RUTH AND NAOMI

1 Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.

2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.

3 And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.

4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.

5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.

6 Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.

7 Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.

8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.

9 The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.

10 And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.

11 And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?

12 Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;

13 Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me.

14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.

15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.

16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.

19 So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?

20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

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?

22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

1 Nowe it came to passe in the dayes when þe Iudges ruled, that there was a famine in the land: and a certaine man of Bethlehem Iudah, went to soiourne in the countrey of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sonnes.

2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi, and the name of his two sonnes, Mahlon, and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem Iudah: and they came into the countrey of Moab, and continued there.

3 And Elimelech Naomies husband died, and shee was left, and her two sonnes;

4 And they tooke them wiues of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten yeeres.

5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them, and the woman was left of her two sonnes, and her husband.

6 Then shee arose with her daughters in law, that shee might returne from the countrey of Moab: for shee had heard in the countrey of Moab, how that the Lord had visited his people, in giuing them bread.

7 Wherefore she went foorth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her: and they went on the way to returne vnto the land of Iudah.

8 Aud Naomi said vnto her two daughters in law, Goe, returne each to her mothers house: the Lord deale kindly with you, as ye haue dealt with the dead, and with me.

9 The Lord graunt you, that you may finde rest each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them, and they lift vp their voyce and wept.

10 And they said vnto her, Surely wee will returne with thee, vnto thy people.

11 And Naomi said, Turne againe, my daughters: why will you goe with mee? Are there yet any moe sonnes in my wombe, that they may be your husbands?

12 Turne againe, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to haue an husband: if I should say, I haue hope, if I should haue a husband also to night, and should also beare sonnes:

13 Would ye tary for them till they were growen? would ye stay for them from hauing husbands? nay my daughters: for it grieueth me much for your sakes, that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me.

14 And they lift vp their voyce, and wept againe: and Orpah kissed her mother in law, but Ruth claue vnto her.

15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone backe vnto her people, and vnto her gods: returne thou after thy sister in law.

16 And Ruth said, Intreate mee not to leaue thee, or to returne from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will goe; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

17 Where thou diest, wil I die, and there will I bee buried: the Lord doe so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

18 When shee sawe that shee was stedfastly minded to goe with her, then shee left speaking vnto her.

19 So they two went vntill they came to Bethlehem: And it came to passe when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the citie was mooued about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?

20 And she said vnto them, Call me not Naomi; call mee Mara: for the Almightie hath dealt very bitterly with me.

21 I went out full, and the Lord hath bought me home againe emptie: Why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?

22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitesse her daughter in law with her, which returned out of the countrey of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem, in the beginning of barley haruest.

I == Gen 12:10 ; 26:1 ; Judg 2:16 ; 17:8 ; 2nd Kiings 8:1
II == Gen 35:19 ; Judg 3:30

VI == Ex 4:31 ; Ps 132:15 ; Matt 6:11 ; Luke 1:68

VIII == Josh 24:15 ; Ruth 1:5 ; 2:20 ; 2nd Tim 1:16-18

IX == Ruth 3:1

XI == Gen 38:11 ; Deut 25:5

XIII == Judg 2:15 ; Job 19:21 ; Ps 32:4 ; 38:2 ; 39:9-10

XIV == Prov 17:17 ; 18:24

XV == Josh 24:15 , 19 Judg 11:24 ; 2nd Kings 2:2 ; Luke 24:28

XVI == Ruth 2:11-12 ; 2nd Kings 2:2 , 4 , 6

XVII == 1st Sam 3:17 ; 25:22 ; 2nd Sam 19:13 ; 2nd Kings 6:31

XVIII == Acts 21:14

XIX == Isa 23:7 ; Lam 2:15 ; Matt 21:10

XXI == Job 1:21

XXII == Ex 9:31 - 32 ; Ruth 2:23 ; 2nd Sam 21:9

1 Once in the time of the judges there was a famine in the land; so a man from Bethlehem of Judah departed with his wife and two sons to reside on the plateau of Moab.

2 The man was named Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and his sons Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem of Judah. Some time after their arrival on the Moabite plateau,

3 Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons,

4 who married Moabite women, one named Orpah, the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years,

5 both Mahlon and Chilion died also, and the woman was left with neither her two sons nor her husband.

