Near destitute, Naomi returns to Bethlehem with one daughter-in-law, Ruth, whom she could not dissuade from accompanying her.
"[6] Abraham Kuyper, on the other hand, asserts that "Naomi has such innate nobility of character that she immediately elicits from us our most sincere sympathy.
He tells her to work with female servants, warns the young men not to bother her, and at mealtime invites her to share his food.
(Ruth 3:3–4) Webb points out Naomi's "feminine scheming" in forcing Boaz's hand.
At the crucial moment, however, "Ruth abandons the attempt at seduction and instead requests a permanent, legal union with Boaz.