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Texts -- Ruth 1:1-14 (NET)

Context
A Family Tragedy: Famine and Death
1:1 During the time of the judges there was a famine in the land of Judah. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah went to live as a resident foreigner in the region of Moab , along with his wife and two sons . 1:2 (Now the man’s name was Elimelech , his wife was Naomi , and his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion . They were of the clan of Ephrath from Bethlehem in Judah .) They entered the region of Moab and settled there . 1:3 Sometime later Naomi’s husband Elimelech died , so she and her two sons were left alone. 1:4 So her sons married Moabite women . (One was named Orpah and the other Ruth .) And they continued to live there about ten years . 1:5 Then Naomi’s two sons, Mahlon and Kilion , also died . So the woman was left all alone– bereaved of her two children as well as her husband ! 1:6 So she decided to return home from the region of Moab , accompanied by her daughters-in-law , because while she was living in Moab she had heard that the Lord had shown concern for his people , reversing the famine by providing abundant crops .
Ruth Returns with Naomi
1:7 Now as she and her two daughters-in-law began to leave the place where she had been living to return to the land of Judah , 1:8 Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law , “Listen to me! Each of you should return to your mother’s home ! May the Lord show you the same kind of devotion that you have shown to your deceased husbands and to me! 1:9 May the Lord enable each of you to find security in the home of a new husband !” Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept loudly . 1:10 But they said to her, “No! We will return with you to your people .” 1:11 But Naomi replied , “Go back home, my daughters ! There is no reason for you to return to Judah with me! I am no longer capable of giving birth to sons who might become your husbands ! 1:12 Go back home , my daughters ! For I am too old to get married again. Even if I thought that there was hope that I could get married tonight and conceive sons , 1:13 surely you would not want to wait until they were old enough to marry! Surely you would not remain unmarried all that time! No, my daughters , you must not return with me. For my intense suffering is too much for you to bear . For the Lord is afflicting me!” 1:14 Again they wept loudly . Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung tightly to her.

Pericope

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Bible Dictionary

  • Naomi

    [isbe] NAOMI - na'-o-mi, na-o'-mi, na-o'-mi (no`omi, probably = "pleasantness"; Septuagint. Codex Vaticanus Noemein; Codex Alexandrinus Noemmei(n)): Wife of Elimelech and mother-in-law of Ruth (Ruth 1:2 through 4:17). She went with...
    [smith] or Nao?mi (my delight), the wife of Elimelech and mother-in-law of Ruth. (Ruth 1:2) etc.; Ruth 2:1 etc.; Ruth 3:1; 4:3 etc. (B.C. 1363.) The name is derived from a root signifying sweetness or pleasantness. Naomi left Judea w...
    [nave] NAOMI Wife of Elimelech; mother-in-law of Ruth; dwelt in Moab; returns to Bethlehem; kinswoman of Boaz, Ruth 1-4.

  • Love

    [nave] LOVE. Of Children for Parents See: Children. Of God See: God, Love of. Of Mankind for God Ex. 20:6 Deut. 5:10. Deut. 6:5; Deut. 7:9; Deut. 10:12; Deut. 11:1; Deut. 13:3; Deut. 30:6 vs. 16,20.; Josh. 22:5 Deut. 11:1, 13...

  • Readings, Select

    [nave] READINGS, SELECT. Judah's Defense Gen. 44:18-34 Joseph Revealing His Identity Gen. 45:1-15 The Deliverance of the Israelites from Pharaoh Ex. 14:5-30 Song of Moses When Pharaoh and His Army Were Overthrown Ex. 15:1-1...

  • Widow

    [nave] WIDOW Vows of, binding, Num. 30:9. When daughters of priests, to be supported by their fathers, Lev. 22:13. Priests forbidden to marry, Lev. 21:14. Marriage of, authorized, Rom. 7:3; 1 Cor. 7:39. Widows' Inheritance, See...

