Boaz

[3] The etymology of the name has been suggested by many[4] as be'oz, "in the strength of", or bo'oz, "in him (is) strength" from the root 'zz, "to be strong", hence the use of the name "Boaz" for one of the pillars at the portico of the temple (1 Kings 7:21),[5] although Biblical scholar Martin Noth preferred "of sharp mind".

[6] The son of Salmon,[7] Boaz was a wealthy landowner of Bethlehem in Judea, and relative of Elimelech, Naomi's late husband.

[8] He notices Ruth, the widowed Moabite daughter-in-law of Naomi, a relative of his (see family tree), gleaning grain in his fields.

In response, Boaz invites her to eat with him and his workers, as well as deliberately leaving grain for her to claim while keeping a protective eye on her.

In marrying Ruth, Boaz revives Elimelech's lineage, and the patrimony is secured to Naomi's family.

[21] A legend is given that he lost all his sixty children during his lifetime because he did not invite Manoah, Samson's father, to any of the marriage festivities at his house.

[19] Since Manoah was at that time without children, Boaz thought he did not need to consider on such occasions a childless man who could not pay him back in kind (Bava Batra 91a).

[19] In the conversation that followed between Boaz and Ruth, the pious proselyte said that, being a Moabite, she was excluded from association with the community of God (Deuteronomy 23:3).

[19] Boaz was especially friendly toward the poor stranger during the meal, when he indicated to her by various symbolic courtesies that she would become the ancestress of the Davidic royal house, including the Messiah (Ruth R. to ii.

[19] Although Boaz was the prince of the people, he personally supervised the threshing of the grain in his barn, in order to circumvent any immorality or theft, both of which were rife in his days (Tan., Behar, ed.

[8] Glad in his heart that the famine was over in Israel, he sought rest after having thanked God and studied for a while in the Torah (Tan., l.c.

[8] When he perceived Ruth's pure and holy intentions he not only did not reprove her for her unusual behavior, he blessed her and gave her six measures of barley, indicating thereby that six pious men should spring from her, who would be gifted by God with six excellences (cf.