Ruth 3:17 is Ruth reporting back to her mother-in-law Naomi about the gift Boaz sent with her: six measures of barley, given with the message not to come home empty-handed. The verse shows a widow’s hope starting to turn, as a kind man’s generosity becomes a sign that Naomi’s family may not be forgotten. Ruth speaks these words to Naomi after returning from the threshing floor at night.
She said, “He gave me these six measures of barley; for he said, ‘Don’t go empty to your mother-in-law.’”
Ruth 3:17 (WEB)
What Ruth 3:17 Means
Ruth opens by saying “He gave me these six measures of barley,” which names the gift itself. Barley was a common grain, and six measures was a substantial load for her to carry, so the amount tells you Boaz was generous without being extravagant. The phrase “he said” introduces Boaz’s own words, and his instruction is the heart of the verse: “Don’t go empty to your mother-in-law.” He does not merely hand over grain. He sends it with a message that Naomi should not be left with nothing.
What the verse does not promise is a finished solution. Ruth is not yet married, the family’s future is still unsettled, and Naomi’s hunger is only partly relieved. The verse records a step of kindness and a sign of intent, nothing more. It reminds you that God often works through ordinary people doing a generous thing in a difficult season, rather than through a sudden rescue.
The Context of Ruth 3:17
The book of Ruth is a short narrative set in the period of the judges, and it is traditionally attributed to Samuel, though the author is not named in the text. It was written for an Israelite audience who knew the laws about redeeming property and levirate responsibilities. The story turns on the role of a “kinsman-redeemer,” a relative who could restore a family’s land and name, which is exactly the legal question hanging over Ruth and Naomi.
Verse 17 falls in the middle of a night scene. In verses 14 and 15, Ruth lies at Boaz’s feet, he asks her to hold out her cloak, and he fills it with barley before she goes home. Just before this, Boaz had said he wanted the matter kept quiet, and verse 18 follows with Naomi telling Ruth to wait while Boaz settles the matter that day. Read against that frame, the barley is not simply a snack. It is a token of a man who intends to act, and Naomi’s advice to wait shows she already senses the question is near resolution.
Key Phrases in Ruth 3:17
Ruth 2:12
May the LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given to you from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”
(WEB)
Boaz blesses Ruth for her loyalty to Naomi and prays that she receive a full reward from the Lord. The verse explains why Boaz is willing to be generous, and it shows that the barley in chapter 3 is part of an answer to that prayer.
Psalm 68:5
A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
(WEB)
This psalm describes God as a father to the fatherless and a defender of widows. It helps you see Ruth and Naomi’s story as one in which God’s care for the vulnerable is worked out through human hands, such as Boaz’s.
A Short Prayer From Ruth 3:17
Lord, thank you for the quiet ways you care for people who feel empty and forgotten. Help me to see the gifts you send through others, and give me the humility to receive them. Where I am carrying a need, let me not hide it from the people you have placed around me. Where I have something to give, make me generous enough to send someone home with more than they came with. Amen.
