Preface
This study explores the redemption narrative in the Book of Ruth, focusing on the costs incurred by Boaz to redeem both the land originally owned by Elimelech and Ruth, the childless widow of Mahlon. While the Book of Ruth itself does not explicitly detail the prices paid, this analysis draws on Torah provisions—particularly from Leviticus and Deuteronomy—to estimate these costs and uncover their deeper spiritual significance. The redemption process intertwines legal, cultural, and prophetic elements, ultimately pointing to Yahusha ha Mashiyach as the ultimate Kinsman Redeemer, whose actions parallel Boaz’s selfless act of redemption.
The portion of the text in Ruth only speaks of Boaz saying to the elders and to all the people that they are a witness that he has bought all that was Elimelech's and all that was Chilyon's and Machlon's.
Rth 4:9 And Bo‛az said to the elders and to all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimeleḵ’s, and all that was Kilyon’s and Maḥlon’s, from/mem the hand/yad of Na‛omi.
Rth 4:10 “And also, Ruth the Mo’aḇitess, the wife of Maḥlon, I have acquired as my wife, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance, so that the name of the dead should not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses today.”
Elimelech, his 2 sons and his wife Naomi Ephrathites of Bayt Lacham went to the plains of Moab (Heshbon-where Reubenites dwelt) as there was scarcity of food in the land.
Rth 1:1 And it came to be, in the days when the rulers ruled, that there was a scarcity of food in the land. And a man from Běyth Leḥem, Yehuḏah, went to sojourn in the fields of Mo’aḇ, he and his wife and his two sons.
Rth 1:2 And the name of the man was Elimeleḵ, and the name of his wife was Na‛omi, and the names of his two sons were Maḥlon and Kilyon – Ephrathites of Běyth Leḥem, Yehuḏah. And they went to the fields of Mo’aḇ and came to be there.
Rth 4:3 He then said to the redeemer, “Naʽomi, who has come back from the fields of Mo’aḇ, sold/makarah H4376 the piece of field which belonged to our brother Elimeleḵ.
Rth 4:4 “And I thought that I should disclose it to you, saying, ‘Buy it back in the presence of the inhabitants and the elders of my people. If you do redeem it, redeem it. But if you do not redeem it, inform me, so that I know. For there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you.’ ” And he said, “I redeem it.”
The prefix 'mem' usually means 'from' but it also means 'out of' implying that the actual redeeming was not from her hand but from the one to whom it was sold to. The mem as a prefix before the yad/hand of Naamay (Naomi) doesn't mean the buying was from her hand or else why was there a need of redemption? The next verse Ruth 4:4 'Buy it back...' shows that the property was already sold by her and it was not in her hand but was 'out of her hand' and the rendering in English should be correctly understood as stated below.
Rth 4:9 And Boʽaz said to the elders and to all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimeleḵ’s, and all that was Kilyon’s and Maḥlon’s, 'which was' out of/mem Noami's hand/yad.
****which was is an emphasis added to show what the mem before the yad/hand means*****
In Ruth 4:3 Boaz tells the supposed kinsman redeemer that Naomi sold the piece of land which belonged to Elimelech.
Rth 4:3 He then said to the redeemer, “Naʽomi, who has come back from the fields of Mo’aḇ, sold the piece of the field which belonged to our brother Elimeleḵ.
Rth 4:3 He then said to the redeemer, “Naʽomi, who has come back from the fields of Mo’aḇ, sold the piece of the field which belonged to our brother Elimeleḵ.
The Torah (Leviticus 25:23-28) teaches that Yasharalite land belongs to Elohim and cannot be sold permanently—only leased until the Jubilee Year.
Lev 25:23 ‘And the land is not to be sold beyond reclaim, for the land is Mine, for you are sojourners and settlers with Me.
Lev 25:24 ‘And provide for a redemption for the land, in all the land of your possession.
Lev 25:25 ‘When your brother becomes poor, and has sold some of his possession, and his redeemer, a close relative comes to redeem it, then he shall redeem what his brother sold.
Lev 25:26 ‘And when the man has no one to redeem it, but he himself becomes able to redeem it,
Lev 25:27 then let him count the years since its sale, and return the remainder to the man to whom he sold it, that he shall return to his possession.
Lev 25:28 ‘And if his hand has not found enough to give back to him, then what was sold shall remain in the hand of him who bought it until the Year of Yoḇel. And it shall be released in the Yoḇel, and he shall return to his possession.
