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: Yahweh's gracious intervention.26
Naomi's words to her daughters-in-law are very important.27She appealed to them to maintain their strongest earthly ties by returning to their mothers' families (v. 8).
". . . the phrase mother's house' occurs in contexts having to do with love and marriage. It seems likely, then, that Naomi here referred to some custom according to which the mother's house'--probably her bedroom, not a separate building--was the place where marriages were arranged."28
Second, she prayed that Yahweh would pay back loyal love ("deal kindly,"Heb. hesed), to them since they had shown loyal love to their husbands and Naomi (v. 8).
"Here emerges a key theological assumption of the book: the intimate link between human action and divine action. In this case, human kindness has earned the possibility (even likelihood) of a God-given reward."29
God had also promised blessing to those who would worship Him exclusively (Deut. 5:7-10). Third, she wished "rest"(Heb. menuhah) for them in the household of their next husbands (v. 9). Rest was one of the great blessings God had promised the Israelites as they anticipated entrance into the Promised Land (Exod. 33:14; Deut. 3:20; 12:9-10; 25:19; Josh. 1:13, 15; 21:44; 22:4; 23:1; cf. Gen. 49:15; Exod. 16:23; 31:15; 35:2; Lev. 16:31; 23:3, 32; 25:4-5; Ps. 95:11; Heb. 3:11, 18). It refers to security, which in this case marriage would give Naomi's daughters-in-law, rather than freedom from work.30
After the two daughters-in-law refused to leave their mother-in-law (v. 10), which in Orpah's case was only a polite refusal but in Ruth's a genuine one, Naomi urged them again. Here the reason for her counsel comes out. She was too old to remarry, bear sons, have those sons marry their brothers' (Mahlon's and Chilion's) widows, and raise up seed. That seed would perpetuate the families begun by Mahlon and Chilion with Ruth and Orpah. Levirate marriage was the practice of a single brother marrying his deceased brother's widow to father children who would carry on the dead brother's name and perpetuate his descendents. It was common throughout the ancient Near East and in Israel (cf. Gen. 38:8-10; Deut. 25:5-10).31Naomi was too old to remarry and bear sons who could provide loyal love and rest for Ruth and Orpah. Consequently she urged her daughters-in-law to return home and start married life over with new Moabite husbands.
It was harder for Naomi than for Ruth and Orpah (v. 13) because while Ruth and Orpah had hope of marrying again and bearing children, Naomi did not in view of her advanced age. She regarded her situation as a judgment from God (v. 13; cf. Gen. 42:36). She did not realize that God would yet bless her with a descendent through Boaz. He would father a son who would carry on the name and lines of Ruth's dead husband and Naomi's dead husband.
"Ruth and Orpah demonstrate the two kinds of members in the church--the professors and the possessors. Orpah made only a profession of faith and failed at the climactic moment; Ruth possessed genuine faith, which produced fruit and works."32
Ruth clung to Naomi. The Hebrew word for "clung to"is dabaq, which elsewhere refers to the ideal closeness that can be experienced in a marriage relationship.33Ruth determined to stick to her mother-in-law as closely as a husband would cleave to his wife.
