King James Version
Ruth 1
22 verses with commentary
Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem
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. ruled: Heb. judged
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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.</strong><br><br>This opening establishes the historical setting during Israel's darkest period—"when the judges ruled" (<em>b'yemei shefot ha-shoftim</em>, בִּימֵי שְׁפֹט הַשֹּׁפְטִים). Th...
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(1) **When the judges ruled.**—Literally, *when the judges judged. *This note of time is by no means definite. As we have seen, some have proposed to connect the famine with the ravages of the Midianites Judges 6:1); or, supposing the genealogy to be complete (which is more likely, however, to be abridged, if at all, in the earlier generations), then since Boaz was the son of Salmon (Salma, 1Chron...
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Jud 13:11-14. The Angel Appears to Manoah.
**11. Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman?--**Manoah's intense desire for the repetition of the angel's visit was prompted not by doubts or anxieties of any kind, but was the fruit of lively faith, and of his great anxiety to follow out the instructions given. Blessed was he who had not seen, yet had believed.
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. continued: Heb. were
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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.</strong><br><br>The naming of characters signals their thematic significance. "Elimelech" (<em>Elimelek</em>, אֱלִימֶלֶךְ) means "my God is King," a name affirming Yahweh's soverei...
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(2) **Naomi.**—The name is derived from the Hebrew root meaning *to be pleasant *(see below, Ruth 1:20). Mahlon and Chilion mean *sickness *and *wasting, *it may be in reference to their premature death, the names being given by reason of their feeble health. It is not certain which was the elder: Mahlon is mentioned first in Ruth 1:2; Ruth 1:5, and Chilion in Ruth 4:9. It is probable, however, th...
Read full commentary →And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.</strong><br><br>The terse statement "Elimelech Naomi's husband died" (<em>vayamot Elimelek</em>, וַיָּמָת אֱלִימֶלֶךְ) receives no elaboration or explanation. The narrative's economy emphasizes the outcome rather than the process—the family patriarch who led them to Moab now leaves them as vulnerable foreigners in enem...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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.</strong><br><br>The sons' marriages to Moabite women represents further assimilation into Moabite culture. The verb "took" (<em>vayis'u</em>, וַיִּשְׂאוּ) is the standard term for marriage but carries undertones of active choice—they selected...
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(4) **They took them wives.**—This seems to have been after the father’s death. The fault of settling on a heathen soil begun by the father is carried on by the sons in marrying heathen women, for such we cannot doubt they must have been in the first instance. The Targum (or ancient Chaldee paraphrase) says: “They transgressed against the decree of the Word of the Lord, and took to themselves stra...
Read full commentary →And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.
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<strong>And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.</strong><br><br>This verse completes the trilogy of death that dominates Ruth 1:1-5. The stark statement "Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them" (<em>vayamutu gam-sheneihem</em>, וַיָּמֻתוּ גַּם־שְׁנֵיהֶם) uses the same verb <em>mut</em> (מוּת) as verse 3, creating a rhythmic funeral ...
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(5) **And they died.**—Clearly as quite young men. It is not for us to say how far those are right who see in the death of Elimelech and his sons God’s punishment for the disregard of His law. Thus Naomi is left alone, as one on whom comes suddenly the loss of children and widowhood.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Jud 13:15-23. Manoah's Sacrifice.
**15. Manoah said unto the angel ..., I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid--**The stranger declined the intended hospitality and intimated that if the meat were to be an offering, it must be presented to the Lord [Jud 13:6]. Manoah needed this instruction, for his purpose was to offer the prepared viands to him, not as the Lord, b...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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.</strong><br><br>The word "then" (<em>vataqam</em>, וַתָּקָם, "she arose") marks Naomi's decision to return, shifting from passive suffering to active response. After the deaths of her husband and so...
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(6) **That she might return.**—Literally, *and she returned. *Clearly, therefore, the three women actually began the journey; and when the start has been made. Naomi urges her companions to return. Then, as with Pliable in the *Pilgrim’s Progress, *so with Orpah: the dangers and difficulties of the way were too much for her affection.