Elimelech and his family left Bayth Lacham due to scarcity of food (Ruth 1:1-2), and it is implied that he either:
- Leased out the land before leaving, or
- Lost legal claim due to financial hardship for which Naomi had to sell it when she came back.
When Elimelech died, his property rights would have passed to his sons Machlon and Chilyon, but they also died (Ruth 1:3-5), leaving Naomi without male heirs.
During the period of the Judges, Bayt Lacham/Bethlehem was a small, unwalled village in the tribal territory of Yahudah. Bayth Lacham was David's hometown.
1Sa 16:1 And יהוה said to Shemu’ěl, “How long are you going to mourn for Sha’ul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Yisra’ěl? Fill your horn with oil, and go, I am sending you to Yishai the Běyth Leḥemite. For I have seen among his sons a sovereign for Myself.”
Bayt Lacham became a walled city (fortified city) during Rehaboam's rule.
2Ch 11:5 And Reḥaḇ‛am dwelt in Yerushalayim, and built cities for a defence in Yehuḏah.
2Ch 11:6 And he built Běyth Leḥem, and Ěytam, and Teqowa,
2Ch 11:6 And he built Běyth Leḥem, and Ěytam, and Teqowa,
This is important to know as Torah says houses in walled cities can be permanently sold if not redeemed within one year (Leviticus 25:29-30).
Lev 25:29 ‘And when a man sells a house in a walled city, then his right of redemption shall be at the end of the year after it is sold. His right of redemption lasts a year.
Lev 25:30 ‘But if it is not redeemed within a complete year, then the house in the walled city shall be established beyond reclaim to the buyer of it, throughout his generations. It is not released in the Yoḇel.
At the time of Judges, Bayt Lacham was not a walled city and that's why its termed as 'piece of the field'. If the land is not redeemed earlier, it automatically returns to the original owner in the Jubilee Year (Leviticus 25:28).
Lev 25:28 ‘And if his hand has not found enough to give back to him, then what was sold shall remain in the hand of him who bought it until the Year of Jubilee/Yoḇel. And it shall be released in the Jubilee/Yoḇel, and he shall return to his possession.
Rth 4:3 He then said to the redeemer, “Naʽomi, who has come back from the fields of Mo’aḇ, sold the piece of the field/sadah סדה H7704 which belonged to our brother Elimeleḵ.
The land redemption was tied to a Levirate-like obligation (Deuteronomy 25:5-10), even though Boaz was not a blood brother of Machlon. Boaz accepted both the land and the responsibility to marry Ruth, ensuring that the inheritance stayed in Elimelech’s family. If the brother refused to marry his brother's childless widow , the widow performs chalitsah (removing his sandal in a public ceremony).
Deu 25:9 then his brother’s wife shall come to him in the presence of the elders, and remove/chalitsah his sandal from his foot, and shall spit in his face, and answer and say, ‘Thus it is done to the man who does not build up his brother’s house.’
Deu 25:10 “And in Yisra’ěl his name shall be called, ‘The house of him who had his sandal removed/chalitsah.’
Boaz and the nearest kinsman redeemer were NOT brother's of Machlon (Ruth’s late husband), so the strict Levirate law didn’t apply. Hence, we read the custom of redemption (not according to the Levirate law) of removing the sandal and giving it to the one redeeming the land (termed as neighbor) and the exchange of lands. There was no spitting in the face involved and Ruth was not involved in the entire redemption process as it didn't require her to be as it was a redemption by choice and even Boaz could have refused as did the nearest kinsman redeemer. However, Boaz's act of selflessness and kindness ultimately led to Boaz and Ruth becoming the ancestors of King David (Ruth 4:17-22) through whose lineage Yahusha ha Mashiyach came.
Rut 4:7 Now this was the custom in former times in YasharEL concerning the redemption and concerning changing, for to confirm all things: a man removed his sandal and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the attestation in YasharEL.
The price of redeeming the childless widow:
The Torah does not specify a fixed price for redeeming a childless widow, but if a person vowed themselves or someone else to Elohim, they could be redeemed for a set price (valued in shekels of silver).
Rth 3:4 “And it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies, and shall go in and uncover his feet, and lie down. And let him make known to you what you should do.”
Rth 3:5 And she said to her, “All that you say to me, I do.
