Naomi (Ruth 1:1–5; Ruth 1:8–9; Ruth 1:12–13; Ruth 1:15–18; Ruth 1:19–21; Ruth 2:19–23; Ruth 3:1–4; Ruth 3:16–18; Ruth 4:3–5; Ruth 4:9; Ruth 4:14–17)

Mother-in-law of Ruth, Who Returned from Moab

The wife of Elimelech of Beth-lehem-judah, who went to Moab in a famine, was left without husband and sons, came home to Beth-lehem with Ruth, told the women to call her Mara, directed Ruth toward Boaz, and at the end took Ruth's son and became nurse unto him.

The book of Ruth opens “in the days when the judges judged, that there was a famine in the land” (Ruth 1:1). A man of Beth-lehem-judah went to sojourn in Moab with his wife and two sons: “the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion” (Ruth 1:2). Elimelech died, the sons took Moabite wives, Orpah and Ruth, and after about ten years “Mahlon and Chilion died both of them; and the woman was left of her two children and of her husband” (Ruth 1:5).

When she heard that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread, Naomi set out for Judah, and on the way urged her daughters-in-law to turn back. Orpah went back; Ruth clave to her. At Beth-lehem the women asked, “Is this Naomi?” (Ruth 1:19) and she answered, “Call me not Naomi, call me Mara; for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me” (Ruth 1:20). In the barley harvest Ruth gleaned in the field of Boaz, whom Naomi named as “one of our near kinsmen” (Ruth 2:20); and Naomi then asked, “shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?” (Ruth 3:1) and told Ruth what to do at the threshing-floor. At the gate Boaz told the near kinsman that Naomi “selleth the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s” (Ruth 4:3), and before the elders he said he had bought all that was Elimelech's “of the hand of Naomi” (Ruth 4:9).

The story closes with her. When Ruth bore a son, the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be Jehovah, who hath not left thee this day without a near kinsman” (Ruth 4:14), and “Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it” (Ruth 4:16). The neighbors said, “There is a son born to Naomi” (Ruth 4:17), and named him Obed, who is named there as the father of Jesse, the father of David. Naomi is named only in the book of Ruth, and Scripture does not record her death.

Strengths

• Kindness toward her daughters-in-law
• Seeking rest for Ruth
• Counsel that Ruth followed
• Blessing him that took knowledge of Ruth

Themes

• Famine and return
• Loss and emptiness
• Kinsman and redeemer
• Loyalty of a daughter-in-law
• Restored life

Goes to Moab and loses husband and sons (Ruth 1:1–5)

In a famine Elimelech takes Naomi and their two sons to sojourn in Moab; Elimelech dies, and after about ten years Mahlon and Chilion die also.

Sends her daughters-in-law back (Ruth 1:6–13)

Hearing that the LORD has given bread in Judah, Naomi starts home and urges Orpah and Ruth to return each to her mother's house.

Sends her daughters-in-law back

Naomi “had heard in the country of Moab how that Jehovah had visited his people in giving them bread” (Ruth 1:6). On the way she said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother's house: Jehovah deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me” (Ruth 1:8). “Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voice, and wept” (Ruth 1:9).

They said they would return with her, but she answered, “Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband” (Ruth 1:12), and gave this reason: “it grieveth me much for your sakes, for the hand of Jehovah is gone forth against me” (Ruth 1:13).

Orpah turns back; Ruth clings to her (Ruth 1:14–18)

Orpah kisses her mother-in-law and goes back, but Ruth clave to Naomi and pledged to go with her, and Naomi left off speaking to her.

Comes to Beth-lehem: call me Mara (Ruth 1:19–22)

Naomi and Ruth come to Beth-lehem at the beginning of barley harvest; the women ask whether this is Naomi, and she asks to be called Mara.

Comes to Beth-lehem: call me Mara

“all the city was moved about them, and the women said, Is this Naomi?” (Ruth 1:19). She said to them, “Call me not Naomi, call me Mara; for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me” (Ruth 1:20).

“I went out full, and Jehovah hath brought me home again empty; why call ye me Naomi, seeing Jehovah hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?” (Ruth 1:21).

