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Ruth 1:1-5

A Guided Bible Study

Great literature tends to have one thing in common: a fantastic introduction. Think of Charles Dickens’: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

The book of Ruth certainly meets that standard.

Ruth 1:1-5 sets the stage for the whole story in a way that captures the reader’s attention. As you will discover in this blog post, the author utilizes irony, foreshadowing, and structural devices to set the stage for the story through a sequence of tragic events.

Before we begin make sure you 1) download the worksheet, 2) read the passage several times, 3) make your own observations, and then 4) read the rest of this blog and compare your notes.

Ruth 1:1-5 (NRSV)

1 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. 3 But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

Ruth 1:1

In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons.

Each phrase of Ruth’s opening verse quickly provides the reader with important information.

For example, we learn about the story’s time period: “In the days when the judges ruled.”

The period of the judges followed the death of Joshua and preceded the foundation of the monarchy. This era in Israel’s history is recounted from Judges 1 through 1 Samuel 8. The period is marked by chaos and rebellion.

Next, Ruth 1:1 describes the event that leads to the sequence of tragedies we encounter in the first five verses. The narrator tells us, “there was a famine in the land.”

Two Observations about "the land"

First, famines in the Old Testament frequently precede important events and moments of conflict. Abraham and Isaac both leave the land of Canaan because of a famine (Genesis 12:10 and 26:1). Second, “the land” carries a lot of theological significance. God promised the land of Canaan to Abraham and all of his descendants.

According to the covenant, the fruitfulness of the land is connected to the faithfulness of Israel. When they obey God, the land provides plenty of food (Deuteronomy 28:8). When they rebel against God, the people experience the negative effects of famine (Deuteronomy 28:24).

The next detail carries an ironic and tragic message. As readers, we learn that this family lived in “Bethlehem of Judah.”

Bethlehem means “house of bread.” So, the book of Ruth opens ironically with a man leaving a town called “house of bread” because there was no bread in that town.

Following the information about where this family is from, the author tells us where they move: “the country of Moab.” (Learn more about the geography of the Old Testament here.)

Moab has an interesting history in the Old Testament.

The first reference to Moab occurs in Genesis 19:37. The entire people group’s lineage is traced back to Lot’s incestuous relationship with his daughters. This passage was surely read as an insult to the people of Moab.
The Moabite king, Balak, tried to curse Israel when they were wandering in the wilderness (Numb 22-24).
The Israelites had sex with the Moabite women which resulted in the people committing idolatry and ultimately led to God’s punishment (Numb 25:1-18).
In the book of Judges, we learn that Israel was subjected to Moab’s rule for 18 years.

Clearly, the idea that these Israelites would move to Moab is shocking.

With the last phrase of Ruth 1:1 (”he and his wife and two sons”) we meet the original characters of this story.

Ruth 1:2

The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there.

Names in the Old Testament frequently carry significance for the story in which they appear. The author of Ruth uses the characters’ names as literary devices to create irony and to foreshadow later events in the story.

Elimelech

Elimelech’s name means “my God is king.”

Remember, the book is set in the time of the judges. When we read the end of the book of Judges we discover some horrific stories that describe anarchy in Israel. Four times in Judges 17-21 the author tells us there was no king in those days (Judges 17:6; 19:1; 20:1; 21:25).

In 1 Samuel, the people of Israel will reject God as their king. So, Elimelech’s name sets a different tone for the book than that found at the end of Judges or in 1 Samuel.

Naomi

In Hebrew it is common for names to incorporate the name of a deity. For example, the “El” part of Elimelech is a name for god. The “i” in Naomi’s name likely refers to Yahweh. Consequently, her name means “kindness of Yahweh.” This name is ironic because Naomi will not feel that Yahweh is kind to her for the vast majority of the story.

Mahlon and Chilion

The main function of Mahlon and Chilion in the book of Ruth is to set up the scene and deepen the tragedy with their deaths. Three features of their names show how the author uses them to advance his story.

The names rhyme. As readers, we encounter them as a pair. They have no individuality.
The “on” ending of their names is often used on diminutive adjectives, which means they describe something small.
Their names foreshadow the events that will happen in the next few verses. Mahlon means “sickling” or “weak one.” Chilion means “completion” or “annihilation.”