Rth 3:6 And she went down to the threshing-floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law commanded her.
Rth 3:7 And Bo‛az ate and drank, and his heart was glad, and he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. And she came softly and uncovered his feet, and lay down.
Naomi tells Ruth to uncover Boaz's feet (an indication to redeem her-remember the sandal custom we just saw) and lie down at his feet.
Boaz's vow:
Boaz lets Ruth know that there is a kinsman redeemer closer than him and if he doesn't redeem her "I shall redeem you As Yahuah Lives!" (Ruth 3:13)
Rth 3:9 And he said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your female servant. Now you shall spread your covering over your female servant – for you are a redeemer.”
Rth 3:10 And he said, “Blessed are you of יהוה, my daughter! For you have shown more loving-commitment at the end than at the beginning, not to go after young men, whether poor or rich.
Rth 3:11 “And now, my daughter, do not fear. All that you say I do for you, for all the people of my town know that you are a capable woman.
Rth 3:12 “And now, it is true that I am your redeemer. However, there is a redeemer nearer than I.
Rth 3:13 “Stop over tonight, and in the morning it shall be that if he does redeem you, good – let him do it. But if he is not pleased to redeem you, then I shall redeem you, as יהוה lives! Lie down until morning.
Lev 27:1 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Lev 27:2 “Speak to the children of Yisra’ěl, and say to them, ‘When a man separates a vow, by your evaluation of lives unto יהוה,
Lev 27:3 when your evaluation is of a male from twenty years old up to sixty years old, then your evaluation shall be fifty sheqels of silver, according to the sheqel of the set-apart place.
Lev 27:4 ‘And if it is a female, then your evaluation shall be thirty sheqels/ שקל H8255 from H8254;
Boaz's vow was binding as he feared Yahuah and according to Torah, he brought himself under the oath of evaluating Ruth (a female) to pay 30 sheqels of silver for her redemption. Remember, book of Ruth is silent on all this but we by the Ruach look at Torah portions to understand the redemption price and its significance.
Zec 11:12 And I said to them, “If it is good in your eyes, give me my wages. And if not, refrain.” So they weighed/sheqel שקל H8254 out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.
Zec 11:13 And יהוה said to me, “Throw it to the potter,” the splendid price at which I was valued by them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the House of יהוה for the potter.
Lev 27:25 ‘And all your evaluations are to be according to the sheqel of the set-apart place: twenty gěrahs to the sheqel.
The command was that all your evaluations are to be according to the sheqel of the set-apart place i.e. the house of Yahuah. Yahuah as Yahusha was priced at the splendid price of thirty sheqels of the set-apart place and the prophecy says the 30 pieces be thrown into the house of Yahuah for the potter.
The Hebrew word for potter is 'yatsar יצר H3335' and the same word H3334 means 'to be in distress'. Boaz (prophetically as Yahusha who would redeem his bride) brought himself under the oath of a price of redeeming Ruth and the price for the female as per the evaluations according to the sheqel of the set-apart place was thirty sheqels. We see Yahuah as Yahusha was evaluated at the same price and this price or thirty pieces was thrown into the house of Yahuah (set-apart place) for the distressed (an indication of the price of his bride).
Mat 27:3 Then Yehuḏah – he who delivered Him up – having seen that He had been condemned, repented, returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and to the elders,
Mat 27:4 saying, “I have sinned in delivering up innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!”
Mat 27:5 And throwing down the pieces of silver in the Dwelling Place he left, and went and hanged himself.
Mat 27:6 And the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, “It is not right to put them into the treasury, seeing they are the price of blood.”
Mat 27:7 So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s/yastar יצר field/sadah סדה, for the burial of strangers/hagaryam הגרים.
We see Yahudah Iscariot throwing the thirty pieces in the Set-Part Place and left and hanged himself. The chief priests took the thirty pieces and said since its the price of blood, its not right to put it in the temple treasury, hence, they took counsel and bought with them the potters field. Remember, we saw the same word yatsar יצר translated as potter as 'to be in distress' & we saw the piece of field Naomi sold termed as 'field/sadah סדה' and not land. With this background we see the chief priests purchased 'a distressed field for hagar's' (Hagar is hidden here, indicating that their temple worship system was now a Hagar system as Shaul the emissary says in Gal 4).
