Who Was Boaz in the Bible?

Boaz was a man of standing in Bethlehem, described as a 'mighty man of wealth' and noted for his kindness. When Ruth the Moabitess came to glean in his fields during the barley harvest, Boaz noticed her loyalty to Naomi and instructed his workers to look after her. He invited her to eat with his reapers and told his men to leave extra grain for her. When Ruth asked why he was so kind to a foreigner, Boaz answered, 'It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband.' Following Naomi's plan, Ruth approached Boaz at the threshing floor, and he agreed to act as kinsman-redeemer. Though a closer relative had the first right, he declined, and Boaz married Ruth. Their son Obed became the father of Jesse, the father of David. Boaz is a type of Christ — the wealthy redeemer who pays the price to rescue a foreign bride and make her his own.