Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Ruth 1
Ruth 1:16-17But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you."
Ruth's pledge to Naomi is a stunning vow of loyalty that goes beyond family ties. It is a declaration of new identity, embracing Naomi's people, land, and God as her own, even unto death.Ruth 1:20-21She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?
Naomi, whose name means 'pleasant,' renames herself 'Mara,' meaning 'bitter,' expressing her deep grief and feeling that God himself has caused her suffering. Her raw honesty gives voice to the pain of loss.Ruth 1:22So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.
The chapter ends with a subtle but crucial detail: their arrival in Bethlehem coincides with the beginning of the barley harvest. This small sign of new life and provision serves as a glimmer of hope after a decade of death and famine.
Historical & Cultural Context
A Journey Born of Desperation
The story is set 'in the days when the judges ruled,' a period of moral chaos and instability in Israel. A famine strikes Bethlehem, ironically meaning 'House of Bread,' forcing Elimelech's family to seek refuge in Moab, a neighboring nation with a history of hostility toward Israel. This decision to leave the promised land for a pagan country is a desperate one, setting the stage for the tragedy that follows.
A Crossroads of Grief and Loyalty
After ten years, tragedy has struck repeatedly, leaving Naomi a widow without her two sons. Hearing that the famine in Judah has ended, she decides to return home. This prompts a heart-wrenching scene on the road where she urges her Moabite daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, to return to their own families for a better future. Their decision at this crossroads will determine the rest of their lives and shape the course of redemptive history.
A Journey Through Loss, Loyalty, and Return
Ruth 1 unfolds as a journey from the familiar to the foreign and back again, marked by great loss and a pivotal choice. The narrative begins with a family's flight from famine, descends into the grief of widowhood and childlessness, and climaxes with an extraordinary vow of loyalty. The chapter concludes with a bittersweet homecoming, where emptiness and a flicker of hope exist side-by-side.
Tragedy in a Foreign Land (Ruth 1:1-5)
1 In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his 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 They took Moabite wives, the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years.
5 Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.
Commentary:
An Israelite family seeking refuge in Moab suffers the loss of its three men, leaving Naomi a childless widow.
Related Verse Analysis
A Bitter Farewell (Ruth 1:6-14)
6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and given them food.
7 So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.
8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.
9 The Lord grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!”
10 And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.”
11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands?
12 Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons,
13 would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me."
14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
Commentary:
Naomi tries to send her daughters-in-law back to Moab for their own good, and a tearful Orpah agrees to go.
Ruth's Unbreakable Vow (Ruth 1:15-18)
15 And she said, "See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law."
16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.
17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you."
18 And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.
Commentary:
Ruth makes a solemn vow to stay with Naomi, embracing her people, her land, and her God as her own.
Homecoming to an Empty Life (Ruth 1:19-22)
19 So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, "Is this Naomi?"
20 She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
21 I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?
22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.
Commentary:
Naomi and Ruth arrive in Bethlehem, where Naomi expresses her bitterness over her losses, but their arrival at harvest time hints at hope.
Finding God in Grief and Loyalty
God's Hidden Providence
Throughout the chapter, God seems absent or even, as Naomi claims, hostile. Yet, the story subtly shows His hand at work, guiding Naomi home at the exact time of the harvest. This theme of providence - God's unseen guidance - reveals that He is orchestrating a plan of redemption even when circumstances appear bleak.
Hesed: Covenant Loyalty
Ruth's vow to Naomi is a perfect illustration of 'hesed,' a Hebrew word for loyal, steadfast love that goes beyond duty or obligation. Her selfless commitment to a mother-in-law with no future prospects mirrors the covenant-keeping love that God shows to His people. It is this human expression of hesed that becomes the vehicle for God's blessing.
From Emptiness to Fullness
The central emotional journey of the chapter is from fullness to emptiness. Naomi declares, 'I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty' (Ruth 1:21). This sets the stage for the rest of the book, which will show how God takes Naomi's emptiness and, through Ruth's faithfulness, fills it beyond all expectation.
