References (6)
The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and his two sons Mahlon (Hebr. Machlon) and Chilion. [Elimelech’s name means: ”my God is king”; Naomi ”well-being/sweetness”; the sons ”sickly” and ”fragile/weak”]. The family were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. [Ephraim was an area around Bethlehem, see ; ; .] They came to the land of Moab and stayed there.
[The first chapter begins and ends in the small town of Bethlehem in Judah. It is an almost ironic point that there is a famine in Bethlehem, in Hebrew ”house of bread”. The natural cause of the famine was probably several years of drought and crop failure. From a theological perspective, there were also spiritual causes. The people of Israel had abandoned God and devoted themselves to idols, and one consequence of this was that God’s hand of protection left the people, see ; .
Moab is located east of the Dead Sea, see ; . Only a generation earlier, the Israelites had been at war with Moab, see . The decision to go to Moab, and not to their Jewish brethren east of the Jordan River, may describe spiritual apostasy. Marriage to Moabite women was not forbidden, but no Moabite, or his sons to the tenth generation, were allowed to be admitted to the assembly of the Lord, see . The reason was the origin of the people, the incestuous relationship between Lot and his eldest daughter, see . Further, it was the Moabites who paid for Balaam to curse Israel, see .]
[Soon after moving to Moab, Naomi was grief-stricken.] Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, leaving her alone with her two sons. [The dream of a better life was shattered. Being buried outside one’s homeland was a disgrace and considered a punishment, see ; .]
Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, an honorable (dignified, strong, courageous, influential) man of the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz.
[Boaz’s name means something like ”with him there is strength”. He is included in Jesus’ genealogy, see ; . One of the pillars in Solomon’s temple was named Boaz by the smith Chiram, see , . The word honorable (Hebr. chayil) is used for military strength, courage, skill, wealth, triumph and power, see ; ; ; ; ; . The use of the word for Boaz, who is a picture of the Messiah, shows how Jesus is a mighty warrior who fights for his people. The word is also used of Ruth () and how her future generations will be ”mighty” ().]
Then Ruth went away and came to a field and picked the ears of the harvesters there. It so happened that the field belonged to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. [From Ruth’s limited perspective, she chose a random field, but the reader can sense God’s guidance here.]
Then he said to the redeemer, ”The land that belonged to our relative (brother, half-brother) Elimelech is now given to Naomi, who came back to us from Moab.
Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people [who were there in the square]: ”You are my witnesses (hebr. edim) today. I have acquired (bought) from Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and that belonged to Chilion and Machlon.
