And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman. (Ruth 3:9)
Ruth makes the basis of her request clear. Her coming to Boaz is both right and honorable.
Thy skirt.
Literally, “thy wing,” an expression commonly used of the loose, flowing upper garment. The Jewish Talmud explains Ruth’s action as a proposal for marriage (see on Deut. 22:30). It is said that a similar custom still exists in some parts of the world. Ruth’s plea may have reminded Boaz of what he had recently said to her: “The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust” (Ruth 2:12). Ruth calls upon Boaz to fulfill in a personal way his own prayer that God would bless her. A gracious and devout man, Boaz promises to fulfill Ruth’s request, in case the nearer kinsman does not consent to do the kinsman’s duty.