Noemi in Moab 1 In the days of one of the judges, when the judges ruled, there came a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem Juda, went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons. 2 He was named Elimelech, and his wife, Noemi: and his two sons, the one Mahalon, and the other Chelion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem Juda. And entering into the country of Moab, they abode there. 3 And Elimelech the husband of Noemi died: and she remained with her sons. 4 And they took wives of the women of Moab, of which one was called Orpha, and the other Ruth. And they dwelt there ten years. 5 And they both died, namely, Mahalon and Chelion: and the woman was left alone, having lost both her sons and her husband. 6 And she arose to go from the land of Moab to her own country with both her daughters in law: for she had heard that the Lord had looked upon his people, and had given them food. 7 Wherefore she went forth out of the place of her sojournment, with both her daughters in law: and being now in the way to return into the land of Juda, 8 She said to them: Go home to your mothers: the Lord deal mercifully with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 May he grant you to find rest in the houses of the husbands which you shall take. And she kissed them. And they lifted up their voice and began to weep, 10 And to say: We will go on with you to your people. 11 But she answered them: Return, my daughters: why come with me? have I any more sons in my womb, that you may hope for husbands of me? 12 Return again, my daughters, and go your ways: for I am now spent with age, and not fit for wedlock. Although I might conceive this night, and bear children, 13 If you would wait till they were grown up, and come to man's estate, you would be old women before you marry. Do not so, my daughters, I beseech you: for I am grieved the more for your distress, and the hand of the Lord is gone out against me. 14 And they lifted up their voice, and began to weep again: Orpha kissed her mother in law and returned: Ruth stuck close to her mother in law.
Ruth refuses to leave Noemi 15 And Noemi said to her: Behold your kinswoman is returned to her people, and to her gods, go with her. 16 She answered: Be not against me, to desire that I should leave you and depart: for wherever you shall go, I will go: and where you shall dwell, I also will dwell. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 The land that shall receive you dying, in the same will I die: and there will I be buried. The Lord do so and so to me, and add more also, if aught but death part me and you. 18 Then Noemi, seeing that Ruth was steadfastly determined to go with her, would not be against it, nor persuade her any more to return to her friends:
Noemi and Ruth return to Bethlehem 19 So they went together and came to Bethlehem. And when they came into the city, the report was quickly spread among all: and the women said: This is that Noemi. 20 But she said to them: Call me not Noemi, (that is, beautiful,) but call me Mara, (that is, bitter,) for the Almighty has quite filled me with bitterness. 21 I went out full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why then do you call me Noemi, whom the Lord has humbled and the Almighty has afflicted? 22 So Noemi came with Ruth the Moabitess her daughter in law, from the land of her sojournment: and returned into Bethlehem, in the beginning of the barley harvest.
Commentary on Ruth 1
1:1-3 one of the judges: The judge was Abesan, of whom Judges 12:1 speaks, who judged 47 years before Eli, as is clear from Judges 11. famine: The Hebrews say that because of the famine in the land many poor people turned to Elimelech, who was rich and powerful, and he was harsh towards them because of his avarice; and so he left the land of Israel with all the goods he could carry, to avoid their begging. And because he left for bad motive, he died there with his sons and was impoverished. (Nicholas of Lyra Com Ruth) land of Moab: East of the Jordan, and adjacent to the Dead Sea, on both sides the river Arnon, on which their capital city was situated; although the river Arnon was strictly and properly the northern boundary of Moab. This country was originally possessed by a race of giants called Emim whom the Moabites conquered Deut 2:11-12. (Augustin Calmet Dic Bible) Ephrathites of Bethlehem: Bethlehem and Ephrathah were the same town; but formerly it was called Ephrathah, after Ephrath the wife of Caleb, who was buried there. But it was later called Bethlehem, that is, house of bread, on account of the amazing fertility of the land. (Hugh of St. Cher Com Ruth)
1:4-6 they took wives: They took foreign wives for themselves, transgressing the decree of the law, and because of that they died prematurely, in an ill-omened land. had given them food: The Lord removed the harsh famine and gave food to Israel, on account of righteousness and of prayers which the judge Abesan sent up in the sight of the Lord. (Aramaic Targum)
1:8 go home to your mothers: She said this because their |
fathers were dead or because women are closer to their mothers than to their fathers. (Nicholas of Lyra Com Ruth)
1:15 It would seem that Noemi sinned because she advised Ruth to remain in idolatry. Perhaps she said that to test her, to see if she was determined, because as 2 Peter 2:21 says, ‘It would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment‘; or it was permission and not advice or a command. (Hugh of St. Cher Com Ruth)
1:16 Anyone can see here that Ruth was motivated by right religion. (Theodoret of Cyrus Ques Ruth) Ruth was a foreigner but nevertheless she married Boaz (Ruth 4:13-17). So, too, the Church is from among the Gentiles. For like Ruth, these Gentiles had been foreigners and outside the covenants, yet they forsook their people, their idols, and their father, the devil. And as Ruth was wed to Boaz of the seed of Abraham, so too was the Church taken as bride by the Son of God. (Theophylact Com Mat 1:5)
1:20 bitter: She was called bitter because of the many troubles she had with her children and with other circumstances of her life. (Oecumenius Com Rev 8:11)
1:21 And in this she confessed the punishment inflicted on her by God for her sin in leaving the land of Israel for a bad reason, as was said earlier in 1:1-3 note. (Nicholas of Lyra Com Ruth) |
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Josephus On Ruth
1. NOW after the death of Samson, Eli the high priest was governor of the Israelites. Under him, when the country was afflicted with a famine, Elimelech of Bethlehem, which is a city of the tribe of Judah, being not able to support his family under so sore a distress, took with him Naomi his wife, and the children that were born to him by her, Chillon and Mahlon, and removed his habitation into the land of Moab; and upon the happy prosperity of his affairs there, he took for his sons wives of the Moabites, Orpah for Chillon, and Ruth for Mahlon. But in the compass of ten years, both Elimelech, and a little while after him, the sons, died; and Naomi being very uneasy at these accidents, and not being able to bear her lonesome condition, now those that were dearest to her were dead, on whose account it was that she had gone away from her own country, she returned to it again, for she had been informed it was now in a flourishing condition. However, her daughters-in-law were not able to think of parting with her; and when they had a mind to go out of the country with her, she could not dissuade them from it; but when they insisted upon it, she wished them a more happy wedlock than they had with her sons, and that they might have prosperity in other respects also; and seeing her own affairs were so low, she exhorted them to stay where they were, and not to think of leaving their own country, and partaking with her of that uncertainty under which she must return. Accordingly Orpah staid behind; but she took Ruth along with her, as not to be persuaded to stay behind her, but would take her fortune with her, whatsoever it should prove.
2. When Ruth was come with her mother-in-law to Bethlehem, Booz, who was near of kin to Elimelech, entertained her; and when Naomi was so called by her fellow citizens, according to her true name, she said, "You might more truly call me Mara." Now Naomi signifies in the Hebrew tongue happiness, and Mara, sorrow. |
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