  • Women

    [nave] WOMEN Creation of, Gen. 1:27; 2:21, 22. Named, Gen. 2:23. Fall of, and curse upon, Gen. 3:1-16; 2 Cor. 11:3; 1 Tim. 2:14. Promise to, Gen. 3:15. Had separate apartments in dwellings, Gen. 24:67; 31:33; Esth. 2:9, 11. Ve...

  • Ruth

    [isbe] RUTH - rooth (ruth; Rhouth): The name Ruth is found in the Old Testament only in the book which is so entitled. It is a contraction for re'uth perhaps signifying "comrade," "companion" (feminine; compare Ex 11:2, "every woma...
    [nave] RUTH The daughter-in-law of Naomi, Ruth 1:4. Her devotion to Naomi, Ruth 1:16, 17, with verses 6-18. Goes to Bethlehem, Ruth 1:19, 22. Gleaned in the field of Boaz, Ruth 2:3. Receives kindness from Boaz, Ruth 2:4-17; 3:15...

  • Elimelech

    [ebd] God his king, a man of the tribe of Judah, of the family of the Hezronites, and kinsman of Boaz, who dwelt in Bethlehem in the days of the judges. In consequence of a great dearth he, with his wife Naomi and his two sons, we...
    [isbe] ELIMELECH - e-lim'-e-lek ('elimelekh, "my God is king"; Abeimelech, Alimelek): Elimelech was a member of the tribe of Judah, a native of Bethlehem Judah, a man of wealth and probably head of a family or clan (Ruth 1:2,3; 2:1...
    [smith] (my God is king), a man of the tribe of Judah and of the family of the Hezronites, who dwelt in Bethlehem-Ephratah in the days of the Judges. (B.C. 1312.) In consequence of a great death in the land he went with his wife, Nao...
    [nave] ELIMELECH, with Naomi, his wife, and two sons, emigrate to Moab, Ruth 1:2, 3; 2:1, 2; 4:3, 9.

  • Mahlon

    [ebd] sickly, the elder of Elimelech the Bethlehemite's two sons by Naomi. He married Ruth and died childless (Ruth 1:2, 5; 4:9, 10), in the land of Moab.
    [isbe] MAHLON - ma'-lon (machlon, "invalid"): Ruth's first husband (Ruth 1:5; 4:9,10). In the latter passage is further evidence of the unwillingness to allow a family connection or inheritance to drop (see MAHLAH; MAHLI). Note tha...
    [smith] (sick) the first husband of Ruth; son of Eiimelech and Naomi. (Ruth 1:2,5; 4:9,10) comp. 1Sam 17:12
    [nave] MAHLON, son of Naomi, and first husband of Ruth, Ruth 1:2, 5; 4:9, 10.

  • Chilion

    [ebd] the pining one, the younger son of Elimelech and Naomi, and husband of Orpah, Ruth's sister (Ruth 1:2; 4:9).
    [isbe] CHILION - kil'-i-on (kilyon, "pining," "wasting away"): One of the two sons of Elimelech and Naomi, "Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem-judah" (Ruth 1:2). With his mother and brother he came into Moab and there bot...
    [nave] CHILION, a son of Naomi, Ruth 1:2, 4, 5; 4:9.

  • Kiss

    [ebd] of affection (Gen. 27:26, 27; 29:13; Luke 7:38, 45); reconciliation (Gen. 33:4; 2 Sam. 14:33); leave-taking (Gen. 31:28,55; Ruth 1:14; 2 Sam. 19:39); homage (Ps. 2:12; 1 Sam. 10:1); spoken of as between parents and children ...
    [isbe] KISS - (nashaq; phileo, kataphilo, philema): The kiss is common in eastern lands in salutation, etc., on the cheek, the forehead, the beard, the hands, the feet, but not (in Pal) the lips (Cheyne, E B, under the word "Saluta...
    [nave] KISS Of affection, Gen. 27:26, 27; 31:55; 33:4; 48:10; 50:1; Ex. 18:7; Ruth 1:14; 2 Sam. 14:33; 19:39; Luke 15:20; Acts 20:37. The feet of Jesus kissed by the penitent woman, Luke 7:38. Deceitful, Prov. 27:6; of Joab, when...

