“One of our kinsman-redeemers”
May he be blessed by the LORD, who has not withdrawn His kindness from the living or the dead… The man is a close relative. He is one of our kinsman-redeemers. (Ruth 2:20 BSB)
What it sounds like today
A vague compliment about a helpful relative.
The cultural key
The word is go'el, the kinsman-redeemer: a near relative obligated to protect the family's people and property. A go'el bought back kin sold into slavery, repurchased forfeited family land (Leviticus 25:25–49), and avenged a murdered relative (the 'avenger of blood,' Numbers 35). Here it shades toward marrying the widow to raise an heir, a duty the law otherwise assigns to a dead man's brother (levirate marriage, Deuteronomy 25:5–10). How far Ruth's case blends land-redemption with levirate obligation is debated, since Boaz is a relative, not a brother, and the book seems to fuse the two customs.
Recovered meaning
Naomi is not simply admiring Boaz; she is identifying a legal lifeline. 'Kinsman-redeemer' names a role with teeth, and her whole plan in the next chapter is built on it.