New Commentary on Ruth, ch. 1

Chapter one, 1-7

Commentary 1:1-7

1: The expression “in the time of the judges” alludes to the expression “in those days there was no king in Israel, and each person did as he wished”, which appears 3 times in the book of judges 17:6; 18:1; 21:25; and with slight differences in 19:1.. These appearances deal with transgressions of idolatry, robbery, murder, promiscuity, rape, civil war, and kidnapping, and this is a hint that Elimelech’s action is negative, and that it is committed in a context of total mayhem and disrespect for the law. The man goes from Bethlehem - the house of bread, to the fields of Moab. A house is a permanent place whereas a field is a temporary shelter. He leaves the house which promises bread and walks to a field, and the purpose of his journey is temporary, to be a sojourner. It is interesting to note that the reason for the commandment to reject the Moabites is that they did not welcome the Israelites with the bread. 2: The names of the family members are symbolic. Elimelech – strength and kingship; Naomi – pleasantness; Mahlon – disease. Khilyon – annihilation. They came… they were - they came in order to be sojourners but eventually were there, meaning that their entities belonged to Moab. 4: Orpah - she who turns her back; Ruth - I believe it is connected to the root רוה, to satiate one's thirst, as I will show later (1:20; 4:15). At this stage we still do not know which one of the women married which one of the sons. The woman remains, as a remnant, after her family members were yanked from her life one after another. As we shall see later, she perceives those events as a blow directed at her by God, a blow which in her opinion was exaggerated and unjustified. 6: She got up she turned back - getting up is an act which requires courage. She had to shake off the passiveness which engulfed her, get up and go back to Bethlehem. She got up and her daughters-in-law - she is the one who gets up, while her daughters-in-law are, at least in her eyes, just satellites, as we shall see later when she tries to convince them to leave her alone. God has remembered His people – apparently, she is not part of the people because she is in the fields of Moab. She got out - she rescues herself. 7: The place in which she was - as mentioned above, she came to be a sojourner but became a part of the place. And her two daughters-in-law with her - the verb “she got out” still address her alone. They went on the way to turn back - the combination of the verbs “to go” and “turn back” is a key for understanding the plot. The irony is that her daughters-in-law cannot return to Judah because they were never there, and Naomi will later use that as an argument against them joining her. On the way - in the following verses we will read about a confrontation between Naomi and her daughters-in-law which takes place on the road between Moab and Judah, a place where neither of them belongs.

Ruth 1:8-13

And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, go back, each of you to her mother’s house. May the Lord do kindness with you as you have done with the dead and with me. May the Lord grant to you that you find a settled place, each of you in the house of her husband. And she kissed them, and they raised their voice and wept. And they said to her, but with you we will go back to your people. And Naomi said, go back my daughters, why should you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb to become your husbands? Go back my daughters, go, for I am too old to marry a man. Even if I had thought I have hope and this very night I shall have a husband and bear sons. Would you wait for them till they grew up? Would you become imprisoned by them and not marry others? No, my daughters, for it is far more bitter for me than for you [alt. translations: I feel very sorry for you / I am bitter because of you] because the Lord's hand has come out against me.

Commentary 1:8-13

8. Go, go back - Naomi tells her daughters-in-law that they cannot return to Bethlehem because it is not their place, their place rather, is each at her mother's house. חסד – we usually translate this word as charity or loving kindness but its original significance in the Bible is trustworthiness or loyalty (see Psalm 86:2). This is also the etymology of the Hebrew word for stork – חסידה, as the stork returns loyally to its nest every year (See Jer. 8:7). Naomi praises Ruth and Orpah for being loyal to their dead husbands and to her.

9. Immediately afterwards she transitions to a blessing with a hidden criticism, and perhaps frustration, with the fact that her sons married Moabite women: May you find rest – with me you cannot find rest. You will only settle down at the house of your future husbands. She says that they are done with being loyal to their dead husbands.

The word rest appears again in 3:1, this time in a positive sense. When Naomi recognizes the turn of events, she tells Ruth that she is seeking for her rest, a way to settle down which will benefit Ruth.

10. With you we shall return to your people – Ruth and Orpah response to Naomi’s argument that they do not belong in Bethlehem by saying that they belong with Naomi and her people. They joined the people when they married Naomi’s sons.

