Ruth 4:13 tells us that Boaz marries Ruth, and that God causes her to conceive and bear a son. The verse shows that the closing turn of Ruth’s story comes from the Lord’s quiet faithfulness, not from anything Ruth or Boaz could manufacture on their own. The narrator is the author of the book, and the words describe events in Bethlehem after Boaz has completed his legal duty as a redeemer.
So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife; and he went in to her, and the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she bore a son.
Ruth 4:13 (WEB)
What Ruth 4:13 Means
The verse begins with “So Boaz took Ruth,” which states the decision plainly. Boaz accepts Ruth as his wife after the public agreement at the gate, and the marriage is real and complete. The next phrase, “and he went in to her,” describes the marriage being consummated, the ordinary act that makes a marriage a marriage in the ancient setting.
Then the verse says “the LORD enabled her to conceive.” The subject changes to God here, and the text credits the pregnancy to him rather than to human effort. This does not mean every pregnancy is a special miracle for the believer, nor that God promises children to every couple. It means that in this story, the birth is read as God’s gift, received after years of loss in Naomi’s house.
The verse ends with “she bore a son.” It does not promise a particular future for the child or for the family. It simply records a birth that will matter for the rest of the book and, through the genealogy that follows, for the line of David.
The Context of Ruth 4:13
The book of Ruth is traditionally attributed to an anonymous author, often linked by tradition to Samuel, and it is set in the time of the judges. It was written for an Israelite audience who would have understood levirate and kinsman-redeemer customs, and who would have seen Moabite Ruth’s inclusion as a notable and gracious turn. The surrounding verses show the town elders and the crowd at the gate blessing the union and calling for the house of Boaz to flourish like the houses of Rachel, Leah and Perez.
Just before verse 13, the people at the gate pray for fruitfulness, and just after it, the women of Bethlehem bless the Lord for not leaving Naomi without a redeemer. Read in that setting, verse 13 is the answer to a prayer already spoken and a hope already voiced. It is the hinge where the story moves from emptiness to a child, and that is why the verse carries more weight than its short length suggests.
Key Phrases in Ruth 4:13
Psalm 113:9
He settles the barren woman in her home, as a joyful mother of children. Praise Yah!
(WEB)
This psalm speaks of the Lord settling the barren woman in her home as a joyful mother of children. It echoes the way Ruth 4:13 credits God with the gift of a child, showing that this kind of blessing has long been part of Israel’s understanding of God’s care.
Genesis 29:31
The LORD saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.
(WEB)
Here the Lord sees that Leah is unloved and opens her womb, the same pattern of divine action that Ruth 4:13 describes. Reading the two together shows that God’s gift of children often comes to people others have overlooked.