Gal 4:24 This is allegorical, for these are the two covenants: one indeed from Mount Sinai which brings forth slavery, which is Haḡar,
Gal 4:25 for this Haḡar is Mount Sinai in Araḇia, and corresponds to Yerushalayim which now is, and is in slavery with her children.
The price of land redemption:
Elimelech's land was not a dedicated land as outlined in Leviticus 27 but was a family inheritance land as stated in Leviticus 25, this would return back to Elimelech's family in the Jubilee/Yobel as per Torah.
Lev 25:13 ‘In the Year of this Yoḇel let each one of you return to his possession.
Lev 25:14 ‘And when you sell whatever to your neighbour or buy from the hand of your neighbour, do not exploit one another.
Lev 25:15 ‘According to the number of years after the Yoḇel you buy from your neighbour, and according to the number of years of crops he sells to you.
Lev 25:16 ‘According to the greater number of years you increase its price, and according to the fewer number of years you diminish its price, because he sells to you according to the number of the years of the crops.
The price was determined by how much barley the land could produce before Jubilee & this is derived based on laws related to redeeming the land dedicated to Yahuah as mentioned in Leviticus 27. The redeemer had to pay the fair value based on the remaining time.
Lev 25:15-16 Revised translation in simple English says (and makes sense):
"You are to buy from your fellow Yasharelite based on the number of years since the last Jubilee; they are to sell to you based on the number of years of harvests remaining. The more years there are, the higher the price; the fewer years, the lower the price, because what is being sold is the number of crops."
There would have been many more years to come to arrive at a jubilee and the price would have been higher and that's why Naomi sought a kinsman redeemer.
Lev 27:16 ‘And if a man sets apart to יהוה a field he owns, then your evaluation shall be according to the seed for it – a ḥomer of barley seed at fifty sheqels of silver.
In a family inheritance land there was no requirement to pay 1/5th i.e. 20% additional cost to redeem the land dedicated to Yahuah. In the set apart field/land dedicated to Yahuah, the Levitical priesthood was involved in evaluating the costs. Elimelech's field was family inheritance land and didn't require Levitical priesthood involvement but the elders of that city as witnesses.
Lev 27:19 ‘And if he who sets the field apart ever wishes to redeem it, then he shall add one-fifth of the silver of your evaluation to it, and it shall be his.
Formula for Redemption Price:
1 homer of barley seed = 50 sheqels of silver (Leviticus 27:16)
Land value = Total barley yield × Sheqel rate per homer
Boaz redeemed Elimelech’s land by paying its fair value in shekels but scripture is silent on how many years were left until jubilee/yobel and what was the price paid by Boaz but we can evaluate the price he paid to redeem Ruth i.e. 30 sheqel's of silver. We can understand that the price was higher and many years to attain a jubilee or else Naomi wouldn't seek a goel/kinsman redeemer.
How does this portray Yahusha ha Mashiyach?
Firstly we saw that the Torah (Leviticus 25:23-28) teaches that Yasharalite land belongs to Elohim and cannot be sold permanently—only leased until the Jubilee Year. The land of YasharEL was the earthy pattern of Heavenly Yerushalahyim.
Deu 4:26 “I shall call the heavens and earth to witness against you on that day, that you soon completely perish from the land which you pass over the Yarděn to possess – you do not prolong your days in it but are completely destroyed.
Deu 4:27 “And יהוה shall scatter you among the peoples, and you shall be left few in number among the nations where יהוה drives you.
The land would enjoy its Sabbaths in desolation whilst YasharEL would be in dispersion.
Lev 26:33 ‘And I shall scatter you among the nations and draw out a sword after you. And your land shall be desert and your cities ruins,
Lev 26:34 and the land enjoy its Sabbaths as long as it lies waste and you are in your enemies’ land. Then the land would rest and enjoy its Sabbaths.
The Yahudite captivity in Babylon saw a 70 year desolation for not keeping 70 Sabbath's of years while in the land.
2Ch 36:20 And those who escaped from the sword he exiled to Baḇel, where they became servants to him and his sons until the reign of the reign of Persia,
2Ch 36:21 in order to fill the word of יהוה by the mouth of Yirmeyahu, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay waste she kept Sabbath, until seventy years were completed.
120 years of jubilee's are determined for mankind:
Gen 6:3 And יהוה said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever in his going astray. He is flesh, and his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”
We see many as Terah, Abraham etc. living more than 120 years after the flood and these 120 years are referring to Jubilee years and not literal age of man.