  • MOAB

    [ebd] the seed of the father, or, according to others, the desirable land, the eldest son of Lot (Gen. 19:37), of incestuous birth. (2.) Used to denote the people of Moab (Num. 22:3-14; Judg. 3:30; 2 Sam. 8:2; Jer. 48:11, 13). (3....
    [smith] (of his father), Mo?abites. Moab was the son of the Lot?s eldest daughter, the progenitor of the Moabites. Zoar was the cradle of the race of Lot. From this centre the brother tribes spread themselves. The Moabites first inha...

  • Daughter-in-Law

    [nave] DAUGHTER-IN-LAW. Filial Instance of, Ruth, Ruth 1:11-18; 4:15. Unfilial Prophecy of, Mic. 7:6; Matt. 10:35.

  • CHILLON

    [smith] (pining, sickly), the son of Naomi and husband of Ruth. (Ruth 1:2-5; 4:9) (B.C. 1250.)

  • Orpah

    [ebd] forelock or fawn, a Moabitess, the wife of Chilion (Ruth 1:4; 4:10). On the death of her husband she accompanied Naomi, her mother-in-law, part of the way to Bethlehem, and then returned to Moab.
    [isbe] ORPAH - or'-pa (`orpah; for meaning see below): A Moabitess, wife of Mahlon, son of Elimelech and Naomi. Unlike her sister Ruth she returned to her own people after escorting Naomi on her way to Judah (Ruth 1:4 ff). Her name...
    [nave] ORPAH, daughter-in-law of Naomi, Ruth 1:4, 14.

  • HUSBAND'S BROTHER

    [isbe] HUSBAND'S BROTHER - (yabham, "brother-in-law"; epigambreuo; Late Latin levir): He was required (Dt 25:5-10; Mt 22:24) "to perform the duty of a husband's brother" (yibbemah); that is, if his brother, living with him on the p...

  • Bethlehem

    [smith] (house of bread). One of the oldest towns in Palestine, already in existence at the time of Jacob?s return to the country. Its earliest name was EPHRATAH, OR EPHRATH or EPHRATAH. See (Genesis 35:16,19; 48:7) After the conque...
    [nave] BETHLEHEM A city S.W. of Jerusalem, Judg. 17:7; 19:18. Called Ephratah and Ephrath, Gen. 48:7; Psa. 132:6; Mic. 5:2; and Beth-lehem-judah, Judg. 17:7-9; 19:1, 18; Ruth 1:1; 1 Sam. 17:12. Rachel dies and is buried at, Gen. ...

  • Benedictions

    [nave] BENEDICTIONS Divinely appointed, Deut. 10:8; 21:5; Num. 6:23-26. By God, upon creatures he had made, Gen. 1:22; upon mankind, Gen. 1:28; upon Noah, Gen. 9:1, 2. Instances of By Melchizedek, upon Abraham, Gen. 14:19, 20; H...

  • Bereavement

    [nave] BEREAVEMENT From God, Ex. 12:29; Hos. 9:12. Mourning in, forbidden to Aaron, on account of his son's wickedness, Lev. 10:6; and to Ezekiel, for his wife, Ezek. 24:16-18. Instances of Abraham, of Sarah, Gen. 23:2. Jacob, ...

