And she said, call me not Naomi, call me Mara
The one signifying "prosperity", according to Josephus
F13, and the other "grief"; but he is
not always correct in his interpretation of Hebrew words, or to
be depended on; by this indeed her different states are well
enough expressed, and he rightly observes, that she might more
justly be called the one than the other; but the words signify,
the one "sweet" and pleasant, and the other "bitter", see (
Exodus
15:23 ) , and the reason she gives confirms it:
for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with
me;
had wrote bitter things against her, brought bitter afflictions
on her, which were very disagreeable to the flesh, as the loss of
her husband, her children, and her substance; see ( lam 3:15
lam
3:19 ) .