Why the man wey Bible call “So-and-so” talk say e fit “lose” e own property wey e inherit if e marry Ruth? (Ruth 4:1, 6)

For Bible time, if man wey marry die and e no get pikin, wetin go happen to any land wey e get? E family name go just lost like that forever? The Law wey Jehovah give Moses answer this questions.

If person get land and e die or e sell the land because e dey poor, wetin go happen to the land? E brother or e relative wey dey close to-am fit buy the land back. This one go make the land still dey the man family.—Lev. 25:23-28; Num. 27:8-11.

Wetin them go do so that the name of the man no go loss? One of the man brother or relative go marry e wife, just the way them do for Ruth. Them go born pikin wey go bear the name of the man wey don die and inherit e property. This one still make-am possible to fit care for the woman wey e husband don die. This arrangement show say Jehovah really love e people.—Deut. 25:5-7; Matt. 22:23-28.

For example, see wetin happen to Naomi. E marry one man wey e name na Elimelech. When Naomi husband and e two son die, e no get any man to care for-am. (Ruth 1:1-5) After Naomi and Ruth wey be e daughter-in-law don go back to Judah, Naomi tell-am say make e tell Boaz to buy back their land. Boaz na Elimelech family member. (Ruth 2:1, 19, 20; 3:1-4) But Boaz know say another family member dey, wey dey close to Elimelech pass-am, and Bible call the man “So-and-so.” Na the man suppose first choose if e go buy the land back or e no go buy-am.—Ruth 3:9, 12, 13.

When Boaz tell the man, e first gree to buy the land back. (Ruth 4:1-4) Even though say the man go spend money to buy the land back, e know say Naomi no go fit born pikin again wey go inherit Elimelech land. This one mean say na So-and-so go get the land, and e go add-am join the land wey e inherit. So this one just be like good business to-am.

But So-and-so change e mind when e hear say if e buy the land back, e go still need to marry Ruth. E talk say: “I no go fit buy-am because e fit make me lose my property wey I inherit.” (Ruth 4:5, 6) Why e change e mind?

If So-and-so or another person marry Ruth and them born boy, na the boy go inherit Elimelech land. How this one go make So-and-so “lose” e ‘property wey e inherit’? Bible no tell us. But make we talk about some things wey fit make-am talk like that.

• Number one, e go be like say e waste the money wey e use buy the land back because for the end, Elimelech land no go be e own but na the boy wey Ruth born go get-am.

• Number two, na e go de care for Naomi and Ruth.

• Number three, if Ruth born other children for So-and-so, they go follow share e property with any other children wey So-and-so get.

• Number four, if na only Ruth born for So-and-so, and na boy e born for-am, na the boy go inherit both Elimelech land and So-and-so own. So the pikin wey go get e land na the one wey de bear Elimelech name no be e own name. So-and-so no ready to help Naomi because e no want lose e property. Because of this one, e allow Boaz buy the land back because na Boaz be the next person wey suppose buy-am back. Boaz buy the land back because e no want make them forget the name of the man wey don die.—Ruth 4:⁠10.

Wetin dey So-and-so mind na to protect e own name and the land wey e inherit. Na only e self e de think about. Even though say So-and-so try make e name no loss, we no still know e name today. Boaz come get the blessing wey e suppose get. The blessing na, to be one of the great-great grand papa of Jesus Christ wey be the Messiah. So-and-so really lose because e no want help person wey need help!—Matt. 1:5; Luke 3:23, 32