**The Lord had visited His people.**—The famine had ceased, and...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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.</strong><br><br>The phrase "she went forth out of the place where she was" (<em>vatetzeh min-hamakom</em>, וַתֵּצֵא מִן־הַמָּקוֹם) uses vocabulary echoing Abraham's call to leave his country (Genesis 12:1) and Israel's exodus from Egypt ...
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(7) **Her two daughters in law with her.**—Both clearly purposing to go with Naomi to the land of Israel (Ruth 1:10), not merely to escort her a little way. Naomi had obviously won the affections of her daughters-in-law, and they were loth to part with her, since such a parting could hardly but be final.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**17-20. Manoah said unto the angel ..., What is thy name?--**Manoah's request elicited the most unequivocal proofs of the divinity of his supernatural visitor--in his name "secret" (in the Margin, "wonderful"), and in the miraculous flame that betokened the acceptance of the sacrifice.
Jud 13:24, 25. Samson Born.
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.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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 kindly with the dead, and with me.</strong><br><br>Naomi's command "Go, return" (<em>lekhnah shovnah</em>, לֵכְנָה שֹׁבְנָה) uses the imperative form, urging decisive action. She doesn't merely suggest but commands them to turn back to Moab. The reference to ...
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(8) **Return.**—Naomi’s love is all unselfish. The company of Ruth and Orpah would clearly have been a great solace to her, yet she will not sacrifice them to herself. They each had a mother and a home; the latter, Naomi might fail to secure to them.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**17-20. Manoah said unto the angel ..., What is thy name?--**Manoah's request elicited the most unequivocal proofs of the divinity of his supernatural visitor--in his name "secret" (in the Margin, "wonderful"), and in the miraculous flame that betokened the acceptance of the sacrifice.
Jud 13:24, 25. Samson Born.
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.
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KJV Study Commentary
Naomi's urging continues as she points to Orpah's decision: <strong>"Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law."</strong> This verse captures a decisive moment where the two Moabite women make opposite choices regarding covenant faith. The Hebrew uses the perfect tense <em>shavah</em> (שָׁבָה, "she has returned") to indicate Orpa...
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(9) **The Lord grant you . . .**—A twofold blessing is invoked by Naomi on her daughters-in-law, made the more solemn by the twofold mention of the sacred name Jehovah. She prays first for the general blessing, that God will show them mercy, and secondly for the special blessing, that they may find rest and peace in a new home.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**17-20. Manoah said unto the angel ..., What is thy name?--**Manoah's request elicited the most unequivocal proofs of the divinity of his supernatural visitor--in his name "secret" (in the Margin, "wonderful"), and in the miraculous flame that betokened the acceptance of the sacrifice.
Jud 13:24, 25. Samson Born.
And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.</strong> Both daughters-in-law initially protest Naomi's urging to return to Moab (v. 8). The emphatic "Surely" translates the Hebrew particle <em>ki</em> (כִּי), which functions here as an assertive declaration: "No! We will certainly return with you." The verb "return" (<em>nashuv</em>, נָשׁוּב) is ironic—they will ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**17-20. Manoah said unto the angel ..., What is thy name?--**Manoah's request elicited the most unequivocal proofs of the divinity of his supernatural visitor--in his name "secret" (in the Margin, "wonderful"), and in the miraculous flame that betokened the acceptance of the sacrifice.
Jud 13:24, 25. Samson Born.
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?
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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?</strong> Naomi responds to their protest by presenting harsh reality. "Turn again" (<em>shovnah</em>, שֹׁבְנָה) repeats the verb from verse 8—she insists they return to Moab. The rhetorical question "why will ye go with me?" (<em>lammah telekhnah immi</e...
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(11) The advice of Naomi thus far is insufficient to shake the affectionate resolve of the two women. She then paints the loneliness of her lot. She has no more sons, and can hope for none; nay, if sons were to be even now born to her, what good would that do them? Still her lot is worse than theirs. They, in spite of their great loss, are young, and from their mothers’ houses they may again go fo...
Read full commentary →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; should have: or were with an husband
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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;</strong> Naomi intensifies her argument with brutal realism. The repetition "Turn again" (<em>shovnah</em>, שֹׁבְנָה) plus "go your way" (<em>lekhnah</em>, לֵכְנָה) creates emphatic dismissal—she's urging them away. ...
