In the book of Ruth, the character of Boaz represents the culmination of God’s providence for the two destitute widows at the center of the story. The son of Salmon and his wife Rahab, Boaz was a wealthy landowner of Bethlehem in Judea, and a relative of Elimelech, Naomi‘s late husband. He notices Ruth, the widowed Moabite daughter-in-law of Naomi, a relative of his (see family tree), gleaning grain in his fields.
He soon learns of the difficult circumstances her family is in and Ruth's loyalty to Naomi. In response, Boaz invites her to eat with him and his workers, as well as deliberately leaving grain for her to claim while keeping a protective eye on her.
Ruth approaches Boaz and asks him to exercise his right of kinship and marry her. Boaz accepts, provided that another with a superior claim declines. Since the first son of Ruth and a kinsman of her late husband would be deemed the legal offspring of the decedent and heir to Elimelech, the other kinsman defers to Boaz.
In marrying Ruth, Boaz revives Elimelech's lineage, and the patrimony is secured to Naomi's family. Their son was Obed the father of Jesse and grandfather of David. According to Josephus, he lived at the time of Eli.