1) retain the literal rendering 'wings'; the same word was attributed to God in 2:12
2) add explication or do a meaning-based translation, like 'spread your covering'
John Piper discussed this and concluded #1:
This [spread your wings] is a literal and very helpful translation, as we will see. Other versions translate it loosely as 'spread the corner of your garment over me' (NIV); or 'spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid (KJV); or 'spread your covering over your maid' (NASB). The word is literally 'wings' and usually, in combination with 'spreads,' refers to what birds do with their wings (Deuteronomy 32:11; Jeremiah 48:40; 49:22; Job 39:26). The reason the word 'wings' is so important to preserve is the connection with Ruth 2:12: 'The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!'...
What Boaz really means [with his expression in chapter 3] is, 'Because you take refuge under the wings of God, you are the kind of woman I want to cover with my wings.' (Piper, pp. 85, 87)
Chris--thanks for posting this. We had a sermon on Ruth a couple of weeks ago and this fits right in. I can't wait to share it with Dave!
ReplyDeleteYour welcome! We love the book of Ruth - what a blessing to be thinking about the same passage of Scripture with you, your church and Pastor Mike!
ReplyDeleteWe seem to be surrounded by the book of Ruth recently. We both read a book about Ruth recently. And as part of our advent tradition, we are reading Pastor John Piper's advent poems, and this year we are reading his poems on Ruth. So, we are thinking about the book from a different angle! It simply amazing us that in God's sovereignty, Ruth, a Moabite woman, outside of the house of Israel, would become David's great grandmother and so in the lineage of Jesus!