Read full commentary →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. tarry: Heb. hope it grieveth: Heb. I have much bitterness
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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.</strong> Naomi completes her argument with two rhetorical questions expecting negative answers. "Would ye tarry for them till they were grown?" (<em>hallahen tesabernah ad asher yigdalu</em>, ה...
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(13) **It grieveth me much for your sakes.**—A much more probable translation is, *it is far more bitter for me than for you. *An exact parallel to the construction is found in Genesis 19:9. The ancient versions are divided, the LXX., Peshito Syriac, and Targum support this translation; the Vulg. is rather loose in its rendering.
And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.</strong> Naomi's stark reasoning produces emotional response: "they lifted up their voice, and wept again" (<em>vatissenah qolan vatibkenah od</em>, וַתִּשֶּׂנָה קוֹלָן וַתִּבְכֶּינָה עוֹד). The verb "lifted up their voice" is Hebrew idiom for loud, unrestrained crying. "Again" (<em...
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(14) **Kissed.**—Orpah, though unwilling to leave her mother-in-law, and though warmly attached to her, still thinks of the hardships of the journey, of the hardships when the journey is done; and the comforts of home detain her.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**24. the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson--**The birth of this child of promise, and the report of the important national services he was to render, must, from the first, have made him an object of peculiar interest and careful instruction.
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.
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KJV Study Commentary
Naomi's urging continues as she points to Orpah's decision: <strong>"Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law."</strong> This verse captures a decisive moment where the two Moabite women make opposite choices regarding covenant faith. The Hebrew uses the perfect tense <em>shavah</em> (שָׁבָה, "she has returned") to indicate Orpa...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) Naomi, now armed with a fresh argument, urges Ruth to follow her sister-in-law’s example.
**Her gods.**—Naomi doubtless views the Moabite idols as realities, whose power is, however, confined to the land of Moab. She is not sufficiently enlightened in her religion to see in the Lord more than the God of Israel.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**25. the Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times--**not, probably, as it moved the prophets, who were charged with an inspired message, but kindling in his youthful bosom a spirit of high and devoted patriotism.
**Eshtaol--**the free city. It, as well as Zorah, stood on the border between Judah and Dan.
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: Intreat: or, Be not against me
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KJV Study Commentary
Ruth's response to Naomi's urging begins with a plea: <strong>"Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee"</strong> (<em>al-tiphge'i-bi le'ozvekh lashuv me'acharayikh</em>, אַל־תִּפְגְּעִי־בִי לְעָזְבֵךְ לָשׁוּב מֵאַחֲרָיִךְ). The verb <em>paga</em> (פָּגַע, "intreat" or "urge") means to press, entreat, or encounter with force. Ruth pleads with Naomi to stop pressuring he...
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(16) **Intreat me not.**—Ruth’s nobleness is proof against all. The intensity of her feeling comes out all the more strongly now that she pleads alone: “I will undertake with thee the toilsome journey, I will lodge with thee however hardly, I will venture among a strange people, and will worship a new god.”
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.
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KJV Study Commentary
Ruth's declaration reaches its climax with an oath: <strong>"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."</strong> The Hebrew construction moves from future commitment ("I will die... I will be buried") to solemn oath invoking divine witness and judgment. This isn't merely emotional sentiment but legally bindin...
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(17) **The Lord do so to me.**—Ruth clinches her resolutions with a solemn oath, in which, if we are to take the words literally, she swears by the name of the God of Israel. With this Naomi yields; after so solemn a protest she can urge no more.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 14 Jud 14:1-5. Samson Desires a Wife of the Philistines.
**1-2. Timnath--**now Tibna, about three miles from Zorah, his birthplace.
**saw a woman ... of the Philistines; and told his father and his mother, and said, ... get her for me to wife--**In the East parents did, and do in many cases still, negotiate the marriage alliances for their sons. During their period of ascendency, the Ph...
Read full commentary →When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. was: Heb. strengthened herself
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KJV Study Commentary
The narrative's response to Ruth's oath is remarkably brief: <strong>"When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her."</strong> The Hebrew phrase "she was stedfastly minded" (<em>mitametzet hi</em>, מִתְאַמֶּצֶת הִיא) uses a participle form of <em>amatz</em> (אָמַץ), meaning to strengthen oneself, be determined, or show courageous resolve. This same ver...
