Ruth 4:13-17
Better to You Than Seven Sons
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13So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And when he had relations with her, the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.
14Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a kinsman-redeemer. May his name become famous in Israel.
15He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”
16And Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and became a nurse to him.
17The neighbor women said, “A son has been born to Naomi,” and they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Boaz marries Ruth, and the LORD enables her to conceive. She gives birth to a son. The account names God's kindness in the new life that comes to this family.
The women speak to Naomi, blessing the LORD for not leaving her without a kinsman-redeemer. They pray that his name will become famous in Israel and say that he will renew her life and sustain her in old age. Their words look toward care for the woman who had returned to Bethlehem after losing her husband and sons.
They also honor Ruth. She loves Naomi, they say, and is better to her than seven sons. The daughter-in-law who stayed with her has become a source of faithful love through hunger, hard work, and a new home.
Naomi takes the child onto her lap and cares for him. She receives the joy of his life and has a place in caring for him herself. The neighbor women name him Obed and speak of a son born to Naomi, celebrating what his birth means for her family.
Obed will become the father of Jesse, the father of David. This family's renewed hope will reach further than the home in Bethlehem.
Questions
1 Who does the account credit with enabling Ruth to conceive?
AnswerThe LORD. Ruth gives birth to a son after becoming Boaz’s wife, and the narrator names God’s provision in the birth.
2 What do the women say about Ruth’s love for Naomi?
AnswerThey say that she loves Naomi and is better to her than seven sons. They honor the daughter-in-law who has remained with her and cared for her.
3 How does Naomi take part in the child’s life?
AnswerShe holds him on her lap and becomes his nurse, caring for him as part of the family.
4 How can we make room for both giving and receiving care in a household?
AnswerNotice what each person needs and what they can offer. Children, adults, and older relatives all need care, and each can have a valued place in family life.
What This Means for Us
Naomi needs care in her old age, and she also has care to give. Make room for older people to belong and contribute, while taking their needs seriously. This happy ending does not promise a child to every grieving family or erase those who died. It invites us to recognize God's kindness in faithful love between generations.
Prayer
Lord, care for the widowed, the young, and the old among us. Help us receive one another with love and make room for each person to belong, to give, and to be cared for. Amen.