11. Naomi rejects their argument by saying she has no more sons for them to marry. It seems as if she is speaking of the levirate law, but that law does not apply to a brother born after his brother’s death.

Rather, Naomi emphasizes her feeling of misery, and also tells Ruth and Orpah that they are opportunistic and that they stay with her because they hope to marry her children. She then tells them to go back, rejecting their argument that they belong with her people, and adds, why would you go with me, arguing that they do not belong with her personally.

12. Naomi repeats the verbs go back and go, and reiterates her hopelessness. Even is she had still entertained the remote chance of getting married that very night, and would have had children, would her daughters-in-law wait for them until they become men and marry them?

13. The root עגנ is unique in the bible, in modern Hebrew it means anchor, but this significance is derived from Greek. In biblical Hebrew it should be understood according to the rule of the bi-radical root, which says that the first two letter of a root, combined with other letters, from a group of words with elated meanings. The bi-radical root of עגנ is עג which means creating a circle. The significance of the root here is that Ruth and Orpah are warned not to draw a circle in which they will be imprisoned while waiting for their future husbands.

14. מר לי מאוד מכם – I translated this in three ways: A) it is far more bitter for me than for you – this claim of greater suffering is very common among people who share an experience of grief and loss, such as the death of a relative or surviving disasters, each one claims that his or her suffering is greater. B) I feel very sorry for you – Naomi shows her concern for Ruth and Orpah. C) I am bitter because of you – Naomi accuses her daughter-in-law in being the cause of her suffering. If her sons would not have married Moabite women, perhaps they would still be alive. This also explains the reluctance of Naomi to take them back with her, as they are a bitter reminder of her past and of her sons’ possible transgression.

13. The Lord's hand has come out against me – Naomi repeats this claim in verses 20-21. She feels that God singled her out from amongst the crowd and decided to shoot His arrows at her. Naomi claims she does not deserve such disproportional punishment and her words remind us of the Book of Lamentations (3:12-13), where the author complains: He bent His bow and stood me up as a target for the arrow, He drove into my innards the shafts of His quiver.

Ruth 1:14-22

And they raised their voice and wept once more, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, and Ruth clung to her. And she said, look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people, go back after your sister-in-law. And Ruth said, do not plead with me to forsake you, to turn back from you. For wherever you go I will go, and wherever you lodge I will lodge. Your people is my people and your God is my God. Wherever you die I will die and there will I be buried. So may the Lord do to me or even more, for only death will part you and me. And she saw that she was insisting on going with her and she ceased speaking to her. And the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem, and as they came to Bethlehem that the whole town was astir over them, and the women said, is this Naomi? And she said, do not call me Naomi, call me Mara for Shaddai has dealt great bitterness to me. I went out full, and empty did the Lord bring me back. Why should you call me Naomi when the Lord has borne witness against me, and Shaddai has done me harm? And Naomi came back and her daughter-in-law with her, who was coming back from the Plains of Moab, and they had come to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.

Commentary 1:14-22

14. Ruth's reward for clinging to Naomi appears in 2:8 when she is told by Boaz to cling to his maidens.

15. יבמתך - the root יבמ appears in the Bible in three contexts: in the story of Tamar and Onan (Gen. 38:1-10), in the discussion of the levirate law in Deuteronomy (25:5-10), and here. Our story is unique because the noun יבם usually describes the relationship between the surviving brothers and the widow, whereas here Ruth and Orpah are called each other’s יבמה. Previously, Naomi addressed an alleged attempt by Ruth and Orpah to continue Elimelech’s dynasty, but did not use the root יבם, rather arguing that there is no chance for success. Now she tells Ruth that her יבמה has returned, meaning that Orpah has turned her back on the idea of the levirate law. To her people and to her gods - this is the third step in Naomi’s description of Orpah’s return: in verse 8 she spoke about returning to her mother’s house, in verse 9 she spoke about returning to the man, the future husband, and now she says that Orpah returned to her people and her gods, meaning that Orpah’s claim “we will return with you to your people” has been proven false. Naomi continues and tells Ruth return follow in the footsteps of her יבמה, her sister-in-law. There is a sensation of scorn or bitterness, as if Naomi says, “now you have proven who you are loyal to.”

