King James Version

What Does Ruth 1:12 Mean?

Ruth 1:12 in the King James Version says “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 ha... — study this verse from Ruth chapter 1 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

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

Ruth 1:12 · KJV


Context

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; should have: or were with an husband

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. tarry: Heb. hope it grieveth: Heb. I have much bitterness

14

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


Commentary

KJV Study 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; Naomi intensifies her argument with brutal realism. The repetition "Turn again" (shovnah, שֹׁבְנָה) plus "go your way" (lekhnah, לֵכְנָה) creates emphatic dismissal—she's urging them away. "I am too old to have an husband" (zakanti mihyot le'ish, זָקַנְתִּי מִהְיוֹת לְאִישׁ) states biological reality: she has aged past (zakanti) the possibility of marriage and childbearing.

The hypothetical construction "If I should say, I have hope" (ki amarta yesh-li tikvah, כִּי אָמַרְתִּי יֶשׁ־לִי תִקְוָה) introduces an impossible scenario. "Hope" (tikvah, תִּקְוָה) means expectation or prospect—the same word used for the scarlet cord Rahab hung from her window (Joshua 2:18, 21), symbolizing hope of deliverance. Naomi protests she has no such hope, no thread of expectation to cling to. Even if the absurd occurred—remarriage "tonight" (halaylah, הַלַּיְלָה, emphasizing immediacy) and bearing sons—this wouldn't help her daughters-in-law.

The verse's piling of hypotheticals (if... if... and also...) creates rhetorical force: even granting every impossible condition, the logic still fails. Naomi's argument moves from biological impossibility (too old) through hypothetical absurdity (remarriage tonight, immediate conception, bearing sons) toward the crushing conclusion in verse 13: even if all this happened, the daughters-in-law couldn't reasonably wait. Her reasoning is irrefutable by human calculation—yet God's redemption operates beyond human calculation, accomplishing what seems impossible.

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Historical & Cultural Context

Ancient Near Eastern society provided few options for elderly widows. Without social security, retirement savings, or institutional care for the aged, widows depended on adult sons for survival. Multiple Old Testament texts address care for widows (Exodus 22:22; Deuteronomy 10:18; 14:29; 24:17-21; 27:19; Isaiah 1:17; James 1:27), indicating both God's concern and society's frequent neglect. Prophets condemned exploitation of widows (Isaiah 10:1-2; Ezekiel 22:7; Malachi 3:5), while wisdom literature celebrated those who helped them (Job 29:13; 31:16-22; Proverbs 15:25).

Naomi's self-assessment as "too old" for remarriage and childbearing reflects realistic understanding of her situation. Unlike Sarah, who bore Isaac at ninety (a miraculous, exceptional event—Genesis 17:17; 18:11-14), Naomi expects no divine intervention. Her bitterness in verses 13 and 20-21 suggests she believes God has abandoned her, making miraculous provision unimaginable. This contrasts with Abraham and Sarah's eventual faith (Hebrews 11:11-12) and foreshadows the book's theme: God provides redemption through unexpected, ordinary means (Ruth and Boaz) that reveal extraordinary providence.

The emphasis on remarriage "tonight" and immediately bearing sons highlights the absurdity. Even if possible, pregnancy takes nine months, childhood many years. Verse 13 makes explicit what verse 12 implies: waiting would be unreasonable. Naomi's airtight logic demonstrates that human wisdom, when separated from trust in God's providence, leads to hopelessness. The book of Ruth systematically dismantles this hopelessness by showing how God weaves redemption through circumstances that seemed to offer no hope.

Reflection Questions

  1. What situations has God used to strip away your 'hopeful' human plans so He could reveal His better plans?
  2. How does focusing solely on visible resources and human possibilities limit your faith in God's redemptive creativity?
  3. Are you willing to obey God even when obedience appears to lead away from the only rational path to security?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 19 words
שֹׁ֤בְנָה1 of 19

Turn again

H7725

to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point);

בְנֹתַי֙2 of 19

my daughters

H1323

a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)

לֵ֔כְןָ3 of 19
H1980

to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)

כִּ֥י4 of 19
H3588

(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

זָקַ֖נְתִּי5 of 19

your way for I am too old

H2204

to be old

מִֽהְי֣וֹת6 of 19
H1961

to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)

לְאִ֔ישׁ7 of 19

if I should have an husband

H376

a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)

כִּ֤י8 of 19
H3588

(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙9 of 19

If I should say

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

יֶשׁ10 of 19

I have

H3426

there is or are (or any other form of the verb to be, as may suit the connection)

לִ֣י11 of 19
H0
תִקְוָ֔ה12 of 19

hope

H8615

literally a cord (as an attachment); figuratively, expectancy

גַּ֣ם13 of 19
H1571

properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...and

הָיִ֤יתִי14 of 19
H1961

to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)

הַלַּ֙יְלָה֙15 of 19

also to night

H3915

properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e., night; figuratively, adversity

לְאִ֔ישׁ16 of 19

if I should have an husband

H376

a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)

וְגַ֖ם17 of 19
H1571

properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...and

יָלַ֥דְתִּי18 of 19

and should also bear

H3205

to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage

בָנִֽים׃19 of 19

sons

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or


Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Ruth. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Ruth 1:12 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Ruth 1:12 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

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