  • EPHRATHITE

    [ebd] a citizen of Ephratah, the old name of Bethlehem (Ruth 1:2; 1 Sam. 17:12), or Bethlehem-Judah.
    [smith] An inhabitant of Bethlehem. (Ruth 1:2) An Ephraimite. (1 Samuel 1:1; 1 Kings 11:26)

  • Parents

    [nave] PARENTS Covenant benefits of, entailed on children, Gen. 6:18; Ex. 20:6; Psa. 103:17. Curses entailed, Ex. 20:5; Lev. 20:5; Isa. 14:20; Jer. 9:14; Lam. 5:7; Ezek. 16:44, 45. Involved in children's wickedness, 1 Sam. 2:27-3...
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The second crisis Abram faced arose because of a famine in Canaan. Abram chose to sojourn in the Nile Valley until it was past. In this incident Abram tried to pass Sarai off as his sister because he feared for his life. By d...
  • The emphasis in this brief section is on the faithfulness and power of God in keeping His promise and providing an heir miraculously through Sarah (17:16; 18:14). Note the threefold repetition of "as He had said,""as He had p...
  • The writer said that the era in which the events recorded took place was during the period when the judges governed Israel (1:1). Many students of the book have concluded that the genealogy in 4:18-22 helps to identify when d...
  • The Book of Ruth is one of the most fascinating and important short stories that anyone has ever written. As a piece of literature it is almost perfect. The German poet Goethe called it "the loveliest complete work on a small...
  • I. Naomi's predicament ch. 1A. The deaths of Naomi's husband and sons 1:1-5B. Naomi's inability to provide husbands for Ruth and Orpah 1:6-14C. Ruth's profession of faith in Yahweh 1:15-18D. Naomi's weak faith 1:19-21E. Hope ...
  • As is often true in literature, the structure of the piece sometimes reveals the purpose of the writer. This is certainly the case in the Book of Ruth. The writer constructed the whole book with a chiastic (crossing) structur...
  • God had promised the Israelites that if they departed from Him He would discipline them by sending famine on the Promised Land (Deut. 28:17, 23, 38-40, 42).16The famine on Israel at this time indicates God's judgment for unfa...
  • God eventually withdrew the famine from Judah (v. 6) probably in response to His people's calling out to Him for deliverance (cf. Judg. 3:9, 15; 4:3; 6:6; 10:10; 16:28). This verse sounds one of the major themes of the story:...
  • Ruth concluded that her prospects for loyal love and rest (vv. 8-9) were better if she identified with Israel than if she continued to identify with Moab. She had come to admire Israel's God. Elimelech and his family had fulf...
  • This summary sentence not only concludes chapter 1 but also prepares the reader for the remaining scenes of the story. Naomi had left Bethlehem pleasant (Heb. na'em) but returned bitter (v. 20). She had left with Elimelech, o...
  • Chapter 1 in a sense prepares for chapters 2-4 that constitute the heart of the book. Chapter 1 presents a problem, but chapters 2-4 provide the solution. The key to the solution on the human level was the planning of Naomi a...
  • At the end of the day Ruth beat out and winnowed the grain she had gleaned. She had collected about three-fifths of a bushel of barley, "the equivalent of at least half a month's wages in one day"(v. 17).48Ruth also took the ...
  • Having obtained food and safety the two women could look beyond their immediate physical needs to their greater need. Whereas Ruth took the initiative in proposing a plan to obtain food (2:2), Naomi now suggested a plan to ge...
  • Naomi had expressed a desire back in Moab that each of her daughters-in-law might find "rest"(1:9). The Hebrew word reads "security"in the NASB and "a home"in the NIV, but its meaning in other parts of the Old Testament is a ...
  • Ruth carried out Naomi's instructions exactly, further demonstrating her loyal love to her mother-in-law, and encouraged Boaz to pursue the possibility of marriage (vv. 6-9)."Note that the threshingfloor was a public place an...
  • Verse 13 is a key verse in the book because it records the fulfillment of Naomi and Ruth's plans to obtain rest (2:2; 3:1-5).82A son was indispensable to the continuation of the line of Boaz as well as that of Mahlon and Elim...
  • "The setting of the Mesopotamian dream-visions--which occurred in both the Assyrian period and the Babylonian period . . . --consisted of four elements: (1) the date, (2) the place of reception, (3) the recipient, and (4) the...
  • This miracle raised the popular appreciation of Jesus' authority to new heights. Luke also continued to stress Jesus' compassion for people, in this case a widow whose son had died, by including this incident in his Gospel. T...
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