his wife and preserve the dead man's memory by begetting children. And since because of the marriage that man refused the contract for the fields too, he took off his sandal according to the law and gave it, and Boaz married Ruth. That he did not consent to marry as a slave to pleasure his praiseworthy words also show: “For Boaz said,” it says, “to the elders and to all the people, ‘You are witnesses today that I have acquired all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Mahlon and Chilion from the hand of Naomi; and also Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, I have acquired for myself as wife, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance, and the name of the dead shall not be cut off from among his brothers and from his tribe.’” One should admire both the piety and the exactness of what was said. For I do not transgress the law, he means, in taking a Moabite wife; I fulfil the divine law, striving that the memory of the dead be kept unquenched. The elders confirmed the marriage with a blessing. They spoke thus: “May the Lord make your wife who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, who both built the house of Israel, and may you do worthily in Ephratha, and there shall be a name in Bethlehem renowned among all people. And may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, from the seed which the Lord will give you from this young woman.” The words of the blessing hint that he had another wife too; that is why they mentioned Rachel and Leah together and added, “who both built the house of Israel.” And “may you do worthily in Ephratha, and there shall be a name in Bethlehem renowned among all people” foretells the saving birth, through which Bethlehem became renowned among all people. They mentioned Tamar because she too, being a foreigner, bore Perez, from whom David the king traces his descent, and his descendant, who is also his Master, his Son and his Lord. From Ruth was born Obed, the father of Jesse, who begot David. The women brought this child to Naomi and said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a kinsman, to make your name called in Israel; and he shall be to you a restorer of the soul.” According to the plain sense this signifies her comfort, but according to the reality, the turning of the world; for from there the salvation of the world blossomed. Since, enjoying divine grace, we have interpreted the book of Moses the lawgiver, of Joshua the prophet, of the Judges and of Ruth, come, begging again to receive the radiance of the same light, let us unfold the histories of the Kingdoms, passing over what is clear and making plain to readers what needs clarification, so that we may not leave your request unfulfilled, Hypatius, dearest of sons. A cause of the obscurity is that the translators took pains to make their translation word for word; the same thing happens to those who render the Italian language into Greek, for those works are full of obscurity. First I will state the subject of the history. There have been very many prophets whose books we have not found, but whose names we have learned from the history of the Chronicles. Each of them used to write down what happened in his own time. Thus the first book of Kingdoms, both among the Hebrews and among the Syrians, is called the prophecy of Samuel. But this is easy to learn for anyone who wishes to read the book mentioned. Those, then, who wrote the book of Kingdoms took their materials from those books and wrote a very long time later. For how could someone who flourished with Saul or David have written of what happened under Hezekiah and Josiah, and the campaign of Nebuchadnezzar, the siege of Jerusalem, the enslavement of the people, the deportation to Babylon and the death of Nebuchadnezzar? It is clear, then, that each of the prophets wrote what was done in his own times, and others, collecting those writings, composed the book of Kingdoms. And again, others became historians of what these had left out, and they called what they wrote the book of Paraleipomena, as teaching what the earlier writers had left out.
Ruth 3:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Ruth 2:21 (quotation, high confidence) · Ruth 3:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Ruth 3:7–9 (allusion, high confidence) · Ruth 3:10–13 (quotation, high confidence) · Ruth 4:1–8 (allusion, high confidence) · Deut 25:5–10 (allusion, high confidence) · Ruth 4:9–10 (quotation, high confidence) · Deut 23:3 (allusion, medium confidence) · Ruth 4:11–12 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 38:29 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 22:42–45 (allusion, medium confidence) · Ruth 4:14–15 (quotation, high confidence) · Ruth 4:17 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Chr 29:29 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Naomi's advice and Ruth's night at Boaz's feet were chaste; Boaz kept the law of the kinsman and married Ruth, ancestress of David and Christ. The section ends with the preface to Theodoret's questions on Kingdoms.
- The section has no question in the edition; it opens with an objection. Ruth 3:2–4, 2:21, 3:7–13, 4:1–10 (4:9–10 quoted), 4:11–12, 4:13–15, 4:17 (Septuagint, “a restorer of the soul”); Deut 25:5–10; Deut 23:3; Gen 38:29; Matt 22:42–45. Theodoret's inference that Boaz had another wife is his own. Boundary: from “Since, enjoying divine grace” to the end, the text is the preface to Theodoret's Questions on Kingdoms (addressed to Hypatius), not part of the questions on Ruth; it is translated here as printed in this section, and the coordinator may wish to move it. “The prophecy of Samuel” is the title of 1 Samuel in Hebrew and Syriac tradition; the reference to the prophets' books is 1 Chr 29:29. Marginal catchwords and footnote markers printed in the text are removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Latin editorial word leaked into the line; OCR letter; OCR letters lost; footnote marker; joined words; marginal catchwords leaked into the line; split word and stray mark; stray letter; stray letters; stray mark): γὰρδηλοῖ → γὰρ δηλοῖ; - λογημένη γὰρ → Εὐλογημένη γὰρ; τῆς sicἡδονῆς → τῆς ἡδονῆς; τὸ πρᾶγμα δὴ δὲ τὸν νόμον) εἰ δὲ μὴ πείθοιτο κατὰ τὸν νόμον. εἴτοι πτωχὸς, εἴτοι πλούσιος. τετήρηκε → τὸ πρᾶγμα τετήρηκε; παντὶτῷ → παντὶ τῷ; τετελευτη- & κότος → τετελευτηκότος; δῴη ο σοι → δῴη σοι; Α' ᾠκοδόμησαν → Αἳ ᾠκοδόμησαν; ἀοίδιμον **, → ἀοίδιμον,; κἀκείνη π. ἀνθρ. ἀοίδιμον. ἐκ τοῦ σπέρματος οὗ δώσει Κύριός σοι ἐκ, κ. λ. ἀλλόφυλος → κἀκείνη ἀλλόφυλος; ἀπόγονος **, → ἀπόγονος,; γυκαῖκες → γυναῖκες; ἡ σωτηρία. ὁ τοῦ Δαβὶδ ἀπόγονος. τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ βρ. σου Ἐπειδὴ → ἡ σωτηρία. Ἐπειδὴ; προφήτου **, → προφήτου,; Αἴτιον δὲ τ8 γε → Αἴτιον δὲ γε; βίβλον - συγγεγραφότες → βίβλον συγγεγραφότες; Δαβὶὸ → Δαβὶδ; συγγράψαι δι· → συγγράψαι; παραλειφθέντων σε ἕτεροί → παραλειφθέντων ἕτεροί; τῶν α προτέρων → τῶν προτέρων.
Topics: Marriage, Divorce and remarriage, Christology
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Oct. 8.2 (PG 80 80:521; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-octateuchum/8-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-octateuchum/8-2
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.