At the end of this two-month period, 2:23b stresses that Ruth is still living with her mother-in-law. This is significant to the plot of the story. The ancient readers (well aware of the length of time involved in the agricultural year) would have quickly recognized that Ruth has gleaned for both the barley and wheat harvests in the fields of Boaz (where presumably there was further contact with Boaz), but there has been no development in their relationship. What looked like a clear solution to their widowed situation seems to have died out. While the provision of food is significant to their
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