Ruth 1:1-7

Ruth Comes to Bethlehem Ruth 1:1-22

Introduction to the Life and Times of Ruth 1:1-7

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 Beth-lehem-judah 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 Beth-lehem-judah. 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 dwelt 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.

1.

What time is described in ?Ruth 1:1

Ruth is attached to other well-known events by the definite statement in the days when judges judged. It is assigned to the period of the judges generally. A famine in the land, i.e., in the land of Israel and not merely in the neighborhood of Bethlehem is the import of a second introductory statement. The time of this famine cannot be determined with certainty, although it seems very natural to connect it with the devastation of the land by the Midianites (Judges 6); and there are several things which favor this. For example, giving consideration to the marriages mentioned in the last chapter, the events are pushed back to the middle of the period of the judges, and no period fits better than the period of Gideon.

2.

Do the names of the characters explain the narrative? Ruth 1:2

(1) Elimelech, God is King; (2) Naomi, the gracious; (3) Mahlon, the weakly; and (4) Chilion, pining are genuine Hebrew names; whereas the names of the Moabitish women, Orpah and Ruth, who were married to Elimelech's sons, cannot be satisfactorily explained from the Hebrew. The meaning given to Orpah, turning back, is very arbitrary; and the derivation of Ruth from a word for a friend, is quite uncertain. According to Ruth 4:10, Ruth was the wife of the elder son, Mahlon. The names do not really explain the narrative. They are genuine names; and if any further information is gathered from them, it is coincidental to the real historical message of the narrative.

3.

Why were they called Ephrathites? Ruth 1:2

They were residents of Bethlehem; and the old name for Bethlehem was Ephratha, as Queen City was for Cincinnati. The name appears again and again as a reference to Bethlehem. Micah speaks of Bethlehem Ephratha (Micah 5:2). An explanation of the meaning of the name is given in the account of the death of Benjamin near this spot. As the record says: Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (the same is Bethlehem) (Genesis 35:19).

4.

What was the route from Bethlehem to Moab? Ruth 1:2 b

They might have gone over the Jordan River around the north end of the Dead Sea or through the Negeb around the south end of the Dead Sea. Since no mention is made of their taking a boat across the Dead Sea, it was not likely that this was their means of making the journey. A trip around the south end would lead them through an area which was very hot and arid, and it is reasonable to doubt their going this way. By going around the north end of the Dead Sea, they would have entered rather quickly into the territory where they would be among members of the tribe of Judah, and it is best to think of their going in this direction.

5.

What was the danger of this move to Elimelech's sons? Ruth 1:4

He was taking his family into a pagan country. The young men were of marriageable age, and there was a danger of their marrying pagan wives. This they did. Under usual circumstances these wives would have a great influence upon the young men, running almost always to the point of leading them away from the faith of their parents. In fact such was so often the case that God forbade the Israelites to marry among the Canaanite people into whose midst they came.

6.

How long did they sojourn there? Ruth 1:4

They were in Moab long enough for the boys to mature, marry, and expire. All of this occurred in about ten years. Since all these events occurred in such a short span of time and turned out to be very tragic, Naomi said God had dealt bitterly with her and afflicted her (Ruth 1:20-21). These ten years were very significant; and although they were rather few in number, they must have dragged slowly by for the lonely Naomi.

7.

Why was there a famine in Judah and not in Moab? Ruth 1:6

If the famine were inflicted by the Midianites, Moab would not have been affected. The terrain of the two areas was not particularly different. The latitude of Moab and Judah was almost the same, the two areas being parallel and directly across the Dead Sea from each other. Since the Moabites were not a part of the commonwealth of Israel, the Midianites would have little reason to attack them. The Midianites were sent as a plague against the Israelites, who had turned their backs on God.

8.

Why did the daughters-in-law start to return with Naomi? Ruth 1:7

They were somewhat obligated to care for their aged relative. More than this, they were attracted to the Israelite way of life. In addition, any change of scenery may have been welcome to them. Normally young people are of an adventurous spirit, and it would be a new experience for them. The trip from Moab to Judah must have been emotion-packed, as Ruth and Orpah were leaving families behind; but it also was filled with anticipation as the young women especially looked forward to a new phase of their lives.