NOTES for Rut 1:1-14
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. |
Hide
The tradition about Ruth the Moabite, which arose at the beginning of the first millennium before Christ and probably acquired its final form immediately after the Babylonian captivity, is an astonishing and very important prophecy in the context of the Bible as a whole. Chronologically, the Book of Ruth may be called one of the first manifestos of biblical universalism. In its spiritual content, it resembles a parable close to the revelation of the prophets.
The Book of Ruth tells the fate of a Moabite woman. The very fact that she is a woman is exceptionally important. Ancient peoples rarely regarded a woman as a person at all, much less saw religious meaning in her fate. Most important, however, is the fact that Ruth is a Moabite, a foreigner, “a member of a neighboring despised nationality.” Her decision to remain with Naomi seems to be motivated by simple feelings that we are accustomed to call “human.” In essence, it is a matter of compassion for her elderly mother-in-law. But this is precisely what brings Ruth to the One God, and not merely to faith: she finds herself at the very center of Sacred History. King David is a descendant of Ruth herself, and Ruth is one of only three women mentioned by the Evangelist Matthew in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ.
After registering, you can subscribe to any Bible reading plan. Personalized settings and other services for registered users are planned, so we recommend registering now. Registration is free. | ||