Inclusion of the Outsider
As a Moabite, Ruth was an outsider and, according to the law, excluded from the assembly of Israel. Her willing adoption of Israel's God and her welcome into the community challenge ethnic and religious boundaries. This theme shows that God's grace is not limited by nationality and that He often chooses the unlikely to accomplish His purposes.
Lessons from Loss and Loyalty
Naomi doesn't hide her feelings. She openly tells her community, 'the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me' (Ruth 1:20). Her example shows that you can bring your raw, unfiltered grief and even anger to God. Faith involves clinging to God even when you feel broken, not pretending you're okay.
Ruth's commitment to Naomi was costly, offering her no worldly security or advantage. Her vow in Ruth 1:16-17 teaches that true loyalty is not based on convenience but on selfless love. It challenges you to consider if your commitments to God and others remain strong when they require personal sacrifice.
Naomi felt completely empty, yet the chapter ends with a sign of hope: 'they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest' (Ruth 1:22). This reminds you that even in seasons of great loss, God provides small glimmers of new beginnings. Hope can be found in the quiet presence of a loyal friend and in the first signs of God's provision, even when the full picture is not yet clear.
God's Faithfulness in Our Emptiness
The first chapter of Ruth plunges us into a world of famine, death, and bitterness, showing that faith does not grant immunity from suffering. Yet, in the midst of Naomi's despair, the quiet, steadfast loyalty of one foreign woman changes everything. The message is that God's redemptive work often begins in our emptiness, unfolding through the seemingly small, faithful choices of ordinary people who choose love in the face of loss.
What This Means for Us Today
Ruth's story is an invitation to choose loyalty when it is easier to walk away. Her pledge, 'Where you go I will go,' models a covenant love that mirrors God's own commitment to us. This chapter invites us to see God's hand in grand miracles and in the quiet faithfulness of human relationships that He uses to bring about His purposes.
- Who in your life is God calling you to show radical loyalty to, even at a personal cost?
- How can you look for the 'barley harvest' - the small signs of new beginnings - in your own seasons of loss?
- When you feel empty or bitter like Naomi, how can Ruth's example of active faithfulness encourage you to take the next step?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
This chapter concludes the book of Judges, highlighting the moral and spiritual chaos where 'everyone did what was right in his own eyes,' providing a dark backdrop for the personal faithfulness found in Ruth.
The story continues as Ruth's loyalty leads her to a field to glean, where she encounters Boaz and God's hidden plan of provision begins to unfold.
Connections Across Scripture
This law forbidding Moabites from entering 'the assembly of the Lord' highlights the radical nature of God's grace in accepting Ruth into the community of Israel.
Ruth, the Moabite, is named in the genealogy of Jesus, showing how her act of faith had an eternal impact on God's plan of salvation for the whole world.
This passage explains the origins of the Moabite people, providing the historical context for the animosity between Israel and Moab and making Ruth's story of inclusion even more remarkable.
Discussion Questions
- Naomi believed 'the hand of the Lord has gone out against me' (Ruth 1:13). Have you ever felt this way? How does this chapter challenge or comfort you in those feelings?
- Compare Orpah's decision to leave with Ruth's decision to stay. Was Orpah's choice wrong or practical? What does their differing responses reveal about the cost of radical faith?
- Ruth's vow in verses 16-17 is a commitment to Naomi, her people, and her God. What does it look like to make that kind of selfless commitment to God and His community today?
Glossary
places
figures
Naomi
An Israelite woman whose name means 'pleasant,' but who renames herself 'Mara' (bitter) after suffering the loss of her husband and sons.
Ruth
A Moabite woman, daughter-in-law to Naomi, who demonstrates extraordinary loyalty and becomes an ancestor of Jesus Christ.
Orpah
A Moabite woman, also daughter-in-law to Naomi, who chooses to return to her own people and gods rather than journey to Judah.