16. Do not plead with me - do not try to convince me but also, similarly to modern Hebrew, do not attack or offend me. Naomi's attempt to convince Ruth to return to Moab hurts her, and Ruth's reward for being so stubborn appears in 2:22, when Naomi’s describes Boaz’s protection of Ruth with the words “they will not attack you in another field.” To abandon you – the verb עזב is central to the story of Ruth. Here Ruth tells Naomi that she will never abandon her, in 2:11 Boaz praises Ruth for abandoning her father and mother and following Naomi, in 2:16 Boaz commands his servant to let Ruth gather wheat as she wishes, using that verb – ועזבתם, and in 2:20, when Naomi transitions from despair to hope, she says that God did not abandon his faithfulness. To turn back from you - the verb שוב appears here to describe the movement which Ruth refuses to do: she will not turn back from Naomi, she will not turn back in the footsteps of Orpah’s, and she will only turn back with Naomi to Bethlehem, to Naomi's people. I shall go wherever you go - הלכ is the second half of the pair לשוב וללכת which repeat throughout this chapter: Elimelech goes to Moab, Naomi goes on the road, Naomi tries to convince Ruth to go away from her, and now Ruth declares that she will go wherever Naomi goes. Your people is my people and your God is my God - here Ruth pledges allegiance to Naomi as a response to Naomi’s argument that Ruth should return, like Orpah, to her people and to her gods. The midrashic commentary is that Naomi tried to prevent Ruth from converting to Judaism, but the text offers no basis for this interpretation. Rather, this is a spontaneous and heartfelt proclamation which shows that Ruth anticipated of Naomi's arguments. She practically tells Naomi that there is no point in arguing with her, because she will cling to Naomi, like glue, until the day she dies. It seems that Naomi is unhappy, but it is possible that Ruth's words touched her deeply. Ruth’s approach is essential when trying to help a person who feels despair, deep agony, and loneliness following loss. The first step is to give that person the feeling that he is not alone.

17. So may the Lord do to me or even more - now that Ruth has accepted upon her the God of Israel, she can make an oath with the unique name, YHWH, and prove her loyalty to Naomi. Death will part us - this is a commitment to friendship and loyalty till the last moment, as well as a proclamation that this loyalty does not depend on Naomi's ability to bear sons or Ruth’s hope to marry one of them.

18. The meaning of the root אמצ is usually strong, or in the combination אמצ-לב, stubborn or brave. Naomi understands that Ruth is determined and stops talking to her. She not only stops trying to convince Ruth to leave her, but rather stops talking altogether, completely detaching herself and showing unwillingness to accept Ruth. She keeps walking with Ruth silently, which probably hurt Ruth deeply, but Ruth keeps quiet and adheres to her mission, to restore Naomi's soul.

19. The verb הלכ which appears also in the previous verse, is used to describe their walking the long road and their arrival at Bethlehem. The verb used is not שוב – return, but rather בוא – to come or arrive, as if they have come to Bethlehem for the first time in their lives. This is true for Ruth but apparently not for Naomi, but their reception explains this anomaly. The women said, is this Naomi? - the news about her their arrival spread rapidly, but when the women saw Naomi they did not recognize her. This Naomi, different and tormented, did arrive at Bethlehem for the first time in her life, while Ruth is completely ignored, another blow to the young widow.

20. Do not call me Naomi - the new and different Naomi seeks also a new name – מרה, bitter, a name which conveys her bitterness, which is directed at God who made her life extremely bitter, above and beyond what she thought she deserved. The name Mara is also the name of the bitter to which the Israelites arrived following the parting of the Red Sea (Ex. 15:22-27) This is the allusion that led me to write that the name of Ruth is derived from רוה, to satiate one’s thirst, because Ruth taught Naomi not to be bitter and to drink from the sweet water of life. I went out full, and empty did the Lord bring me back – here there is a chiastic parallelism, ABC in the first half of the verse, BCA in the second half. In the first half Naomi is active and in the second half it is God, in the first half Naomi is full and in the second she is empty, in the first half we find הלכ – to go or walk, and in the second half שוב – to go back. Again, we see the pair הלכ ושוב – to go and go back. the Lord has borne witness against me – this, apparently, is an acceptance of the verdict, but Naomi immediately says “Shaddai has done me harm” meaning the she thinks that God has caused her greater harm than she deserves. Later, we will see how Ruth orchestrates events to make Naomi to announce that God has never abandoned her (2:20).