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
When they entered 4 Bethlehem, 5 the whole village was excited about their arrival. 6 The women of the village said, 7 “Can this be Naomi?” 8
1 tn Heb “and she went out from the place she had been, and her two daughters-in-law with her, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.”
2 tn The suffix “them” appears to be masculine, but it is probably an archaic dual form (E. F. Campbell, Ruth [AB], 65; F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 75-76).
3 map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4.
4 tn The temporal indicator וַיְהִי (vayÿhi, “and it was”) here introduces a new scene.
5 map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4.
6 tn Heb “because of them” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “excited to see them.”
7 tn Heb “they said,” but the verb form is third person feminine plural, indicating that the women of the village are the subject.
8 tn Heb “Is this Naomi?” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV). The question here expresses surprise and delight because of the way Naomi reacts to it (F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 92).