Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Dave Washburn" <dwashbur AT nyx.net>]

On Mon, August 27, 2007 2:41 pm, George Athas wrote:
> Hi James!
>
> The point is not 'to give Boaz a good time'. The point was that Ruth (at
> Naomi's bidding) was trying to force Boaz' hand. By getting him to sleep
> with her (knowingly or unknowingly), he would be obliged to take her into
> his own household. It was risky for Ruth, for it could have backfired,
> resulting in her expulsion from Boaz' care. Yet, the ploy works, and Boaz
> evidently does not feel trapped by this, but rather welcomes the
> situation.

"unknowingly"???  Unless Boaz was dead drunk at the time, and there's not
even a hint in the text that he had imbibed so much as a drop, I see no
way that he could have done something like having sex "unknowingly." 
Likewise, if Ruth had been trying to make him think he had had relations
with her and didn't remember it.  I have to agree with Karl: you're
reading much more into the text than it can bear, even by implication.  It
says what it says, nothing more.  There's no good reason to try and force
it beyond that.

-- 
Dave Washburn
Why do it right when you can do it again?