120 x 50 jubilee years = 6000 years
Number six in scriptures is often associated with humanity, imperfection, and labor (Genesis 1:26 – man created on the 6th day).
Number 1,000 often represents a large, complete, or perfect amount (Psalm 50:10 – "Elohim owns the cattle on a thousand hills").
Hence, 6 x 1000 signifies a complete imperfect humanity in distress of labor.
YasharEL in the land were under the Torah of the Shemitah cycle which required six years of sowing and 7th year of rest where they were to eat what grew of itself. Hence, 7 x 7 =49 where 49th year and the 50th year (Jubilee year) were years of rest.
Lev 25:3 ‘Six years you sow your field, and six years you prune your vineyard, and gather in its fruit,
Lev 25:4 but in the seventh year the land is to have a Sabbath of rest, a Sabbath to יהוה. Do not sow your field and do not prune your vineyard.
In a 50-year Jubilee cycle, there are 7 Sabbath years (7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, and 49) & 50th year was also a year of rest for the land. Hence, 8 Sabbath years of rest per jubilee.
Lev 25:10 ‘And you shall set the fiftieth year apart, and proclaim release throughout all the land to all its inhabitants, it is a Jubilee/Yoḇel for you. And each of you shall return to his possession, and each of you return to his clan.
Lev 25:11 ‘The fiftieth year is a Jubilee/Yoḇel to you. Do not sow, nor reap what grows of its own, nor gather from its unpruned vine.
Total Rest Years = 8 (Years: 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 50)
Leviticus 25:21 – "I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years."
Elohim promised a triple harvest in the 48th year to sustain YasharEL through the 49th and 50th years in a jubilee cycle.
Number 8 in scripture symbolizes new beginnings and renewal. Creation was completed in 7 days, and the 8th day begins a new cycle, symbolizing a fresh start. Circumcision (a sign of the covenant) was performed on the 8th day (Genesis 17:12, Leviticus 12:3), marking a new spiritual beginning for a male child. 1 Peter 3:20 – "Only eight people were saved through water. David was the 8th son of Jesse (1 Samuel 16:10-13). He became a new kind of king in the Malchitsedek priesthood, foreshadowing the Messianic Kingdom of Yahusha Ha Mashiyach. The Feast of Tabernacles lasted 7 days, but the 8th day was special, symbolizing eternal rest and Elohim dwelling with His people.
Lev 23:36 ‘For seven days you bring an offering made by fire to יהוה. On the eighth day there shall be a set-apart gathering for you, and you shall bring an offering made by fire to יהוה. It is a closing festival, you do no servile work.
Rev 21:1 And I saw a renewed heaven and a renewed earth, for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea is no more.
After 7,000 years of human history (prophetically), the 8th millennium represents eternity with Elohim, a completely new beginning.
Hence, the 50th year i.e. Jubilee was the 8th year of rest in each Shemitah signifying a new beginning & renewal. The land would return to the original owner in the 50th year who leased it, marking a fresh start for him.
120 x 8 (8 sabbaths in each jubilee) = 960 sabbath years.
6,000 - 960 = 5,040 working years in a 120 years jubilee.
5040 = 1 × 2 × 3 × 4 × 5 × 6 × 7 (The product (multiplication) of the first 7 numbers! indicating a need for an eternal rest with a new beginning).
Base validation= homer of barley x 50 sheqels of silver (as per Lev 27:16).
Remember, we cannot calculate the homer of barley seed required to evaluate the land as its not mentioned. But Lev 27:19 says add 1/5th of your silver of your evaluation to it if the land is set-apart to Yahuah.
Lev 27:19 ‘And if he who sets the field apart ever wishes to redeem it, then he shall add one-fifth of the silver of your evaluation to it, and it shall be his.
According to scriptural measurements, 1 homer = 10 ephah.
Eze 45:11 “Let the ěphah and the bath be of the same measure, so that the bath contains one-tenth of a ḥomer, and the ěphah one-tenth of a ḥomer. Let their measure be according to the ḥomer.
Homer (Kor) was the largest biblical dry measure.
Isa 5:8 Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no room, and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land!
Isa 5:9 In my hearing יהוה of hosts said, “Truly, many houses shall be a waste – big and fine ones, without inhabitant.
Isa 5:10 “For ten acres of vineyard yield one bath, and a ḥomer of seed yields one ěphah.”