6 She then made ready to go back from the plateau of Moab because word reached her there that the LORD had visited his people and given them food.

7 She and her two daughters-in-law left the place where they had been living. Then as they were on the road back to the land of Judah,

8 Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back, each of you, to your mother's house! May the LORD be kind to you as you were to the departed and to me!

9 May the LORD grant each of you a husband and a home in which you will find rest." She kissed them good-bye, but they wept with loud sobs,

10 and told her they would return with her to her people.

11 "Go back, my daughters!" said Naomi. "Why should you come with me? Have I other sons in my womb who may become your husbands?

12 Go back, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to marry again. And even if I could offer any hopes, or if tonight I had a husband or had borne sons,

13 would you then wait and deprive yourselves of husbands until those sons grew up? No, my daughters! my lot is too bitter for you, because the LORD has extended his hand against me."

14 Again they sobbed aloud and wept; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye, but Ruth stayed with her.

15 "See now!" she said, "your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her god. Go back after your sister-in-law!"

16 But Ruth said, "Do not ask me to abandon or forsake you! for wherever you go I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge, your people shall be my people, and your God my God.

17 Wherever you die I will die, and there be buried. May the LORD do so and so to me, and more besides, if aught but death separates me from you!"

18 Naomi then ceased to urge her, for she saw she was determined to go with her.

19 So they went on together till they reached Bethlehem. On their arrival there, the whole city was astir over them, and the women asked, "Can this be Naomi?"

20 But she said to them, "Do not call me Naomi. Call me Mara, for the Almighty has made it very bitter for me.

21 I went away with an abundance, but the LORD has brought me back destitute. Why should you call me Naomi, since the LORD has pronounced against me and the Almighty has brought evil upon me?"

22 Thus it was that Naomi returned with the Moabite daughter-in-law, Ruth, who accompanied her back from the plateau of Moab. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.

COMMATARY

In many of the books you will look at they almost always have the same headings for Ruth .
1.            Ruth Deciding
2.            Ruth Serving
3.            Ruth Resting
4.            Ruth Rewarded

Naomin means “delightful”
Mara means “bitterness”

Naomi, the Returning Exile.
Ruth, the Foreigner
Boaz, the Native

The Return of Naomi and Ruth to Bethlehem-Judah

1 – 5 History of Elimelech’s household.

v 1-5. The events of Ruth are contemporary with Judges (Josephus says after Samson), a time when everyone did what was right in their own eyes. Such seems to be the case with Elimilech and his family. He moves from the land of promise in the time of adversity, and both his sons join in the spiritual decline by marrying outside the tribe of Israel. Malon means weakly and Chilion means pining, and all three men die away from their land. Naomi takes this as being the judgment of the Lord, v 13. When we come to our main characters, Naomi, and especially Ruth and Boaz, they choose to do right. Behind the scenes, it is the Lord who is the main actor in both Ruth and and Esther.

6 – 15 Naomi, living as a foreigner she thinks the wives of her sons are foreigner and will not fit in when she goes back to her land

v 6-10. Naomi gives credit to the Lord for the improved conditions in the home land. She enjoys the company of her daughters-in-law as they travel together, but as she thinks of their own welfare, she tries to persuade them to return to their own people. At first they both decline.

v 11-18. Naomi refers to the custom of younger sons raising up seed for a deceased brother when she reminds the girls that they would not be able to marry any offspring from her. Orpah then goes back on her pledge to go with Naomi, and in tears she returns to her old life and her old gods. Ruth apparently had become a true believer and insists on being true to Naomi and to the Lord. Ruth’s pledge in v 16,17 is one which every young bride should be able to pledge to her believing groom.

v 19-22. Naomi means My Delight, but in recognition of the judgment she feels God has brought upon her family, she wishes to be called Mara, or bitter, as the bitter waters of Moses’ day, Ex. 15:23. She now knows, if she didn’t before, that in spite of famine in the land when she left, she left the place of blessing “full” with family and inner peace.  When she said that the Lord had testified against her, she does not mean that God had turned His back on her, but that He had shown by chastening that she had gone out of His will where she should not have gone. She acknowledges “_I_ went out”, but “the _Lord. brought me home”, v 21, but she does not see His purposes in these things till later.