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CHAPTER 14 Jud 14:1-5. Samson Desires a Wife of the Philistines.
**1-2. Timnath--**now Tibna, about three miles from Zorah, his birthplace.
**saw a woman ... of the Philistines; and told his father and his mother, and said, ... get her for me to wife--**In the East parents did, and do in many cases still, negotiate the marriage alliances for their sons. During their period of ascendency, the Ph...
Read full commentary →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?
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KJV Study Commentary
The narrative notes the completion of their journey: <strong>"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?"</strong> The Hebrew emphasizes their partnership—"they two" (<em>shetehem</em>, שְׁתֵּיהֶם)—highlighting that Ruth and Naomi journey together as equals, not servant ...
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(19) **They went.**—The journey for two women apparently alone was long and toilsome, and not free from danger. Two rivers, Arnon and Jordan, had to be forded or otherwise crossed; and the distance of actual journeying cannot have been less than fifty miles. Thus, weary and travel-stained, they reach Bethlehem, and neighbours, doubtless never looking to see Naomi again, are all astir with exciteme...
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**3-4. Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren--**that is, "of thine own tribe"--a Danite woman.
**Samson said ... Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well--**literally, "she is right in mine eyes"; not by her beautiful countenance or handsome figure, but right or fit for his purpose. And this throws light on the historian's remark in reference to the resistance of his parents...
Read full commentary →And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. Naomi: that is, Pleasant Mara: that is, Bitter
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KJV Study Commentary
Naomi's response reveals her spiritual state: <strong>"Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me."</strong> She rejects her given name "Naomi" (<em>Na'omi</em>, נָעֳמִי, "pleasant/lovely") and requests instead "Mara" (<em>Mara</em>, מָרָא, "bitter"). This name change expresses her perception that God has transformed her life from pleasant to bitter. The wor...
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(20) **Call me not Naomi, call me Mara.**—Here we have one of the constant plays on words and names found in the Hebrew Bible. *Naomi, *we have already said, means *pleasant, *or, perhaps, strictly, *my pleasantness. Mara *is *bitter, *as in Exodus 15:23. The latter word has no connection with Miriam or Mary, which is from a different root.
**The Almighty.**—Heb., *Shaddai. *According to one deriv...
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**3-4. Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren--**that is, "of thine own tribe"--a Danite woman.
**Samson said ... Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well--**literally, "she is right in mine eyes"; not by her beautiful countenance or handsome figure, but right or fit for his purpose. And this throws light on the historian's remark in reference to the resistance of his parents...
Read full commentary →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?
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KJV Study Commentary
Naomi continues her lament: <strong>"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?"</strong> The contrast between "full" (<em>male'ah</em>, מְלֵאָה) and "empty" (<em>reqam</em>, רֵיקָם) structures her self-understanding. She left Bethlehem with husband and two sons—a complete...
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Jud 14:5-9. He Kills a Lion.
**5-9. a young lion--**Hebrew, a lion in the pride of his youthful prime. The wild mountain passes of Judah were the lairs of savage beasts; and most or all the "lions" of Scripture occur in that wild country. His rending and killing the shaggy monster, without any weapon in his hand, were accomplished by that superhuman courage and strength which the occasional influ...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
The chapter concludes with summary and transition: <strong>"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."</strong> The narrator carefully identifies Ruth as "the Moabitess" (<em>ha-Moaviyah</em>, הַמּוֹאֲבִיָּה), emphasizing her foreign origin. This ethnic marker a...
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(22) **Barley-harvest.**—God had restored plenty to His people, and the wayfarers thus arrive to witness and receive their share of the blessing. The barley harvest was the earliest (Exodus 9:31-32), and would ordinarily fall about the end of April.
**II.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Jud 14:5-9. He Kills a Lion.
**5-9. a young lion--**Hebrew, a lion in the pride of his youthful prime. The wild mountain passes of Judah were the lairs of savage beasts; and most or all the "lions" of Scripture occur in that wild country. His rending and killing the shaggy monster, without any weapon in his hand, were accomplished by that superhuman courage and strength which the occasional influ...
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