Elimelech, Naomi, Machlon & Chilyon experienced scarcity of food in the land. We have no record of anyone else experiencing scarcity of food in the land apart from this family.
Rth 1:1 And it came to be, in the days when the rulers ruled, that there was a scarcity of food in the land. And a man from Běyth Leḥem, Yehuḏah, went to sojourn in the fields of Mo’aḇ, he and his wife and his two sons.
Rth 1:2 And the name of the man was Elimeleḵ, and the name of his wife was Na‛omi, and the names of his two sons were Maḥlon and Kilyon – Ephrathites of Běyth Leḥem, Yehuḏah. And they went to the fields of Mo’aḇ and came to be there.
Rth 1:3 And Elimeleḵ, husband of Na‛omi, died. And she was left with her two sons.
Rth 1:4 And they took wives of the women of Mo’aḇ, the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years.
Rth 1:5 And Maḥlon and Kilyon also died, both of them, so the woman was bereaved of her two sons and of her husband.
Moreover, when Naomi returned back all the city it says all the city was moved because of them. This word hum הום H1949 translated as 'moved' in English is in a negative sense and means 'to make an uproar, or agitate greatly: - destroy, move, make a noise, put, ring again'. We also see Naomi not being humble in what she went through and blamed Elohim for the evil brought on her.
Rth 1:19 And both of them went until they came to Běyth Leḥem. And it came to be, when they had come to Běyth Leḥem, that all the city was moved/hum הום H1949 because of them, and they said, “Is this Na‛omi?”
Rth 1:20 And she said to them, “Do not call me Na‛omi, call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
Rth 1:21 “I went out filled, and יהוה has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Na‛omi, since יהוה has witnessed against me, and the Almighty has done evil to me?
Machlon מַחְלוֹן H4248 means 'sick' from chalah חָלָה H2470 which means to be weak, sick, afflicted
Chilyon כִּלְיוֹן H3630 from H3631 same word meaning 'pining, destruction: - consumption, failing'. The root word is 'chalah כָּלָה H3615' cease, consume (away), determine, destroy (utterly), be (when . . . were) done, (be an) end (of), expire, (cause to) fail, faint, finish.
Which parents name their children negatively? Unless they fell short of obedience to Torah which caused them to experience scarcity of food in the land and they decided to sojourn Heshbon the Reubenite land termed as plains of Moab.
Isaiah 5:8 says Woe to those who join house to house
Deu 19:14 “Do not remove your neighbour’s boundary, which those in the past have set, in your inheritance which you inherit in the land that יהוה your Elohim is giving you to possess.
The land was not to be sold as it belonged to Yahuah
Lev 25:23 ‘And the land is not to be sold beyond reclaim, for the land is Mine, for you are sojourners and settlers with Me.
Lev 25:24 ‘And provide for a redemption for the land, in all the land of your possession.
Isaiah 5:8 says Woe to those....who add field to field, until there is no room, and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land!
According to Torah the edges of the field had to be left for the poor of the land to glean
Lev 19:9 ‘And when you reap the harvest of your land, do not completely reap the corners of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.
Lev 19:10 ‘And do not glean your vineyard or gather every grape of your vineyard, leave them for the poor and the stranger. I am יהוה your Elohim
Lev 23:22 ‘And when you reap the harvest of your land do not completely reap the corners of your field when you reap, and do not gather any gleaning from your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the stranger. I am יהוה your Elohim.’ ”
We saw Yahuah's promise of a triple harvest in the 48th year to sustain YasharEL through the 49th and 50th years in a jubilee cycle.
Leviticus 25:21 – "I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years."
The Torah of sin and death into which YasharEL entered came with blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience
Deu 28:16 "Cursed are you in the city, and cursed are you in the field/sadah סדה H7704.
Deu 28:18 "Cursed is the fruit of your body and the fruit of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.
Scriptures are silent on Elimelech, Naomi, Machlon and Chilyon as to whether they were disobedient to Torah, but they definitely fell into the binding Torah of sin and death and hence, Boaz a type of Mashiyach came in to release Ruth from the Torah of sin and death into the Torah of life of abundance in Mashiyach. Boaz was a rich man and his behavior shows his obedience to Torah when he tells his young men to purposely drop the sheaves so that Ruth could glean. We also see his compassion in coming forward to be a kinsman redeemer to buy back the piece of field as well as Ruth when it was not binding on him to do so as he was not a brother of Machlon as per Torah of the dead brother law.
