Barefoot Business
“When he lies down, note the place where he lies down, and go over and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what you are to do.” Ruth 3:4 JPS
Feet – While the root word, regel, appears 245 times in the Tanakh, the word used here, margelot, although a derivative, is used only in this chapter in Ruth. But the imagery it suggests appears in other places in the Tanakh. In Isaiah 6:2 and 7:20, regel is a euphemism for male genitals. While margelot literally means, “the place of the feet,” it is difficult not to catch the sexual innuendo. In fact, the Midrash Ruth Zuta recognizes this scandalous implication by having Ruth exclaim, “If I uncover his margelot, they will kill me!” This is hardly the reaction to bare toes.
Furthermore, Naomi’s instruction to follow Boaz’ direction once Ruth has “uncovered his feet” certainly leads the reader to imagine what a man might be inclined to suggest when he is confronted by an anointed beauty in the secrecy of the night who just happened to expose some of his anatomy. The rabbis went to great lengths to moderate the suggestive implications here. The fact that they do go to these lengths indicates that the potential scandal is possible. Once more we are confronted with very strange behavior on behalf of a mother-in-law, behavior that, if it is truly suggestive, would place Ruth at tremendous risk but allow Naomi to remain unscathed.
I know that we don’t like to paint Naomi as scheming, but it’s hard to avoid. I know that we want to see Ruth in the positive light of spiritual purity and moral integrity, but it’s hard not to read the double entendre. In a story that for the most part seems devoid of God’s direct intervention, it’s not difficult to imagine that people do anything they can to take care of themselves, even if it means placing others in harm’s way.
What do we learn from this odd innuendo? Perhaps the real story is not about whatever “feet” may mean but rather about an older woman who believes that God has abandoned her. Naomi is a woman of bitterness; a woman cast adrift to her own devices in a world where she thinks El Shaddai has put His hand of punishment on her life. Perhaps she believes that it really doesn’t matter what she does anymore now that God is set against her. Perhaps she is willing to take the risk because in her world God no longer cares. We as readers know the whole story, but she doesn’t. She is like us, every day dealing with what little we know of the big picture. And sometimes in dealing with the everyday trials we compromise principles because we don’t see any other way out. Sometimes we just do whatever anyone else would probably do. As Adin Steinsaltz says, “It takes learning and choice not to comply.” [1]
I’m guessing that most of us are a lot more like Naomi than we care to admit. Probably the rest of us are like Ruth, wishing to please, hoping not to get caught, listening to the advice of those we love. Before you write off the subtleties, examine yourself. Is there a bit of Naomi in there, a bit of Ruth? Would we “uncover the feet” in whatever context that might be if we thought it was the only way to save our lives?
Topical Index: feet, margelot, sex, genitals, Ruth 3:4, regel, compromise
Yes, I recognize a lot of Naomi in my life. But like her I have learned God doesn’t like to be manipulated and does not want us to manipulate others. The learning proces hurts, but the result is: so much more shalom in your life in stead of bitterness.
I have studied Ruth WAY MORE since your continued trips into it than I ever have before in my life!
I have to declare, I never have heard, nor could have guessed in a million-trillion years that ‘feet’ and that ‘other man part’ could be similar, — but now that you mention it, that other part does take a lot of men as many places as his feet do !!!
No question Naomi was depressed and bitter in Ch 1, but after meeting Godly and wealthy Boaz, AND (stroke of good-luck if anyone believed in luck) a relative of her husband. It seems things were looking up, –even enough to reach thru Naomi’s shrouding despondency.
Ch. 2 shows her begining to recover for in 2:20 she exults in God: “The Lord’s kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Chapter 2 seems overflowing with hope.
There are some song lyrics that were written for just such an occassion:
You fearful saints fresh courage take:
The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy and will break
In blessings on your head.
But if I choose to look at it as her recovery, (and that is what I see) then I ask what does a God-exalting older woman do when she is filled with hope in the sovereign goodness of God?
Hope lifts us up to dream again. (the political crap out there almost ruins these previously good words for me, –but I will go on) Hope helps us begin to think of the future. With HOPE IN GOD, it isn’t normal to be looking to lie and steal and seize illicit pleasures for the moment.
SO, … I have a question to those who know Eastern customs. I searched and find some that say it was liggit for a woman to proposed to a man in some cases. Could that have been what Naomi instructed Ruth to do?
Even if it was acceptable for a woman to propose to a man, the culture of 10th Century BC Israel would have found it quite unusual, and forbidden of a Moabite woman. Nor does that remove the scandal implied in this text.
“the scandal implied in this text”
Hi Skip,
Maybe it is just my translation, but the characters all seem positive (kind-hearted) to me
When Naomi says “Do not call me Naomi, call me Mara, for Shaddai has marred me bitterly”
Like a lower class “common sense” character in Shakespeare
It sounds sort of funny
When Naomi finds out that Ruth has met Boaz, she says “May he be blessed by Yahweh…
Who does not withhold his kindness from living or dead”
She seems to know Yahweh pretty well
Naomi takes the child to her own bosom and became his nurse
The women in the neighborhood give him a name
“A son has been born for Naomi” they said: and they named him Obed
This was the father of David’s father, Jessie
Seems all good to me 🙂
“Would we “uncover the feet” in whatever context that might be if we thought it was the only way to save our lives?”