Together, these names indicate the state of Elimelech’s family line and their hopes for the future. It’s sick and nearly annihilated.

Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah

What are Ephrathites? First, they are not the same as Ephraimites which is a group associated with the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Instead, the Ephrathites were a small clan in Bethlehem.

(Micah 5:2: But you, O Bethlehem Ephratha who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.)

We find a similar phrase in 1 Samuel 17:12.

(1 Sam 17:12 Now David was the son of an “Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse.)

As we will discover, the similarity between these two verses is intentional because one of the main reasons the book of Ruth was written was to explain King David’s family lineage.

They went into the country of Moab and remained there.

As we saw in verse 1, Moab is not the place an Israelite wants to live. Unfortunately, Elimelech’s family is sick and on the verge of annihilation. The famine causes them to leave their homeland and journey to a new location.

Ruth 1:3

But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons.

Verse three informs us of the book’s first death: “the husband of Naomi died.”

It does so while providing very few details. We don’t know what caused Elmelech’s death. We don’t know how long they lived in Moab before he died. All we know is that a woman is now left alone with her two sons.

If we incorporate historical information about widows in the ancient Near East and what we just learned about Elimelech’s and Naomi’s names, however, we gain a greater sense of the tragedy.

Widows in the ancient Near East were in a precarious position. It was a patriarchal society. If their husband was wealthy, they might be able to maintain the household. Since a famine caused Elimelech to move his family to Moab, however, it seems unlikely that he left a large estate to Naomi.

A widowed woman would also rely on her family unit to care for her. At this point, she must depend on her two sons: Mahlon and Chilion.

When we think about Naomi’s and Elimelech’s names we get a deeper understanding of the tragedy.

Naomi’s name means the kindness of God. The death of her husband sets off a sequence of events that will lead her to change her name to “bitter.”

Elimelech’s name means “my God is king.” What happens when the one whose name declared God is king dies?

There is a tragic irony in this verse. How can God be king when the events of life seem to lead only to bitterness?

Ruth 1:4

These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years

For the third time in the first four verses we are reminded about the family’s ever-deepening ties to Moab: “these took Moabite wives.”

The first two occurrences tell us that Naomi’s family moved to Moab and stayed there. Verse four tells us that Mahlon and Chilion intertwined their lives with the Moabite people through marriage.

Remember, if you are keeping the biblical narrative in mind, relationships between Israelite men and Moabite women in the past led to idolatry (Numbers 25:1-18). Will Mahlon’s and Chilion’s marriages to Moabite women produce the same result?

As you might expect at this point, the meanings of the names of Orpah and Ruth are significant for understanding the story. Orpah means “back of the neck” which foreshadows the fact that she will return to her family later in the story. Ruth likely means “she will be satisfied” which may refer to the story’s outcome for both Ruth and Naomi.

Ruth 1:5

both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

The “sickly one” (Mahlon) and the “annihilated one” (Chilion) die after living in Moab for at least 10 years. The result is that Naomi is left completely destitute.

As we have seen, the opening verses are filled with irony and clever literary design. A famine forces the family to move from the “House of Bread” (Bethlehem) to the land of Moab. The woman named for God’s kindness (Naomi) suffers unimaginable tragedy with the loss of her husband and her sons.

If we pay attention to the structure of these verses, we can see how the author heightened the tragedy by how he frames Naomi in her family.

In the first two verses, Naomi is listed in the middle of her family: ("he, and his wife and two sons;" "The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion").

In verse five, Naomi is listed first and on the outside of the sequence ("the woman was left without her two sons and her husband"). The narrator shows that Naomi is alone now and no longer surrounded by her family.

Conclusion

The first five verses of Ruth open this story with tragedy. It reminds me of the opening scenes of the Pixar movie, “Up” where meet a character whose life takes one tragic turn after another. Naomi whose name refers to the kindness of God seems to encounter anything but God’s kindness in these first five verses.

As readers the introduction to this story leaves us with several questions:

What will happen to Naomi?
Will she stay in Moab?
Can her name “God is kindness” be true? If so, how?

The rest of the story will work to answer these questions. If you want to find see how it does, make sure to subscribe to the email list so you don't miss any of the newest blog posts.