Dear Brother-

In perusing the article on " Ruth " contained in January Help and Food, I found a little difficulty in reconciling a statement therein, with what had appeared to me as a correct rendering of the portion in point. On pages ten and eleven it says-

" After she had beaten out the barley-a grain itself suggestive of poverty and feebleness-she returns to her mother-in-law, and shows her little store, sharing it with her. It will be noticed that she first satisfies her own hunger, before giving to Naomi," etc. Now the difficulty I had was just here, as I had previously understood that what Ruth shared with her mother-in-law was what she had left over of the parched corn given to her by Boaz. That, in fact, the passage would read somewhat in this form-

17-"So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned :and it was about an ephah of barley.

18-"And she took it up, and went into the city; and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned and she brought forth, and gave her (Naomi) what she had reserved (of the parched corn) after she was sufficed (at the house, or at the table of Boaz). It seemed to me that Naomi saw what had been gleaned, that being so, Ruth need not have "brought it (the barley) forth, the results of the gleaning had been seen. It was in all probability understood to be common property. Then Ruth "brought forth" what she had reserved after she was supplied. It was at the table of Boaz she had been sufficed, and had some over. Then again, it would appear to me somewhat out of harmony with the affectionate relationship existing between Naomi and Ruth, to understand it so, to the effect that, Ruth should first cook a meal of the barley, then eat, and that to sufficiency, before giving any of it to Naomi, for this is what it would amount to, and would be very different to Boaz's treatment towards herself. H. G. M.