Why does the kinsman not want to marry Ruth?

In the story of Ruth, we encounter a fascinating social custom: levirate marriage, where a man is supposed to marry his deceased brother's widow to preserve the family lineage. Ruth was a Moabite widow, and she sought refuge and redemption in the land of Israel, showing incredible loyalty to her mother-in-law, Naomi.

The kinsman's reluctance to marry Ruth stemmed from concerns over his own estate. He feared that marrying Ruth might jeopardize his inheritance, something we can unpack further. In ancient Israel, tribal identities were crucial, and property was strictly divided among tribes and families. If he were to marry Ruth, they could potentially produce offspring, which would claim a portion of his inheritance, disrupting the future of his own family line.

Interestingly, this tension illustrates a key theme throughout scripture: the powerful notion of obligation against individual desire. The kinsman was guided by a sense of practicality rather than compassion. But Boaz, the other redeemer in the story, treated Ruth with dignity and respect, seeing her dignity and worth despite societal norms.

This narrative sets a precedent for welcoming outsiders as seen in other Biblical prophecies that indicate all nations would come to worship the one God. Ruth became the great-grandmother of King David, a testimony to how open-heartedness and acceptance can transform adversity into legacy. The story doesn’t just highlight contract versus compassion; it emerges as a beautiful lesson in how inclusion broadens the unfolding story of faith and family.