Ruth 3:15

“Also he said, etc.] Which seems to confirm the first sense, that what he had said before was to Ruth, beside which he also said to her what follows: bring the vail which thou hast upon thee, and hold it; by which it appears that he rose also thus early, since he ordered her to bring her vail to him, and hold it with both her hands, while he filled it from the heap of corn: this vail was either what she wore on her head, as women used to do, or a coverlet she brought with her to cover herself with, when she lay down; the Septuagint renders it a “girdle”, that is, an apron she tied or girt about her; which is as likely as anything: and when she held it, he measured six measures of barley; what…”

“Bring the veil that thou hast upon thee, and hold it--Eastern veils are large sheets--those of ladies being of red silk; but the poorer or common class of women wear them of blue, or blue and white striped linen or cotton. They are wrapped round the head, so as to conceal the whole face except one eye.”

“The vail - Quite a different word from that rendered “vail,” in Genesis 38:14. It seems rather to mean a kind of loose cloak, worn over the ordinary dress (see the margin). Six measures - i. e. six seahs, in all two ephahs, twice as much as she gleaned Ruth 3:17, and a heavy load to carry; for which reason he laid it on her, probably placed it on her head. It is well known that women can carry great weights when duly positioned on their heads. And she went into the city - The Hebrew has “he went,” namely, Boaz, where, accordingly, we find him Ruth 4:1. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Veil - Or, the apron. Ruth 3:16”

“3:15 six scoops: There were two scoop sizes. The smaller measure (the omer) was 1/10 of an ephah (about 2 quarts); the larger measure (the seah) was 1/3 of an ephah (about 6 2/3 quarts). The latter quantity is more likely and indicates a very generous gift, twice the amount that Ruth gleaned on her first day (2:17); it was a significant token of good faith.”

“veil: or sheet, or apron, The word mitpachath has been variously rendered. The LXX translate it περιζωμα, an apron, and Vulgate, pallium, a cloak. By the circumstances of the story, it must have been of a considerable size; and accordingly Dr. Shaw thinks it was no other than the hyke, the finer sort of which, such as are still worn by ladies and persons of distinction among the Arabs, he takes to answer to the πεπλος, or robe, of the ancient Greeks. he measured: Isa 32:8; Gal 6:10 six measures: The quantity of this barley is uncertain. The Targum renders it, shith sein, "six seahs." A seah contained about two gallons and a half, six of which must have been a very heavy load for a woman, and…”

“He then said, "Bring the cloak that thou hast on, and lay hold of it" (to hold it open), and measured for her six measures of barley into it as a present, that she might not to back empty to her mother-in-law ( Rut 3:17). מטפּחת, here and Isa 3:22, is a broad upper garment, pallium, possibly only a large shawl. "As the cloaks worn by the ancients were so full, that one part was thrown upon the shoulder, and another gathered up under the arm, Ruth, by holding a certain part, could receive into her bosom the corn which Boaz gave her" (Schrder, De vestit. mul. p. 264). Six (measures of) barley: the measure is not given. According to the Targum and the Rabbins, it was six seahs = two ephahs.…”