The fact that Elimelech and his family experienced scarcity of food in the land and leasing out the land to move to the Reubenite territory, the city making a noise or in uproar when Naomi came back, Naomi blaming Elohim for the evil brought on her and her family, Elimelech and Naomi naming their sons negatively, Naomi selling the piece of field which was not supposed to be done etc. shows they were under a curse of disobedience to the Torah of sin and death. She realized it and sought a kinsman redeemer as Torah in compassion made a provision for redemption.
Isaiah in 5:8 lists down the curse on Yasharal termed as vineyard of Yahuah, as the inhabitants were disobedient to the Torah of Yahuah.
Isa 5:7 For the vineyard of יהוה of hosts is the house of Yisra’ěl, and the man of Yehuḏah is His pleasant plant. He looked for right-ruling, but see, oppression; for righteousness, but see, weeping.
While the measurement of Elimelech's field is not given, and the judgement listed is for Yasharal, yet in the judgement we see the produce of the land as a curse.
Isa 5:10 “For ten acres of vineyard yield one bath, and an ḥomer of seed yields one ěphah.”
Eze 45:11 “Let the ěphah and the bath be of the same measure, so that the bath contains one-tenth of a ḥomer, and the ěphah one-tenth of a ḥomer. Let their measure be according to the ḥomer.
According to Ezekiel 45:11, 1 homer = 10 bath and 1 homer = 10 ephah and bath and ephah were to be of the same measure. Isaiah says 'an homer of seed = 1 ephah' whereas it should be 10 ephah to be in fruitfulness when in obedience.
According to Torah (Leviticus 27), the Torah sets the standard at 50 shekels per homer of barley seed. 1 homer is the amount of land that requires one homer of barley seed to sow.
Example: Please take this as an example only as we are not given information of how many acres of land Elimelech owned and how many years were remaining unto jubilee (Boaz would have known)
As per Isaiah 5:10 'ten acres' is roughly 4 homers of barley seed
4 homers × 50 sheqels per homer (Lev 27:16) =200 shekels (this is a base valuation)
If the land is redeemed before the Jubilee, the price is reduced based on the number of years left.
The formula for depreciation:
Adjusted Value = ( Years Remaining / 50 ) × Base Value
Example: If 30 years remain until the next Jubilee:
As per formula above: 30/50 x 200 = 120 sheqels
Since Isaiah prophesies about the vineyard of Yahuah, this land is set-apart (unlike Elimelech's field which was family inheritance). Hence, here we need to add 20% or 1/5th as per Lev 27:19
Lev 27:19 ‘And if he who sets the field apart ever wishes to redeem it, then he shall add one-fifth of the silver of your evaluation to it, and it shall be his.
120 sheqels x 1/5th or 20% = 24 sheqels. Hence, 120 + 24 sheqels = 144 sheqels.
The land typology of New Yerushalayim:
We saw that the land belonged to Yahuah and was never to be sold but leased. It foreshadowed New Yerushalayim which was set-apart. Whether YasharEL in the land or out of the land, it's Shemitah was kept by Yahuah Himself & hence, we cannot evaluate the total barley yield of the land .
Rev 21:16 And the city (New Yerushalayim) lies four-cornered, and its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the rod: twelve thousand stadion/G4712 – the length, and the breadth, and height of it are equal.
According to Greek 1 stadion = 185–192 meters
The Romans adopted the stadion -1 Roman stadion = 185 meters
Hence, 12,000 stadion will be 12,000 x 185 meters =2,220,000 meters = 2,220 km
stadion G4712 is a prolonged form of stao which means 'to stand/abide/appoint/continue/covenant/establish/hold up'
Whilst one would interpret and calculate as per Greek or Roman measures, we should also see that spiritually 12,000 stadion means 12,000 covenanted/established/appointed etc. people of Yahuah where 12 is the number of congregation of Yahuah (12 tribes/12 apostles of the Lamb) x 1,000 their complete number (as number 10, 100 & 1,000 speak of completeness).
In a literal calculation of 12,000 stadion where 1 stadion = 185 meters & 12,000 stadion is about 2,220 kilometers (~1,380 miles) is not possible as New Yerushalayim is a perpetual Sabbath rest with no sowing or reaping.
