Ruth 1:2
in Ruth 1The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah, and they entered the land of Moab and settled there.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Beth-lehem-judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.
KJV
And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Beth–lehem–judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.
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This verse in Ruth 1
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Elimelech--signifies "My God is king." Naomi--"fair or pleasant"; and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, are supposed to be the same as Joash and Saraph (1Ch 4:22).
This site's exposition
in the days when the judges ruled
on Ruth 1:1-2
The book fixes its own date inside the period Judges describes, so what follows runs alongside chapters where every man did that which was right in his own eyes. A famine drives a man out of Bethlehem, which means house of bread, and he goes to Moab, which Deuteronomy 23:3 bars from the congregation to the tenth generation. The names carry the story: Elimelech means my God is king, in a book set when there was no king in Israel, and Naomi means pleasant, which verse 20 undoes.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Therefore, if we acknowledge that Thamar is described in the genealogies on account of a mystery in the Lord's generations, we must also certainly not consider Ruth to be overlooked for the same reason: about whom the holy Apostle seems to have had an understanding, when he foresaw through the Spirit that the calling of the Gentiles was to be celebrated by the Gospel, saying that the Law is not made for the just, but for the unjust (1 Timothy 1:9). For how did Ruth, being a foreigner, marry a Jew? And by what reasoning did the evangelist think that the mention of a union should be made in the birth of Christ, which was forbidden by the series of laws? Therefore, did the Savior not originate from a legitimate generation (Deut. XXIII, 3)? It seems to be contrary unless we adhere to the apostolic belief, for the law was not established for the righteous, but for the unrighteous. And since she is a foreigner and a Moabite (especially since the law of Moses prohibited these marriages, and the Moabites were excluded from the Church; for it is written: Moabites shall not enter the Church of the Lord even to the third and fourth generation, and forever), how then did she enter into the Church if not because she was holy and blameless in her conduct, above the law? For if the Law was given to the impious and sinners, certainly Ruth, who surpassed the definition of the Law, and entered into the Church, and became an Israelite, and deserved to be counted among the greater ones of the Lord's family, because of the choice of her mind and not her body, is a great example for us, because in her the figure of our entrance into the Church of the Lord, who are gathered from the nations, preceded. […]
The Hebrews' tradition is that this is he in whose time the sun stood still, on account of those who did not keep the law, so that, when they had seen such a miracle, they should turn to the Lord God. And because they scorned to do such a thing, therefore the famine grew worse, and he who seemed foremost in the tribe of Judah not only was expelled from his native land with his wife and sons, made helpless by famine, but even continued in that same exile with his sons.
You call to mind Blaesilla's companionship, her conversation and her endearing ways; and you cannot endure the thought that you have lost them all. I pardon you the tears of a mother, but I ask you to restrain your grief. When I think of the parent, I cannot blame you for weeping, but when I think of the Christian and the recluse, the mother disappears from my view. Your wound is still fresh, and any touch of mine, however gentle, is more likely to inflame than to heal it.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Ephrathites - Bethlehem was otherwise called Ephratha. Naomi signifies my amiable or pleasant one: Mahlon and Chilon signify sickness and consumption.
And the name of the man was Elimelech,.... Which signifies "my God is King", as he was King over Israel.
