Ruth 1:21

I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why [then] call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?

I went out {H1980} full {H4392}, and the LORD {H3068} hath brought me home again {H7725} empty {H7387}: why then call {H7121} ye me Naomi {H5281}, seeing the LORD {H3068} hath testified {H6030} against me, and the Almighty {H7706} hath afflicted {H7489} me?

I went out full, and ADONAI has brought me back empty. Why call me Na'omi? ADONAI has testified against me, Shaddai has afflicted me."

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.โ€

I went out full, and Jehovah hath brought me home again empty; why call ye me Naomi, seeing Jehovah hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?

Commentary

Ruth 1:21 captures Naomi's profound lament upon her return to Bethlehem, expressing her deep grief and sense of divine abandonment after suffering immense loss.

Context

Having left Bethlehem years earlier with her husband Elimelech and two sons during a famine, Naomi returns a widow, having also lost both her sons in Moab. She arrives back in her hometown with only her daughter-in-law, Ruth. When the women of Bethlehem recognize her, Naomi responds with this bitter declaration, reflecting the stark contrast between her departure ("full") and her return ("empty").

Key Themes

  • Profound Grief and Despair: Naomi's words are a raw outpouring of a broken heart, overwhelmed by the cumulative tragedies she has endured. She feels stripped of everything she once had.
  • Perception of Divine Affliction: Naomi directly attributes her misfortunes to God. She believes the LORD (Yahweh) has "testified against" her and the Almighty (`Shaddai`) has "afflicted" her. This highlights her understanding of divine sovereignty, albeit through a lens of personal suffering and judgment. This raw declaration highlights her belief that the LORD had directly caused her misfortunes.
  • Identity Crisis: Her request to be called "Mara" (bitter) instead of "Naomi" (pleasant) underscores her feeling that her very identity has been altered by suffering. Her name no longer reflects her reality.

Linguistic Insights

  • The name Naomi (ื ึธืขึณืžึดื™) means "my pleasantness" or "pleasant." Her desire to be called Mara (ืžึธืจึธื) means "bitter," a stark and intentional contrast.
  • The term "the LORD" is Yahweh (ื™ื”ื•ื”), God's covenant name, suggesting a personal relationship. "The Almighty" is Shaddai (ืฉึทืื“ึทึผื™), a name emphasizing God's omnipotence and power, often associated with His provision and sustenance, but here invoked by Naomi as the source of her affliction.

Analysis and Significance

Naomi's lament is a powerful human response to overwhelming loss. She doesn't deny God's existence or power; rather, she wrestles with His perceived actions in her life. Her words reveal a deep theological conviction that God is intimately involved in human affairs, even if His actions seem harsh or punitive. This verse sets the stage for the book's unfolding narrative, which will reveal God's redemptive plan for Naomi, demonstrating that His purposes extend beyond immediate suffering and can bring unexpected restoration and joy.

Practical Application

Naomi's raw honesty validates the human experience of grief and disillusionment. It reminds us that it is permissible to express our pain and even our questions to God during times of hardship. While her perspective is limited to her immediate suffering, the broader narrative of Ruth reveals God's faithfulness and His ability to bring good out of seemingly insurmountable circumstances. This verse reminds us that while we may feel empty or afflicted, God's ultimate plan is for our good and His glory, even when it is not immediately apparent. It encourages us to hold onto hope, trusting that even in our bitterest moments, God is at work towards a future of unexpected blessing.

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Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated โ€” the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Job 1:21

    And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

  • 1 Samuel 2:7

    The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.

  • 1 Samuel 2:8

    He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, [and] lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set [them] among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth [are] the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them.

  • Job 13:26

    For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth.

  • Job 16:8

    And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, [which] is a witness [against me]: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face.

  • Job 10:17

    Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war [are] against me.

  • Malachi 3:5

    And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in [his] wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger [from his right], and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
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