Ruth 2 · Verse 10

Ruth 2:10

Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?
Ruth 2:10, King James Version

Ruth 2:10 in other translations

BSBAt this, she fell on her face, bowing low to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you should take notice of me, even though I am a foreigner?”
WEBThen she fell on her face and bowed herself to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take knowledge of me, since I am a foreigner?”
ASVThen she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found favor in thy sight, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a foreigner?
YLTAnd she falleth on her face, and boweth herself to the earth, and saith unto him, ‘Wherefore have I found grace in thine eyes, to discern me, and I a stranger?'
DARBYThen she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said to him, Why have I found favour in thine eyes, that thou shouldest regard me, seeing I am a foreigner?
BBEThen she went down on her face to the earth, and said to him, Why have I grace in your eyes, that you give attention to me, seeing I am from a strange people?
WebsterThen she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said to him, Why have I found grace in thy eyes, that thou shouldst take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?

What does Ruth 2:10 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 10 Then she fell on her face - Prostrated herself, as was the custom in the East when inferiors approached those of superior rank. The Targum adds to the conversation between Ruth and Boaz: "How, says she, have I obtained grace in thy sight, that thou shouldest acknowledge me who am a stranger and one of the daughters of Moab, of whom it is said, The unclean shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord? And Boaz, answered, It has been certainly told me by the word of the wise, that what the Lord hath decreed, he hath not decreed concerning the women but the men. And it hath been surely said to me by prophecy, that kings and prophets shall proceed from thee because of the good which thou hast done," etc.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ruth 2:4-16

The pious and kind language between Boaz and his reapers shows that there were godly persons in Israel. Such language as this is seldom heard in our field; too often, on the contrary, what is immoral and corrupt. A stranger would form a very different opinion of our land, from that which Ruth would form of Israel from the converse and conduct of Boaz and his reapers. But true religion will teach a man to behave…

Read the full comment on Ruth 2:4-16 →

Ruth 2:10 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַתִּפֹּל֙va.ti.Poland she fellH5307
עַל\־'al-onH5921
פָּנֶ֔יהָpa.Nei.haface herH6440
וַתִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּva.tish.Ta.chuand she bowed downH7812
אָ֑רְצָה'A.re.tzah[the] ground towardsH776
וַתֹּ֣אמֶרva.To.merand she saidH559
אֵלָ֗יו'e.Lavto himH413
מַדּוּעַ֩ma.du.a'why?H4069
מָצָ֨אתִיma.Tza.tihave I foundH4672
חֵ֤ןchenfavorH2580
בְּעֵינֶ֙יךָ֙be.'ei.Nei.khain view yourH5869
לְהַכִּירֵ֔נִיle.ha.ki.Re.nito pay regard to meH5234
וְאָּנֹכִ֖יve.'a.no.Khiand IH595
נָכְרִיָּֽה\׃na.khe.ri.Yah[am] a foreignerH5237

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ruth 2:10

  • 1 Samuel 25:23

    And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground,

  • Ruth 2:13

    Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.

  • Luke 1:48

    For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

  • Luke 17:16-18

    And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

  • Luke 1:43

    And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

  • Romans 12:10

    Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

  • 2 Samuel 19:28

    For all of my father’s house were but dead men before my lord the king: yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king?

  • 2 Samuel 9:8

    And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?

  • Genesis 18:2

    And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

  • Matthew 25:35

    For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

  • Luke 7:6-7

    Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.

  • Ruth 2:2

    And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
fell.
Ge 18:2; 1Sa 25:23
Why have.
2,13; 2Sa 9:8; 19:28; Lu 1:43,48; Ro 12:10
seeing.
Isa 56:3-8; Mt 15:22-28; 25:35; Lu 7:6,7; 17:16-18

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Ruth 2:9

    Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.

  • Ruth 2:10

    Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?

  • Ruth 2:11

    And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.

Read all of Ruth 2

Ruth 2:10 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Ella entonces bajando su rostro inclinóse á tierra, y díjole: ¿Por qué he hallado gracia en tus ojos para que tú me reconozcas, siendo yo extranjera?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et elle tomba sur sa face, et se prosterna contre terre, et lui dit: Pourquoi ai-je trouvé grâce à tes yeux, que tu me reconnaisses, et je suis une étrangère?
German
Elberfelder 1871
Da fiel sie auf ihr Angesicht und beugte sich zur Erde nieder und sprach zu ihm: Warum habe ich Gnade gefunden in deinen Augen, daß du mich beachtest, da ich doch eine Fremde bin?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Quæ cadens in faciem suam et adorans super terram, dixit ad eum: Unde mihi hoc, ut invenirem gratiam ante oculos tuos, et nosse me dignareris peregrinam mulierem?