“So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned out of the country of Moab; and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest” (Ruth 1:22).

Hears of Boaz, one of our near kinsmen (Ruth 2:1–3; Ruth 2:18–23)

Naomi sends Ruth to glean, and Ruth lights on the field of Boaz, of the family of Elimelech; Naomi blesses him, calls him a near kinsman, and tells Ruth to keep with his maidens.

The plan for the threshing-floor (Ruth 3:1–6; Ruth 3:14–18)

Naomi asks whether she should seek rest for Ruth and tells her to go to Boaz at the threshing-floor; Ruth does so and returns with six measures of barley, and Naomi tells her to sit still.

The plan for the threshing-floor

“My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee? And now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to-night in the threshing-floor” (Ruth 3:1-2). She told Ruth to wash, anoint herself, and go down to the threshing-floor (Ruth 3:3-4). Ruth said, “All that thou sayest I will do” (Ruth 3:5), and “went down unto the threshing-floor, and did according to all that her mother-in-law bade her” (Ruth 3:6).

When Ruth came home, Naomi said, “Who art thou, my daughter?” (Ruth 3:16) and Ruth “told her all that the man had done to her” (Ruth 3:16). She said, “These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said, Go not empty unto thy mother-in-law” (Ruth 3:17). Then said Naomi, “Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall; for the man will not rest, until he have finished the thing this day” (Ruth 3:18).

The land sold of the hand of Naomi (Ruth 4:1–12)

At the gate Boaz tells the near kinsman that Naomi sells Elimelech's land; the kinsman declines, and Boaz calls the elders to witness that he has bought it of the hand of Naomi and has purchased Ruth to be his wife.

The women bless Naomi; she nurses Obed (Ruth 4:13–17)

Ruth bears a son; the women bless the LORD for not leaving Naomi without a near kinsman, and Naomi takes the child and becomes nurse unto it.

The women bless Naomi; she nurses Obed

“So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife; and he went in unto her, and Jehovah gave her conception, and she bare a son” (Ruth 4:13). “And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be Jehovah, who hath not left thee this day without a near kinsman; and let his name be famous in Israel” (Ruth 4:14).

“And he shall be unto thee a restorer of life, and a nourisher of thine old age, for thy daughter-in-law, who loveth thee, who is better to thee than seven sons, hath borne him” (Ruth 4:15). “And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it” (Ruth 4:16).

“And the women her neighbors gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David” (Ruth 4:17).

Elimelech (Ruth 1:1–3)

Her husband, who took her and their two sons to sojourn in Moab and died there.

Mahlon and Chilion (Ruth 1:2–5; Ruth 4:9–10)

Her two sons, who took Moabite wives and died in Moab; Boaz bought what was theirs of the hand of Naomi.

Ruth (Ruth 1:14–18; Ruth 3:1–6; Ruth 4:15)

Her daughter-in-law, who clave to her, gleaned for her, did all she bade, and is called better to her than seven sons.

Orpah (Ruth 1:4; Ruth 1:14–15)

Her other daughter-in-law, who kissed her and went back to her people.

Boaz (Ruth 2:1; Ruth 2:20; Ruth 4:9–10)

A kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, who bought Elimelech's land of the hand of Naomi and took Ruth as wife.

Obed (Ruth 4:13–17)

The son Ruth bare to Boaz, whom Naomi laid in her bosom and nursed, and of whom the neighbors said, There is a son born to Naomi.

The women of Beth-lehem (Ruth 1:19; Ruth 4:14–17)

They asked, Is this Naomi? and later blessed the LORD for not leaving her without a near kinsman, and called the child a son born to Naomi.

The LORD (Ruth 1:8–9; Ruth 1:13; Ruth 1:20–21)

Naomi prays that he deal kindly with her daughters-in-law, and says his hand is gone forth against her and he hath brought her home empty.

Major sections

• Ruth 1:1–22
• Ruth 2:1–23
• Ruth 3:1–18
• Ruth 4:1–17

More illuminations · Harbinger's Lamp