While the parents' names, Elimelech ("my God is King") and Naomi ("pleasant"), hint at their faith and character, their sons' names, Mahlon ("infirmity") and Chilion ("completion" or "wasting"), are starkly foreboding. This subtle naming choice, almost like a shadow cast before their future hardships, highlights the precariousness of their journey from a land of famine to a foreign nation.
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)
Amidst a famine in Judah, a man named Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their two sons Mahlon and Chilion, leave their home in Bethlehem. These Ephrathites, or people of the ancient town of Bethlehem, relocate to the land of Moab, a foreign and potentially dangerous place for Israelites, and settle there for an extended period.
Ever wonder if names carry meaning beyond just identification? In Ruth's story, the names of Elimelech's family seem to hint at their future.
The names of Elimelech and his family aren't just labels; they are loaded with meaning that resonates with their story.
Elimelech: 'My God is King'
Elimelech's name, meaning 'My God is King,' suggests a deep-seated faith and a recognition of God's sovereignty. This name would have been a powerful reminder, perhaps even a personal creed, for the man who bore it.
Naomi: 'Pleasantness'
Naomi's name means 'pleasant' or 'amiable.' It evokes a sense of sweetness and grace, a beautiful descriptor for a wife and mother.
Mahlon and Chilion: 'Sickness' and 'Wasting'
In stark contrast, the names of their sons, Mahlon and Chilion, are often interpreted as 'sickness' and 'wasting' or 'consumption.' This might have been given due to frail health, or perhaps it served as a prophetic shadow of their untimely end.
Imagine leaving the familiar comfort of home for a distant land during a crisis. This verse sets the stage for a profound journey of faith and displacement.
The family's identity is rooted in Bethlehem, a place significant for its fertility and heritage, yet they sojourn in Moab, a land outside God's covenant people.
Ephrathites of Bethlehem-Judah
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The phrase 'Ephrathites of Bethlehem-Judah' connects them to a specific place and heritage. Bethlehem, also known as Ephrathah, was a fertile region in the territory of Judah. Being called 'Ephrathites' anchors them to this land and its people. It highlights their identity within God's chosen nation.
The Move to Moab
Their decision to move to the country of Moab was a response to famine, a severe hardship. However, Moab was a land with a complex history concerning Israel, often viewed with suspicion due to their ancestors' actions (Genesis 19:37). This move, while perhaps necessary for survival, placed them geographically and culturally on the periphery of the life God intended for His people.
Understand the original words
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.
Elimelech's move to Moab during a famine, though seemingly practical, placed his family in a precarious spiritual and social position, ultimately leading to profound loss and setting the stage for Naomi's difficult return.
c. 11th century BC
Period of the Judges
This era in Israel's history was marked by a cycle of apostasy, oppression, deliverance, and peace, often characterized by localized leadership rather than centralized monarchy.
During the Period of the Judges— this verse
Famine in Bethlehem
A severe famine struck the land of Judah, particularly impacting Bethlehem, a fertile region. This scarcity prompted Elimelech's decision to seek sustenance elsewhere.
During the Period of the Judges
Elimelech's family migrates to Moab
Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their two sons leave Bethlehem, their ancestral home, and settle in the land of Moab, a neighboring territory with whom Israel had a complex and often hostile relationship.
Unknown time after migration
Death of Elimelech and his sons
Elimelech dies in Moab, followed by his two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, who had married Moabite women. This leaves Naomi widowed and childless in a foreign land.
This passage describes a famine in the land that also drove Abram to sojourn in Egypt, highlighting a recurring theme of people leaving the promised land due to hardship.
Deuteronomy 23:3-6This prohibition against Moabites entering the assembly of the Lord, and the command to not seek their peace or prosperity, sets up a significant theological tension for Elimelech's family settling there.
Judges 17:7-9This verse shows a Levite leaving Bethlehem-Judah to find a place to live, illustrating that leaving one's ancestral home for better prospects was not entirely uncommon, though often with mixed results.
1 Samuel 1:1This verse also mentions a man from Ephraim (which Bethlehem was associated with) and his family living in the hill country of Ephraim, further establishing the geographical and cultural context of the region.
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…
clarkeRuth 1:2: "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 Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there."
Elimelech - That is, God is my king. Naomi - Beautiful or amiable. Mahlon - Infirmity. Chilion - Finished, completed.
While the parents' names, Elimelech ("my God is King") and Naomi ("pleasant"), hint at their faith and character, their sons' names, Mahlon ("infirmity") and Chilion ("completion" or "wasting"), are starkly foreboding. This subtle naming choice, almost like a shadow cast before their future hardships, highlights the precariousness of their journey from a land of famine to a foreign nation.
Amidst a famine in Judah, a man named Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their two sons Mahlon and Chilion, leave their home in Bethlehem. These Ephrathites, or people of the ancient town of Bethlehem, relocate to the land of Moab, a foreign and potentially dangerous place for Israelites, and settle there for an extended period.
Amidst a famine in Judah, a man named Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their two sons Mahlon and Chilion, leave their home in Bethlehem. These Ephrathites, or people of the ancient town of Bethlehem, relocate to the land of Moab, a foreign and potentially dangerous place for Israelites, and settle there for an extended period.
"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." — While the parents' names, Elimelech ("my God is King") and Naomi ("pleasant"), hint at their faith and character, their sons' names, Mahlon ("infirmity") and Chilion ("completion" or "wasting"), are…
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Last reviewed October 2026
