The "famine" wasn't just a lack of food; it was likely a consequence of the chaos and defection from God during the period of the judges, creating an environment ripe for such hardship. This context highlights how spiritual unfaithfulness can ripple outward, impacting even the seemingly mundane aspects of daily life.
In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This story unfolds during the turbulent era of Israel's judges, a time marked by a severe famine in their homeland. To escape starvation, a man named Elimelech from Bethlehem, Judah, takes his wife Naomi and their two sons to live temporarily in the neighboring land of Moab. This move, though intended for survival, sets the stage for profound loss and eventual hardship for Naomi, as the narrative immediately transitions to the deaths of the men in her family.
The book of Ruth opens with a phrase that's both familiar and vague: 'In the days when the judges ruled.' What does this setting tell us about the world Ruth lived in?
The period of the Judges in Israel was a chaotic time. Scripture itself describes it as a period where 'everyone did what was right in his own eyes' (Judges 21:25). While there were moments of divine intervention and deliverance, it was largely marked by spiritual decline, moral compromise, and frequent oppression by surrounding nations.
This instability often led to economic hardship, like the famine mentioned in Ruth 1:1. Unlike the unified nation under kings, the tribes were loosely connected, making a coordinated response to crisis difficult. The uncertainty and danger of this era created a backdrop where a family might feel forced to leave their homeland in search of stability and sustenance.
A famine strikes the land of Judah, forcing a desperate move. But was this famine just bad luck, or something more?
Famine in the Old Testament often served as more than just a natural disaster; it frequently carried spiritual implications. It could be a consequence of the people's disobedience and turning away from God, as promised in Deuteronomy.
While the exact cause of this famine isn't specified, its occurrence during the Judges' era, a time of significant spiritual drift, suggests it wasn't merely coincidental. The land of promise, meant to be a place of provision, was suffering. This prompts us to consider how spiritual barrenness can lead to earthly hardship, and how seeking solutions outside of God's covenant community can carry its own risks.
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Elimelech leaves his homeland for Moab, a land with a complicated history with Israel. Why Moab, and what does this move signify?
The decision of Elimelech to move his family to Moab was significant. Moab was not just a foreign land; it was a place deeply intertwined with Israel's history, often in conflict. The Moabites were descendants of Lot, born from an incestuous union, and had a contentious relationship with Israel from their exodus from Egypt.
Moving to Moab meant leaving the land God had given His people and entering a territory where the primary deity was Chemosh, associated with idolatry and potentially abhorrent practices. This decision, driven by famine, highlights a tension: seeking earthly provision while potentially compromising spiritual heritage. It sets the stage for the subsequent story, as the family finds themselves in a place far from the covenant blessings of Judah.
Understand the original words
shaphat · Hebrew Verb
A historical period in Israel characterized by a cycle of apostasy, oppression, and divine deliverance through leaders raised up by God; it was a time when "everyone did what was right in his own eyes."
ra'ab · Hebrew Noun
An extreme scarcity of food, often interpreted in the Old Testament as a manifestation of divine judgment, discipline, or a trial of faith for the covenant people.
gur · Hebrew Verb
A temporary resident or foreigner who lives in a place without the full rights of a citizen; it implies a state of being "at home away from home."
Mo'ab · Hebrew Noun
An ancient territory located east of the Dead Sea; the Moabites were descendants of Lot and were frequently antagonistic toward Israel, often representing a place of spiritual danger or separation from the Promised Land.
Beth Lechem · Hebrew Noun
Literally meaning "House of Bread"; a city in Judah that served as a place of historical significance, particularly as the eventual birthplace of King David and Jesus Christ.
Yehudah · Hebrew Noun
The southern kingdom or territory of the Promised Land, associated with the tribe of Judah, the royal line of David, and the place of Jerusalem and the Temple.
'Eliymelek · Hebrew Noun
A name meaning "My God is King"; it reflects the naming conventions of the era where one's identity was tied to the covenant relationship with Yahweh.
Na'omiy · Hebrew Noun
A name generally associated with "pleasantness" or "delight," contrasting sharply with her later experiences of bitterness and tragedy.
'Ephrathiy · Hebrew Noun/Adjective
An archaic or specific designation for people from the region of Bethlehem; it connects the characters back to the tribal identity of Judah.
This verse anchors the story of Ruth in a specific, albeit uncertain, period of Israel's history: the time of the Judges. This era was marked by instability and divine unfaithfulness, making a famine a plausible consequence and a compelling reason for Elimelech's fateful decision to leave the promised land.
c. 13th-11th century BC
Period of the Judges
A turbulent era in Israel's history where tribal leaders, known as judges, governed the people, often during times of conflict and oppression.
c. 12th-11th century BC
Midianite Oppression
The Midianites and their allies ravaged Israelite lands, destroying crops and livestock, which likely caused severe famine and economic hardship.
During the period of the Judges— this verse
Famine in Bethlehem
A severe food shortage struck the land of Judah, forcing Elimelech and his family to leave Bethlehem to seek sustenance elsewhere.
During the period of the Judges
Elimelech sojourns in Moab
Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their two sons relocate to the fertile plains of Moab, a foreign land east of the Jordan River.
This passage describes the devastating famine caused by the Midianites, which is a strong contextual parallel to the famine mentioned at the beginning of Ruth and may have been the direct cause.
Deuteronomy 23:3-6This passage highlights the historical animosity and separation between Israel and Moab, making Elimelech's move to Moab a significant and potentially faith-compromising decision.
Jeremiah 16:10-13This prophetic passage describes a spiritual famine and judgment upon Israel for their disobedience, mirroring the physical hardship and the people's turning away from God that often marked the era of the judges.
Matthew 1:5This verse shows that Ruth, a Moabite woman, is in the direct lineage of Jesus Christ, illuminating God's surprising and inclusive plan even from the difficult circumstances of Elimelech's migration.
gillRuth 1:1: "Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons."
Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled,.... So that it appears that this history is of time and things after the affair of Micah, and of the concubine of the Levite, and of the war between Israel and Benjamin; for in those times there was no king nor judge in Israel;…
henryRuth 1:1-5: "Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons."
1:1-5 Elimelech's care to provide for his family, was not to be blamed; but his removal into the country of Moab could not be justified. And the removal ended in the wasting of his family. It is folly to think of escaping that cross, which, being laid in our way, we ought to take…
The "famine" wasn't just a lack of food; it was likely a consequence of the chaos and defection from God during the period of the judges, creating an environment ripe for such hardship. This context highlights how spiritual unfaithfulness can ripple outward, impacting even the seemingly mundane aspects of daily life.
This story unfolds during the turbulent era of Israel's judges, a time marked by a severe famine in their homeland. To escape starvation, a man named Elimelech from Bethlehem, Judah, takes his wife Naomi and their two sons to live temporarily in the neighboring land of Moab. This move, though intended for survival, sets the stage for profound loss and eventual hardship for Naomi, as the narrative immediately transitions to the deaths of the men in her family.
This story unfolds during the turbulent era of Israel's judges, a time marked by a severe famine in their homeland. To escape starvation, a man named Elimelech from Bethlehem, Judah, takes his wife Naomi and their two sons to live temporarily in the neighboring land of Moab. This move, though intended for survival, sets the stage for profound loss and eventual hardship for Naomi, as the narrative immediately transitions to the deaths of the men in her family.
"In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, a…" — The "famine" wasn't just a lack of food; it was likely a consequence of the chaos and defection from God during the period of the judges, creating an environment ripe for such hardship. This context…
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Last reviewed October 2026
