Naomi not only disregards the Abrahamic Covenant, she also urges Ruth (and Orpah) to do likewise. How could Naomi encourage Ruth (and, by inference, Orpah) to return to their god(s), when doing so would condemn them eternally? For I am too old to get married again. WebRuth 1:3. There we read of the Sodom-like immorality of some of the Benjamites in the city of Gibeah, which resulted in the near extinction of their tribe. No wonder Naomi finally ceased trying to convince her to turn back (verse 18). Now I should stop to say that I firmly believe in the sovereignty of God, that God is in absolute control of everything that takes place on this earth. (Now they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.) No, it is realized as I desire and is fulfilled as I intend (Isaiah 55:8-11). They came empty (at least according to Naomis assessment see verse 21), but God would not let them go hungry (or childless). And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband. As they entered Bethlehem, they became the talk of the town. Judah (through whom the messianic line would be traced) kept his third son from a Levirate marriage with the first sons widow, and then had sex with a woman he thought was a cult prostitute.31 God not only preserved the messianic line, He was faithful to fulfill His (Abrahamic) covenant32 with Abraham. The oldest daughter went first, bearing a son whom she named Moab. <> But Ruth refuses to abandon Naomi and clings to her tightly. It was my friend Dave Austin who reminded me of the danger of pragmatism from this text. 17 Wherever you die, I will die and there I will be buried. 26 The way they acquired the 400 wives by wiping out Jabesh Gilead is no more noble. It follows, therefore, that these characters must be important in setting the theme of the book. SIDON (also Zidon ; Heb. It seems that they are pointing out a certain disconnect between the name and the behavior. Each of you should return to your mothers home! 31 Later the older daughter said to the younger, Our father is old, and there is no man anywhere nearby to have sexual relations with us, according to the way of all the world. What a marvelous woman of faith Ruth was. Naomi told her friend not to call her Naomi (which means pleasant) any longer, but rather to call her Mara (which means bitter). . Ruth emphatically says No to Naomi, but with such wonderful words Naomi can hardly continue to stand in her way. I would be very reluctant to conclude that Ruths husband or his parents taught her the law. She was willing to sacrifice family ties, marriage, and a family to do so. God has chosen to save Gentiles as well as Jews. A lion approached and he fought off the lion. 2 Then I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, so that you will exemplify divine blessing. God is always at his work. The more Naomi moans on about how bad things are for her, and how hopeless it would be for Orpah or Ruth to stay with her, the more we see the mighty hand of God working all things for the good of His people, as well as for His glory. Lot fled with his daughters and was living in a cave. After about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion died. Id like to deal with our text by calling your attention to the contrasts the author has highlighted in the first chapter of Ruth. You can't run away. 1 0 obj 3 Then Elimelech, Naomis husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. This is entirely consistent with Old Testament history and with the warnings recorded in Leviticus 26:18-20 and Deuteronomy 28:23-24. The genealogy provided in chapter 4 would incline us to believe that the events of Ruth took place later rather than sooner in the period of the judges, because Ruth is the great grandmother of David.17 But other than this, there do not appear to be any direct links to events or persons in the Book of Judges. Put another way, the title of this book is Ruth, not Orpah. In addition, why would a private individual carry a name that signifies royalty. The family lived in Bethlehem, a small city near Jerusalem. %PDF-1.5 And when both her sons died without bearing children, her situation seemed impossible. Encyclopaedia Judaica. Rabbi Shimon Ben Gamliel said: The ancestors who used the power of Divine Inspiration drew names out of (future) events; we who do not have access to Divine Inspiration, draw names from our forefathers (Genesis Rabbah 37,7)., What does the name Elimelech mean? For the children of the desolate one are more numerous. It says in verse three that Elimelech died in Moab. 2 Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the NET Bible. All rights reserved. Who would want a Moabite wife, especially a widow? The word redeem means to set free by paying a price. In the case of Ruth and Naomi, Elimelechs property had And yet as the story of Ruth unfolded this time, it suddenly became obvious to me that Naomi was no role model. Neither does she mention the mistreatment they would likely receive because Moab is Israels enemy, but they could probably read between the lines. Naomi saw singleness (widowhood for her) and childlessness as a curse, while Paul taught that singleness could facilitate ministry to others and to God (1 Corinthians 7:32-35). He stood in the opening and blocked it with his body. Naomi thought of Gods blessings in terms of having food and a family. The danger of practicing pragmatism above principle. In the dark shadows of the days of the judges, we find two individuals whose lives are truly lights in the darkness. Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps. His oldest daughter concluded that their father would die without an heir. The women of the village said, Can this be Naomi? 20 But she replied to them, Dont call me Naomi! There is no doubt that this is a great honor and privilege for a woman. WebThe Bible Exposition Commentary: The meaning of redemption. Other translations have another another husband. The security in the home of a new husband referred to earlier is now spelled out in plainer terms. We will not focus overmuch on the details as much as on the concepts. