Ruth 1

So Naomi urged them to return to Moab; she released them from any obligation they might feel toward their elderly mother-in-law. And she blessed them: “May the LORD show kindness⁸ to you,as you have shown. . .to me” (verse 8). But the daughters-in-law refused to leave Naomi.

11–13 Then Naomi used another argument. The Lord had said that if a married brother died without a son, his younger brother was to marry the widow in order to produce an heir for his dead brother (Deuteronomy 25:5–6). However, Naomi was too old to get married again and have children, so she would be unable to provide “younger brothers” for her two widowed daughters-in-law to marry. Therefore, let the two young women go back to Moab and not destroy their chance of getting another husband by continuing on with Naomi. They had hope of future happiness, whereas Naomi had none: the LORD’s hand had gone out against her⁹ (verse 13).

14–18 At this point, both young women were free to return to Moab—and one did (verse 14).But Ruth was determined to stay with Naomi: “Where you go I will go,and where you stay I will stay” (verse 16).In choosing this course, Ruth was continuing to show kindness and love to Naomi even though it meant sacrificing her own supposed happiness. True love is never self-seeking (1 Corinthians 13:5).

More important, Ruth refused to go back to her gods (verse 15)—the false gods of Moab.¹⁰ She chose instead to believe in Naomi’s God. She even swore an oath using the Lord’s name that she would be prepared to accept the severest punishment if she were ever to leave Naomi (verse 17).

19–22 Back in Bethlehem, Naomi was greeted with amazement—perhaps because she appeared much older and sadder (verse 19).She asked not to be called Naomi (meaning “pleasant”) but rather to be called Mara (“bitter”).She said: “I went away full—with a husband and two sons—but the LORD has brought me back empty—without husband or sons” (verse 21).Again Naomi recognized that it was the Lord who had caused her misfortune, and she probably assumed that He must be displeased with her.¹¹ But as we shall see, the Lord had plans that Naomi didn’t know about: He was going to replace her “emptiness” with “fullness.” And this would happen when the barley harvest was beginning (verse 22).