Overwhelmed by sudden kindness, Ruth responds to Boaz with deep gratitude and profound humility. She recognizes the vast gap between her own lowly position and the generosity he has shown her. While she is deeply thankful for the immediate acceptance she has found [שטיינזלץ], her focus also shifts toward the future. Having experienced his genuine compassion, she prays that she will continue to find favor in his eyes, hoping to eventually be welcomed not just as a stranger, but as a true member of the household [מלבי״ם, אשכול הכופר].
The comfort Boaz provides her operates on two distinct levels. Materially, he eases the heavy sadness of her widowhood and extreme poverty by guaranteeing her a secure way to gather food in his fields. Yet, his support is also deeply spiritual and emotional. He speaks directly to her heart, treating her with the dignity of his Israelite servants who have embraced the faith. He assures her that God will reward her good deeds both in this world and in the next [מלבי״ם, אגרת שמואל]. Ruth recognizes that his encouragement is not merely polite lip service meant to pacify her, but rather sincere care that truly penetrates her heart [אלשיך].
When reflecting on her own status, Ruth's self-perception reveals a complex mix of lowliness and hidden potential. The primary approach among commentators is that she displays extreme humility, feeling entirely unworthy of even being compared to Boaz's regular servants. As a foreigner, she is astonished that he would elevate her to their level and speak to her with such respect. A related view suggests she is expressing a desperate wish. Fearing that her Moabite origins might completely exclude her from any connection to the God of Israel, she hopes she might at least be allowed to count herself among His lowest workers [אגרת שמואל].
On the other hand, some commentators see in her response an inner awareness of a much higher calling. According to this perspective, Ruth asks not to be viewed as a simple laborer who works out of pure necessity, but rather as a relative, since her dedication and relationship with God stem entirely from love [אגרת שמואל בשם ר מ אלמושנינו, אשכול הכופר]. This idea carries a profound prophetic truth. Ultimately, she was never meant to remain a servant. Instead, she was destined to become a founding mother of the Israelite nation, the very woman from whom the royal dynasty of King David would emerge [תורה תמימה, אגרת שמואל].