Ruth1

During a famine in Bethlehem, Elimelech, Naomi, and their two sons migrated to Moab. After Elimelech and both sons died, leaving Naomi a widow, she resolved to return to Judah. Though her daughter-in-law Orpah returned to her people, Ruth pledged unwavering loyalty to Naomi, her people, and her God. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest, where Naomi expressed her deep sorrow, asking to be called "Mara."
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Elimelech's Family Migrates to Moab

1
In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a certain man from Bethlehem in Judah, with his wife and two sons, went to reside in the land of Moab. ​
2
The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah, and they entered the land of Moab and settled there. ​
3
Then Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons,
4
who took Moabite women as their wives, one named Orpah and the other named Ruth. And after they had lived in Moab about ten years,
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both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and without her husband. ​

Naomi Urges Her Daughters-in-Law to Return

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When Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had attended to His people by providing them with food, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to leave the land of Moab. ​
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Accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road leading back to the land of Judah.
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Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you to your mother’s home. May the LORD show you loving devotion, as you have shown to your dead and to me. ​
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May the LORD enable each of you to find rest in the home of your new husband.” And she kissed them as they wept aloud ​
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and said, “Surely we will return with you to your people.”
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But Naomi replied, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb to become your husbands? ​
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Return home, my daughters. Go on, for I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear sons,
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would you wait for them to grow up? Would you refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.” ​
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Again they wept aloud, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.
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“Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; follow her back home.” ​
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But Ruth replied: “Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. ​
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Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.” ​
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When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to persuade her.

Naomi and Ruth Arrive in Bethlehem

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So Naomi and Ruth traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole city was stirred because of them, and the women of the city exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” ​
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“Do not call me Naomi,” she replied. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has dealt quite bitterly with me. ​
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I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? After all, the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me.” ​
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So Naomi returned from the land of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess. And they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. ​

Study Notes for Ruth 1

Verse 1

The phrase "in the days when the judges ruled" places the story in a time of spiritual and political instability (Judges 17:6). The move from Bethlehem (meaning “House of Bread”) to Moab, an enemy territory, highlights the desperation caused by the famine.

Verse 2

The family is identified as Ephrathites, indicating their established lineage in the Bethlehem area. The names Mahlon and Chilion may be descriptive, meaning 'Sickness' and 'Pining' respectively, perhaps foreshadowing their early demise.

Verse 5

The triple tragedy leaves Naomi entirely destitute. According to ancient customs, she is left without male heirs to protect her inheritance or ensure her economic survival, placing her in a precarious social position.

Verse 6

Naomi hears that YHWH (the LORD) has 'visited his people,' a theological term meaning God has acted redemptively, reversing the famine and providing sustenance in Judah, prompting her return.

Verse 8

Naomi blesses Orpah and Ruth, acknowledging that they had shown loyal love ('hesed') to the deceased and to her. She releases them from the obligation of staying with her, recognizing the difficulty of their future as foreign widows in Judah.

Verse 9

The 'rest' (Hebrew: *menuhah*) Naomi wishes for them refers primarily to security and stability, which in that culture was typically found through remarriage and establishing a new household.

Verse 11

Naomi explains the practical impossibility of the levirate law (Deuteronomy 25:5–10) applying. She has no sons, nor is she physically able to bear sons who could eventually marry them, thus freeing them from any legal obligation.

Verse 13

Naomi interprets her overwhelming suffering as the direct 'hand of the LORD' against her. This reflects a common ancient understanding that misfortune was divine judgment, framing her experience in terms of divine affliction.

Verse 15

Orpah’s decision to return to her people and 'her gods' highlights the radical nature of Ruth's subsequent commitment. Orpah chooses cultural and religious security over the uncertain path with Naomi.

Verse 16

Ruth's vow is the theological climax of the chapter, shifting the focus from familial loyalty to covenant commitment. Her declaration, 'thy God my God,' marks her conversion and full commitment to YHWH, the God of Israel.

Verse 17

The formal oath structure emphasizes the absolute, irrevocable nature of her commitment, binding her life to Naomi’s until death. This extreme loyalty ('hesed') defines Ruth's character throughout the book.

Verse 19

The town’s reaction shows how deeply the community felt the loss of Elimelech's family and how shocking Naomi’s appearance was after a decade of tragic hardship.

Verse 20

Naomi ('Pleasantness') demands to be called Mara ('Bitter'). This self-designation powerfully expresses her grief and her perception that God (Shaddai/Almighty) has actively afflicted her.

Verse 21

She contrasts her triumphant departure ('full'—with husband and sons) with her desolate return ('empty'). This lament frames her tragedy as a direct action of the LORD (Yahweh) and the Almighty (Shaddai).

Verse 22

The mention of Ruth as 'the Moabitess' reinforces her foreign origin, setting up the challenge of her integration into the community. Their arrival at the beginning of barley harvest signals a time of provision and potential hope.

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