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. Naomis hope was in the physical rather than in the spiritual, in the present rather than in eternity. But he was not aware that she had sexual relations with him and then got up. Apparently Elimelech abandoned his people because they scorned their leaders. (7) Naomi does appear to have one thing right humanly speaking, Naomis chances of perpetuating her husbands line are between slim and none. WebWhen a severe famine struck Israel, Elimelech took his wife Naomi and their two sons across the Jordan and south to the land of Moab, in the hope of finding a living there. How did Elimelechs sons die in the Bible? Such are the products of our pleasant things, weak and infirm, fading and dying. Best Answer. The barley harvest will play a significant role in moving this story forward in the next two chapters. T -6d$zA ^C(D`Ed8 BR. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. Im an Assyrian not a Syrian. His name was Nate Mirza. and lifts up the needy from the garbage pile, 9 He makes the barren woman of the family. The younger daughter then did likewise and bore a son named Ammon. 14 Again they wept loudly. The Sages, however, read it with a slight difference in pronunciation as Elai Melech For he said: Kingship is due to me (Ruth Rabba 2,5). We know of Abimelech, son of the leader Gideon and Abimelech, the King of Gerar. Ruth 1:3 Commentaries: Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. 1:1-5 Elimelech's care to provide for his family, was not to be blamed; but his removal into the country of Moab could not be justified. Ruth 2:1 Now Naomi had a relative on her husband's side, a prominent man of noble character from the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. Thus, we cannot say with certainty that the story of Ruth occurs late in the period of the judges, though this seems likely. Hebrews 12:6,10,11 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth, Elimelech -- 'God is king', the husband of Naomi, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular, Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular, Elimelech, driven by famine into Moab, dies there, Mahlon and Chilion, having married wives of Moab, die also, dissuades her two daughters-in-law from going with her, Orpah leaves her, but Ruth with great constancy accompanies her, The two come to Bethlehem, where they are gladly received, OT History: Ruth 1:3 Elimelech Naomi's husband died (Ru Rut. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. She persuaded her younger sister to help her get him drunk, and then for both of them to sleep with him to produce offspring for him. It would also seem that Naomis barrenness was divinely imposed.18, (5) Moab was not the place of Gods promised blessings; Israel was.19. He was right, but, was there, perhaps, a personal element in his reaction? Retrieved February 22, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/elimelech. The word redeem means to set free by paying a price. In the case of Ruth and Naomi, Elimelechs property had either been sold or was under some kind of mortgage, and the rights to the land had passed to Ruths husband, Mahlon, when Elimelech died. And one of these two Ruth is a Moabite, not an Israelite. Naomi was now left without a husband, without sons, and without grandchildren. Her God is all powerful, but not merciful and gracious. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023, Ruth: A Story of Redemption -- A Study of the Book of Ruth. Naomi"fair or pleasant"; and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, are supposed to be the same as Joash and Saraph (1Ch 4:22). Text Copyright Follow your sister-in-law back home! 16 But Ruth replied. There were no state registries or social security numbers and names served a much more fluid purpose than they do today. Elimelech Weisblum of Lizhensk (1717March 11, 1787) was a rabbi and one of the great founding Rebbes of the Hasidic movement. That is why some men and women will choose never to marry or to bear children. What Naomi does mention pertains to marriage and child bearing. We dont have a very good reputation in the Bible.. But when she urged Ruth to return to her pagan god(s), that was the worst unkindness of all. The NEW ENGLISH TRANSLATION, also known as THE NET BIBLE, is a completely new translation of the Bible, not a revision or an update of a previous English version. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah went to live as a resident foreigner in the region of Moab, along with He is slow to anger, and He does forgive sin. To do it any other way was to disobey God. 2 These women invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods; then the people ate and bowed down to their gods. Naomi adds one final argument in favor of Orpah and Ruth returning home to Moab. Mahlon chose a young woman named Ruth, but he also died shortly thereafter. As you will recall, Mrs. Her name means "ewe," while that of her siste, Elam Lot and his two daughters are now living in a cave. While in Moab, Elimelech died, leaving his wife with their two sons (verse 3). The sons married Moabite women, which was something else God wanted His people to avoid. However, God ended up blessing Elimelechs family anyway, although not through his sons. God instead chose to work through Naomi and one of her Moabite daughters-in-law, Ruth. Naomi also made it clear that this was because (in her mind) God had dealt harshly with her.16 Naomi measured Gods blessing only in terms of food and of family. 3 0 obj (1) There is no clear link to a particular time, to a particular judge, or to a particular event recorded in the Book of Judges. How could any faithful Israelite encourage someone to return to their (false) god(s)? As we explained in the introduction, the restoration of Elimelechs seed by Boaz through Levirite marriage to Ruth, constitutes the first redemptive cycle of the book; in this lies the importance of early introduction of Ruths former husband, brother-in-law and their father. And the woman was left of her two children and of her husband. 4 So her sons married Moabite women. We shall see more about this in chapter 3. You must not bow down to their gods; you must not serve them or do according to their practices. The second clue that this name is meant to be interpreted is how the verse presents it. 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