This man was the husband of Naomi, whom we read of with such honourable testimony for her faith in God, in the book of Ruth; and as so much is contained in that sweet fragment of sacred Scripture, in allusion to the Lord Jesus Christ, I thought it proper to notice in this place, this name. The whole of the book of Ruth is interesting, not only as a true history of events which took place in the church, but, like that of Joseph, is typical and figurative of higher things. The certain man, there spoken of, going down from Bethlehem-judah, the land of bread, to sojourn in Moab, the city of destruction, becomes no unapt representation of our first father, who, like the Samaritan our Lord describes, going down from Jerusalem, the holy city, to Jericho, the cursed city, fell among thieves. (Luke 10:30) And as the persons of this certain man and his family were types of others, so their names were significant also of their history. Elimelech means, my God, a king; Naomi signifies, a pleasant one; and their sons, Mahlon and Chilion, sickness and consumption; for such will always be the fruits of leaving Jesus for the world. (See Ruth 1:1 - Ruth 4:22 throughout.)