The Marriage: Family Fortunes and Fruitfulness (4:13–17) · Boaz at last marries Ruth. Although she experienced infertility when previously married to Mahlon, the Lord enables her to conceive with Boaz as he enabled Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel (Gen. 21:1–2; 25:21–25; 30:22–24). The significance of this cannot be overstated. The fact that barren Ruth conceives is a hallmark of the promises to Abraham. More specifically, like the birth of Isaac in the patriarchal narratives, it suggests that David comes from “promise.” In contrast to the opening of the book, where the town’s women noticed Naomi’s emptiness, they now acknowledge her fullness and the Lord’s goodness toward her in the birth of a grandson. In Boaz she has an honorable relative, one who has met her practical needs. Through Ruth, N…