Why the man the Bible call “So-and-so” say he will lose his property if he get marry to Ruth? (Ruth 4:1, 6)

Way back, when marry man not get child and he die, some question them can come up like: Wetin will happen to the property them he get? His family name will lost forever? The Law Jehovah gave to the Israelites can answer this question them.

What can happen to the land if the man die or he get poor and sell his land? His brother or his close relative can buy the land back so that the land can still be part of the family.—Lev. 25:23-28; Num. 27:8-11.

How the dead man family name will continue? It will continue through brother-in-law marriage and that what happen in Ruth case. The man will marry his brother wife and born child by her. The child will take the dead man name and all his property them. This arrangement also show love and care for the woman.—Deut. 25:5-7; Matt. 22:23-28.

Let look at Naomi example. She was marry to Elimelech. When he and their two sons die, no man was in the family to take care of her. (Ruth 1:1-5) When Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth went back to Judah, she told Ruth to ask Boaz to buy their land back. Boaz was close relative to Elimelech. (Ruth 2:1, 19, 20; 3:1-4) But Boaz knew that another relative, who the Bible call “So-and-so,” was more close to Elimelech. So, he was having the first opportunity to buy the land back.—Ruth 3:9, 12, 13.

From the beginning, “So-and-so” was ready to help. (Ruth 4:1-4) He knew he was coming to spend some money to buy the land. He also knew that Naomi was too old to born any child that will take Elimelech property. So, it mean the land was coming add to his property and it was going to be like he did good business.

But So-and-so change his mind when he knew that it was Ruth he was coming marry. He said: “I not able to buy the land back because if I do it, I will lose my own of property.” (Ruth 4:5, 6) Why he change his mind?

If So-and-so or somebody else marry Ruth and she born boy child, that child was coming to get Elimelech property. So how this one was coming to make So-and-so to lose his property? The Bible not give us the answer, but let some reasons here.

• First, the money he spent to buy Elimelech land was going to be like waste of money. Because the land was going to be for Ruth son.

• Second, he coming to be responsible to take care of Naomi and Ruth.

• Third, if So-and-so born children by Ruth, those children will share his property with any other children he was having.

• Fourth, if So-and-so not born any children, the son Ruth born will take Elimelech property and his own of property. So, the child will take his property and at same time carry Elimelech name. He was not willing to lose his property just to help Naomi. So, he was willing for Boaz, who was next to him, to buy the property. Boaz agree to do it because he wanted the dead man name to continue.—Ruth 4:10.

So-and-so was really interested in keeping his name and property. That selfishness make him to think that way. Even though he try hard to keep his name but today we not know it. Also, he not receive the special privilege that Jehovah gave Boaz. Boaz name in the family line that Jesus, the messiah, came from. In the end, it was bad for So-and-so because he was selfish and he was not willing to help somebody in need!—Matt. 1:5; Luke 3:23, 32.