Tag Archives: Ruth 4:4

Introduction to Ruth 4:4 Ruth 4:4 records Boaz’s formal negotiation regarding the redemption of Naomi’s land and the levirate marriage to Ruth. The passage features legal terminology and speech formulas used in contracts and public declarations. A key grammatical aspect in this verse is the use of imperative and cohortative forms, which convey commands, requests, and volitional actions. This article will examine these forms in Ruth 4:4, their functions, and their nuances in Biblical Hebrew. וַאֲנִ֨י אָמַ֜רְתִּי אֶגְלֶ֧ה אָזְנְךָ֣ לֵאמֹ֗ר קְ֠נֵה נֶ֥גֶד הַֽיֹּשְׁבִים֮ וְנֶ֣גֶד זִקְנֵ֣י עַמִּי֒ אִם־תִּגְאַל֙ גְּאָ֔ל וְאִם־לֹ֨א יִגְאַ֜ל הַגִּ֣ידָה לִּ֗י וְאֵדְעָה כִּ֣י אֵ֤ין זוּלָֽתְךָ֙ לִגְאֹ֔ול וְאָנֹכִ֖י אַחֲרֶ֑יךָ וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אָנֹכִ֥י אֶגְאָֽל׃ Analysis of Key Words/Phrases The verse contains three key imperative and cohortative forms: 1.… Learn Hebrew