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Austrian National Library, Vienna
Because he was a kinsman of Naomi’s husband Elimelech, Boaz’s betrothal to Ruth gave him the right to buy back Elimelech’s land. By marrying the widow of Elimelech’s son, Boaz would “perpetuate the name of the deceased upon his estate” (Ruth 4:5). Ruth, by moving to Bethlehem with Naomi and offering herself to Boaz, helped ensure the continuity of Naomi and Elimelech’s family. Boaz, by marrying Ruth and restoring the family and land, dramatized the Bible’s principal theme—the continuity of the Jewish people in their land.