Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

“So bathe, anoint yourself, dress up, and go down to the threshing floor.  But do not disclose yourself to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.”  Ruth 3:3 JPS

Disclose – Your mother-in-law suggests that you prepare yourself for an evening seduction.  She gives you specific instructions that remind you of the kind of preparation women make before marriage.  But this is no wedding.  She tells you not to make yourself known until after the potential mark is at least slightly inebriated.  What kind of mother-in-law is this?  And why go through all of this effort with its undercurrent of sexual intimacy when the man she has in mind is the go’el, the kinsman redeemer who by law would come to the rescue.  Furthermore, if Ruth is caught, would she not risk serious community reprisal?  How are we to explain Naomi’s guidance here?

There is little doubt that Naomi directs Ruth to use her feminine wiles.  But the arrangement of the circumstances and the choice of words suggest a lot more than is actually described.  First, of course, is the parallel to Ezekiel 16:9-10.  The preparations are allusions to the wedding night.  The rabbis struggled with the implications of sexual impropriety.  They interpreted Naomi’s explicit directions as purification rites for Ruth.  In their view, Naomi is assisting Ruth in finally putting away all idolatry.  But this seems to be quite a stretch given Ruth’s prior declaration, subsequent action and the plain reading of the text.

Next we should consider Naomi’s choice of the word yada’, translated “disclose.”  The breadth of this word certainly includes sexual intimacy.  Is that what Naomi subtlety implies?  The text isn’t clear.  The imagery is left up to the reader.  It is certainly curious that Naomi explicitly tells Ruth not to reveal herself in public, and not before Boaz’ faculties of discrimination are impaired.  It is odd, isn’t it?  In this instance, the verb is in the niphal form (for you technical types) and in this form never refers to carnal knowledge as it would in the qal form, but it is certainly suggestive.  All this secrecy opposes traditional disclosure of kinsman-redeemer relationships.  One wonders why Naomi thinks it is necessary.  Is it possible that Naomi knows there is an intermediate kinsman (as we discover much later) and so sets up circumstances that will ensure Boaz takes the lead role rather than the potential rival?

The story continues with other multi-layered verbs, like shakav (used eight times in this chapter) with considerable overtones of sexual involvement (compare Genesis 19:32-35), and with one derivation shekovet (cf. Leviticus 18:20) where copulation is explicit.  Frankly, it’s hard to read this story without questioning the underlying motivations of Naomi and the subsequent actions of Ruth.  But there is a lot at stake for these women.  Life and death, more or less.  Without some male to care for them, they are certainly doomed to abject poverty and potential starvation.  What would you do to prevent such tragedy?  You might think you are above the tactics of Naomi.  But you aren’t starving yet, are you?

The bottom line is the surprising connection between the actions of these women and the sovereignty of God.  The text never actually says what happened on the threshing floor, but it certainly reminds us that God can use just about anything for His purposes.  David, Israel greatest king and the progenitor of the line of the Messiah, comes from a night in the garden of good and evil.

Topical Index:  disclose, yada’, lie down, shakav, Ruth 3:3, Genesis 19:32-35, Leviticus 18:20, sex