Ruth 1:4

4 and they took wives of Moab, of which wives one was called Orpah, the tother Ruth. And the sons dwelled there ten years (And the sons lived there for ten years),

Ruth 1:4 Meaning and Commentary

Ruth 1:4

And they took them wives of the women of Moab
Not before they were proselyted to the Jewish religion, as Aben Ezra thinks, and which seems plainly to be the case of Ruth; at least she was so afterwards, if not before; and also of Orpah, as the same writer concludes from ( Ruth 1:15 ) though others are of a different opinion, and some excuse their marriage, and others condemn it as unlawful, among whom is the Targumist, who paraphrases the words,

``and they transgressed the decree of the Word of the Lord, and took to them strange wives of the daughters of Moab;''

however it was so permitted by the Lord, and ordered in Providence, that from one of them the Messiah might spring:

and the name of the one was Orpah;
she was married to Chilion; and Alshech gathers from hence that the youngest was married first before his brother:

and the name of the other Ruth
the Targum adds,

``the daughter of Eglon, king of Moab;''

and that she was his daughter, or the daughter of his son, is a notion commonly received with the Jews ^F25 though without any just foundation; she was married to Mahlon, ( Ruth 4:10 ) , one Philo ^F26 asserts these two women to be own sisters, for what reason does not appear; and a Jewish writer ^F1 says they were both daughters of Eglon, king of Moab: and they dwelt there about ten years; that is, Mahlon and Chilion, who married these women; which is to be reckoned either from the time they came into the land, or from the time of their marriage; the latter seems to be the case from the connection of the words.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F25 T. Bab. Nazir, fol. 23. 2. Sotah, fol. 47. 1. Sanhedrin, fol. 105. 2. Horayot, fol. 10. 2. Zohar in Deut. fol. 109. 2.
F26 Apud Drusium in loc.
F1 Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 8. 1.

Ruth 1:4 In-Context

2 He was called Elimelech, and his wife (was) Naomi, and his two sons, the one was called Mahlon, and the tother Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem of Judah; and they entered into the country of Moab, and they dwelled there (and they went to the country of Moab, and they lived there).

3 And Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she (was) left with her sons;

4 and they took wives of Moab, of which wives one was called Orpah, the tother Ruth. And the sons dwelled there ten years (And the sons lived there for ten years),

5 and both died, that is, Mahlon and Chilion; and the woman (was) left, and was made bare of her two free sons, and her husband. (and then both of them died, that is, Mahlon and Chilion; and so the woman was bereaved of her two sons, and her husband.)

6 And she rose to go with ever either wife of her sons into her country from the country of Moab; for she had heard, that the Lord had beheld his people, and had given meats to them. (And she rose up to go with the wives of both of her sons back to her country from the country of Moab; for she had heard, that the Lord had looked kindly again upon his people, and had given them food.)