Ruth 4:13–17: Why Ruth Matters in the Bible
Ruth's importance is not her prominence but God's providence: through her loyalty, Boaz's kindness, and the elders' witness, the line to David and to Christ moves forward. The women's blessing names it plainly: Yahweh has not left Naomi without a redeemer.
Ruth 4:1–10: Boaz Redeems at the Gate
Boaz redeems Ruth and Elimelech's land in a public, legal transaction at the city gate, not a private kindness. The nearer kinsman declines because redeeming would endanger his own inheritance, and the passage shows redemption as a costly, witnessed act.