2 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
It seems there was plenty in the country of Moab when there was scarcity of bread in the land of Israel. Common gifts of providence are often bestowed in greater plenty upon those that are strangers to God than upon those that know and worship him.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Elimelech - That is, God is my king. Naomi - Beautiful or amiable. Mahlon - Infirmity. Chilion - Finished, completed.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
And it happened in the days when judges judged. [During the period] before King Shaul reigned, when the generations were administered by judges; 1 There was no individual judge who could exercise control over all of Yisroel, rather there were many judges.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְשֵׁ֣ם | veshem | and [the] name of | H8034 → | 864 times |
| הָאִ֣ישׁ | haish | the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֱֽלִימֶ֡לֶךְ | ʾelimelekh | [was] Elimelech | H458 → | 6 times |
| וְשֵׁם֩ | veshem | and [the] name of | H8034 → | 864 times |
| אִשְׁתּ֨וֹ | ʾishto | wife his | H802 → | 781 times |
| נָעֳמִ֜י | noomi | [was] Naomi | H5281 → | 21 times |
| וְשֵׁ֥ם | veshem | and [the] name of | H8034 → | 864 times |
| שְׁנֵֽי־ | shenei- | [the] two | H8147 → | 768 times |
| בָנָ֣יו׀ | vanav | sons his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| מַחְל֤וֹן | machlon | [was] Mahlon | H4248 → | 4 times |
| וְכִלְיוֹן֙ | vekhilyon | and Kilion | H3630 → | 3 times |
| אֶפְרָתִ֔ים | ʾefratim | Ephrathites | H673 → | |
| מִבֵּ֥ית | mibeit | from Beth- | H1035 → | 82 times |
| לֶ֖חֶם | lechem | -lehem | H1035 → | 82 times |
| יְהוּדָ֑ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ | vaiyavou | and they came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| שְׂדֵי־ | sedei- | [the] region<s> of | H7704 → | 334 times |
| מוֹאָ֖ב | moav | Moab | H4124 → | 181 times |
| וַיִּֽהְיוּ־ | vaiyihyu- | and they were | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| שָֽׁם׃ | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
וְשֵׁ֣םand [the] name of
veshemH8034 →864 times
הָאִ֣ישׁthe man
haishH376 →1663 times
אֱֽלִימֶ֡לֶךְ[was] Elimelech
ʾelimelekhH458 →6 times
וְשֵׁם֩and [the] name of
veshemH8034 →864 times
אִשְׁתּ֨וֹwife his
ʾishtoH802 →781 times
נָעֳמִ֜י[was] Naomi
noomiH5281 →21 times
וְשֵׁ֥םand [the] name of
veshemH8034 →864 times
שְׁנֵֽי־[the] two
shenei-H8147 →768 times
בָנָ֣יו׀sons his
vanavH1121 →4930 times
מַחְל֤וֹן[was] Mahlon
machlonH4248 →4 times
וְכִלְיוֹן֙and Kilion
vekhilyonH3630 →3 times
אֶפְרָתִ֔יםEphrathites
ʾefratimH673 →
מִבֵּ֥יתfrom Beth-
mibeitH1035 →82 times
לֶ֖חֶם-lehem
lechemH1035 →82 times
יְהוּדָ֑הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
וַיָּבֹ֥אוּand they came
vaiyavouH935 →2568 times
שְׂדֵי־[the] region<s> of
sedei-H7704 →334 times
מוֹאָ֖בMoab
moavH4124 →181 times
וַיִּֽהְיוּ־and they were
vaiyihyu-H1961 →3559 times
שָֽׁם׃there
shamH8033 →834 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Micah 5:2But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel—One whose origins are of old, from the days…
it leads to
- Matthew 2:6
‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of My people…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- John 7:42
Doesn’t the Scripture say that the Christ will come from the line of David and from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”
- Luke 1:31–33
Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus.
- Isaiah 9:6–7
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of…
- Psalms 90:2
Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God.
- Matthew 2:6
Through
1 Samuel 1:1Now there was a man named Elkanah who was from Ramathaim-zophim in the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of…
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 6:34
Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah,
- 1 Chronicles 6:25–27
The descendants of Elkanah:
- 1 Chronicles 6:34
Through
Genesis 35:19So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).
it leads to
- Micah 5:2
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel—One whose origins are of old, from the days…
- Micah 5:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
On this chapter
About Ruth

Who and where
4 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJudahJacob's fourth son who pledges himself for Benjamin; the tribe that carries the scepter to Shiloh (49:10) and the line to Christ (…
- PersonJudgesNaomiElimelech's widow who returned from Moab calling herself Mara — "the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me" — and whose emptin…
- PlaceTransjordanMoabThe high country east of the Dead Sea, home of Lot's descendants, where Balak hired Balaam, where Ruth was born, and where Moses l…
- PlaceBethlehemBethlehemDavid’s town, six miles south of Jerusalem, where Ruth gleaned, where Samuel anointed a shepherd boy, and where Jesus was born as…
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ambrose of Milan, Commentary on Luke; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, HEBREW QUESTIONS ON CHRONICLES; Jerome, LETTER 39.5; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