From scriptural estimates as per Isaiah 5 we can only gather what was required in a literal sowing and reaping in the land i.e. 1 homer of barley seed was used for about 2.5 acres of land (we saw example of 10 acres needing 4 homers of barley seed, If we divide 10 acres /2.5 acres we get 4 homers of barley seed).
In conclusion, Yahusha ha Mashiyach is seen concealed in the Torah to release His people from the Torah of sin and death. He was priced at a splendid price of 30 sheqels of silver thrown into the potters field (for His distressed people) which was in the house of Yahuah. The land occupied by YasharEL was His and He kept and is still keeping the Shemitah perfectly even though His people are in dispersion & the price paid for the land was determined by the great drops of blood which fell from his sweat when in the garden on the night He was betrayed, and also the blood shed which fell on the ground during his agony towards the stake and on the stake. It’s a price that cannot be estimated by man as the land was His and transitions into New Yerushalyim the perpetual Sabbath Rest. We see this through the example of Boaz coming in as a kinsman redeemer to Ruth and the land as to keep the inheritance within the Elimelech family who were Ephratithes of Bayt Lacham and from him and Ruth came king David who was after the Malchitsedek priesthood of Mashiyach and he was both an Ephrathtie (first born son of Yoseph to whom was promised the birth right) as well as a Yahudite from where the Malchitsedek priesthood sprang up, the tribe Masha (Moses) never spoke of the springing up of this priesthood.
Summary :
• Context of Redemption in Ruth:
• Boaz publicly declares to the elders and people that he has purchased all that belonged to Elimelech, Chilyon, and Mahlon from Naomi (Ruth 4:9).
• He also acquires Ruth as his wife to preserve the name of the deceased Mahlon, fulfilling a redeemer’s role (Ruth 4:10).
• Elimelech and his family had left Bethlehem for Moab due to a famine, implying financial distress that led to the sale or lease of their land (Ruth 1:1-2).
• Land Redemption Details:
• Naomi sold a piece of Elimelech’s field upon returning from Moab (Ruth 4:3), though the Hebrew prefix “mem” suggests it was “out of her hand,” indicating it was no longer in her possession (Ruth 4:9).
• Torah (Leviticus 25:23-28) states land belongs to Elohim and can only be leased until the Jubilee Year, when it reverts to the original owner.
• The price of redemption is based on the years of crops remaining until Jubilee, calculated as barley yield × shekel rate per homer (Leviticus 25:15-16).
• Bethlehem, at the time of the Judges, was an unwalled village, so the land was a “field” (not a house in a walled city), redeemable anytime before Jubilee (Leviticus 25:29-30).
• Ruth’s Redemption:
• Boaz’s redemption of Ruth aligns with a Levirate-like custom (Deuteronomy 25:5-10), though not strictly applicable as he was not Mahlon’s brother.
• The custom of sandal exchange (Ruth 4:7) signifies a voluntary redemption, distinct from the obligatory Levirate law involving chalitsah (sandal removal and spitting).
• Torah (Leviticus 27:4) sets the redemption price for a female at 30 shekels of silver, which Boaz implicitly vows to pay under oath to Yahuah (Ruth 3:13), foreshadowing Yahusha’s price of 30 silver pieces (Zechariah 11:12-13, Matthew 27:3-7).
• Spiritual and Prophetic Significance:
• Elimelech’s family may have faced scarcity due to disobedience to Torah, falling under the curse of Deuteronomy 28, necessitating redemption by Boaz, a type of Mashiyach.
• Boaz’s act ensures the inheritance remains in Elimelech’s line, leading to King David and ultimately Yahusha ha Mashiyach (Ruth 4:17-22).
• The land typifies New Jerusalem, an eternal Sabbath rest, with its value tied to Yahusha’s blood, an inestimable price (Revelation 21:16).
• Price Estimation:
• Land value: Unknown due to unspecified years until Jubilee and field size, but higher due to many years remaining, calculated as barley yield × 50 shekels/homer (Leviticus 27:16).
• Ruth’s value: 30 shekels of silver, per Torah evaluation, prophetically linked to Yahusha’s betrayal price, cast into the potter’s field for the distressed (Matthew 27:7).
• Conclusion:
• Boaz’s redemption prefigures Yahusha, who redeems His people from the Torah of sin and death, securing an eternal inheritance in New Jerusalem, a land of perpetual rest kept by Yahuah Himself.