My favorite Nazi movie, The Good German, deals with the theme of a woman doing what she has to do to survive in a corrupt world and save others who are dear to her
(Cate Blanchett), a German Jew — and Emil’s wife — with whom Geismar (George Clooney) had been in a relationship prior to the war.
The Good German is an homage to Casablanca
Interesting outlook on Ruth – never thought of it like that before. However, there are other examples of women behaving in unorthodox ways to accomplish God’s purposes: one being Tamar, who pretended to be a prostitute to get Judah to provide her with the offspring required by Mosaic law, and the other notable one, to me, was Esther. Growing up with the Purim story, I always saw Esther as the good, beautiful Jewish girl who obeyed her uncle and was lucky enough to get chosen by the king and thus be able to save her people. In reality, she prepared herself as a sacrifice, to become part of a pagan king’s harem, and even when chosen as queen, she was linked to a pagan and essentially set apart from her people. The sexual innuendos of Ahasuerus appropriating all the beautiful girls in the kingdom for himself was never made clear to me as a child, for obvious reasons, and it wasn’t until I read the story for myself that I realized how much she gave up. Romanticizing the story as is popular today minimizes what she lost.
–but after meeting Godly and wealthy Boaz, AND (stroke of good-luck if anyone believed in luck) a relative of her husband–
–and was lucky enough to get chosen by the king–
Woah. Halt. Cease and desist. Let’s pull over here and have us a “selah” moment!
A question to “whosoever will..” Do you, (I’m talkin’ to you) believe in “luck?” in “randomness” or in Sovereignty?
Do you (yes, I’m talkin’ to you) believe that ever hair on every head of every man from Adam forward is “numbered?”- And why, (I’d like to know) would God bother with numbering the hairs on our heads? There are just too many “coincidences” in scripture.. Now why, dear friends, would that be? Could it possibly be God know the end from the beginning? Does God do “advance planning?” Does God live in what we would call the “eternal now?” Does anything ever “occur” to God? Why is every snowflake “unique?” Why is every individual “unique?” Abraham, Moses and Noah were all “different,” yet each had a story to share. And so do we, brothers. Sisters. Isn’t it wonderful to be part of the family of God?
And doesn’t this give new meaning to “other sheep have I which are not of this fold”. Yes, let us wonder at the Sovereignty and diversity of YHWH.
I love (love) the story of Ruth. This love story has a tragic beginning, but a beautiful ending. (and they all lived happily ever after!- lol!). From a mess to a message, well.. -isn’t this “my story” also? lol!
Friends, “we” are Ruth! (honestly!). Ruth was a Moabite, neither Jew nor Gentile, but an outcast, a half-breed, having no future, no hope, until… “Boaz”- the near Kinsman-Redeemer.
Do we (I’m talkin’ to you again) have also a “near Kinsman-Redeemer?” I sitting on the outside, but jumping up and down on the inside!) Yes. We do.- And what is His Name?
Is this the ONE who also hung “naked and exposed” on Calvary’s cross? We must ask ourselves, this question: ~ Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is now set down at the right hand of the throne of God? —(Hebrews 12:2)
Here another “roller-coaster ride..” ~ Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11)
“O love, thou fathomless abyss!”- All for love’s sake.. -because God So loved..
CARL, (yes, I’m shouting) a new thought occured to me !!! If you lived near I would have run to your and your wife’s home and barged into your kitchen to tell you and your sweet wife, — whom I just know is as delightful as you are.
It’s another shadow of the cross, reaching backwards from Calvary’s hill to this long ago night in time!
(Skip said it was 10th century).
Boaz the kinsman Redeemer, stretched out, Ruth, the stranger, that had come under the protection of His wings (2: 12), lying cross-wise at his feet. Under his covering. “T” shape! Redemption. Seeking shelter and a marriage union, that was soon granted!
Under his covering. “T” shape!
Hi Dorothy,
That’s very clever, I hadn’t thought of that 🙂
The explication of the passage to make it fit the cross (“T”) does violence to the text, torturing it to fit a paradigm that had no relevance at all when it was written. In addition, it is highly unlikely that the author of Ruth had any form of a T in mind with the sexual implications deliberately included in the text. While the interpretation of the cross is creative, it isn’t based in good exegesis. Let’s try to understand what the text says, not what we can read into it.
Good point 🙂
Emily, there are many examples of “unorthodoxy” in the scriptures! –
~ So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him ~ (Luke 15.20) Very “unorthodox” for a respectable jewish father to run! Very “undignified” and the only time ever -God was shown or pictured to be “in a hurry!”
Another example of “unorthodoxy” is the Rabbi washing the feet of His talmudim! Now if this doesn’t turn your world upside down, – God, washing your feet? I don’t know about you, but this pulls my brain inside out!
And how many times have we heard these words.. “You have heard it said.. – But I say unto you..”
Bottom line? Jesus, Yeshua HaMashiach was (and is) the “game-changer.”
~ If any man (or woman) whether Ruth or Ralph, be “in Christ,” he (or she) is a new creation. ~ Neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female, slave or free- but a new creation. ~ There is neither Jew nor Aramaean, neither Servant nor Free person, neither male nor female, for all of you are one in Yeshua The Messiah ~ (Galatians 3.28) “in Christ..” – Are you “in?”