Ruth 1:8
But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Naomi doesn't just wish her daughters-in-law well; she entrusts their future kindness to the very God they are about to leave behind. She blesses them with the same steadfast love they showed to her dead sons and to her, acknowledging that their true hope for future grace lies with Yahweh, the God of Israel, not the gods of Moab.
Naomi, now a widow in the foreign land of Moab after her husband and sons have died, decides it's time to return to her homeland of Bethlehem. She urges her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, to go back to their own families, acknowledging their kindness to her and their deceased husbands but recognizing she cannot offer them security or a future. This selfless offer is the beginning of a profound decision that will reshape the lives of all three women.
Naomi's heart is heavy, but her words carry a profound love that refuses to hold on too tightly. What does true, unselfish love look like when we're hurting?
When Naomi urges her daughters-in-law to return home, it's not because she doesn't cherish their company. In fact, their presence is a solace in her deep grief. However, she understands that their future security and well-being are not tied to her own difficult path.
Counting the Cost
Naomi recognizes that following her back to Bethlehem means abandoning their familiar lives and potentially facing hardship. She doesn't want them to follow her out of obligation or sentiment, but out of a considered choice. This is a powerful lesson in not burdening others with our own sorrow or expecting them to sacrifice their own potential for our comfort.
A Different Kind of Kindness
Her blessing for them – 'May the LORD deal kindly with you' – is not just a casual farewell. It's a deep prayer that God Himself would provide for them, repaying the kindness they've shown. It's love that seeks the best for the other, even when it means parting.
Naomi doesn't just say goodbye; she expresses deep gratitude. How does acknowledging past kindness shape our present decisions and blessings?
Naomi's poignant blessing is rooted in a profound recognition of the kindness shown to her. She acknowledges their faithfulness to her deceased husbands ('the dead') and to her personally, especially in their current journey with her.
The Weight of Loyalty
Their loyalty wasn't just a fleeting emotion. It involved practical care ('fed and supported her,' as some commentaries note) and genuine affection during a time of immense loss. Naomi's words honor this tangible commitment.
Blessing as a Response
Her prayer for the LORD's kindness is directly linked to their actions. It's a theology of blessing that sees God's favor as a response to human faithfulness and love. She's not just wishing them well; she's invoking God's covenant faithfulness upon them because they have reflected His character in their actions.
Understand the original words
chesed · Hebrew Noun
A complex Hebrew term representing loyal, covenantal, steadfast love. It goes beyond simple kindness, encompassing commitment, faithfulness, and mercy, often reflecting God's character in His dealings with humanity.
Naomi's plea for her daughters-in-law to return home highlights the immense personal loss she has suffered and her deep love for them. Her instruction reveals a profound understanding of familial ties and the importance of a woman's place within her birth family's structure in ancient Near Eastern culture.
c. 11th century BC
Naomi's Family Migrates to Moab
Due to a famine in Bethlehem, Judah, Naomi's husband Elimelech leads their family to sojourn in the land of Moab, a territory east of the Jordan River.
c. 11th century BC
Deaths of Elimelech and Sons
While in Moab, Naomi's husband Elimelech dies, followed by their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, who had married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth.
c. 11th century BC— this verse
Naomi Hears of Harvest in Judah
News reaches Naomi in Moab that the LORD has shown favor to His people by providing food (bread) in Judah, prompting her decision to return home.
c. 11th century BC
Naomi Urges Daughters-in-Law to Return
At the edge of Moab, Naomi blesses her daughters-in-law, urging them to return to their mothers' homes, acknowledging their kindness to her and their deceased husbands.
This verse speaks of God's presence and command to be strong and courageous, mirroring Naomi's blessing on her daughters-in-law, invoking God's kindness and blessing as they face uncertain futures.
Proverbs 17:17This proverb highlights the profound nature of familial love and support in times of trouble, reflecting the deep affection and loyalty Ruth and Orpah showed Naomi, and Naomi's recognition of this steadfast love.
1 Samuel 1:8Hannah's lament about her barrenness and her husband's words of comfort echo Naomi's own deep sorrow and loss, showing a shared human experience of grief and a yearning for God's favor.
Luke 15:20The father's compassionate welcome of the prodigal son mirrors Naomi's profound love and gratitude towards her daughters-in-law, who had shown such kindness to her and her deceased sons.
Romans 12:15This verse calls believers to 'rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep,' which directly aligns with Naomi's acknowledgment of the daughters-in-law's compassionate actions and her blessing for them to find similar kindness.
henryRuth 1:6-14: "Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread."
1:6-14 Naomi began to think of returning, after the death of her two sons. When death comes into a family, it ought to reform what is amiss there. Earth is made bitter to us, that heaven may be made dear. Naomi seems to have been a person of faith and piety. She dismissed her daughters-in-…
pooleRuth 1:8: "And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me."
Each to her mother’s house; not that they wanted fathers, Ruth 2:11 , but because daughters used to converse more frequently with their mothers, and to be most endeared to them, and to dwell in the same apartments with them, which then were distinct from those parts of the house where the men dwelt. With the dead; with my so…
Naomi doesn't just wish her daughters-in-law well; she entrusts their future kindness to the very God they are about to leave behind. She blesses them with the same steadfast love they showed to her dead sons and to her, acknowledging that their true hope for future grace lies with Yahweh, the God of Israel, not the gods of Moab.
Naomi, now a widow in the foreign land of Moab after her husband and sons have died, decides it's time to return to her homeland of Bethlehem. She urges her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, to go back to their own families, acknowledging their kindness to her and their deceased husbands but recognizing she cannot offer them security or a future. This selfless offer is the beginning of a profound decision that will reshape the lives of all three women.
Naomi, now a widow in the foreign land of Moab after her husband and sons have died, decides it's time to return to her homeland of Bethlehem. She urges her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, to go back to their own families, acknowledging their kindness to her and their deceased husbands but recognizing she cannot offer them security or a future. This selfless offer is the beginning of a profound decision that will reshape the lives of all three women.
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Why does Naomi specifically mention the 'mother's house'? What does this reveal about family and female community in that ancient world?
Naomi directs her daughters-in-law to return to their 'mother's house,' not necessarily because their fathers were absent, but because mothers held a special place in the domestic sphere for their daughters.
Female Domain
In the cultural context of the time, women often had their own living spaces or apartments within a larger home. Daughters were typically more closely associated with their mothers in these areas. Returning to the mother’s house meant returning to a familiar, nurturing environment where they would be understood and cared for by their own kin.
A Secure Haven
For widows, the mother's home often represented a place of security and support. While Ruth and Orpah had shown incredible loyalty to Naomi, returning to their own families offered the best chance for remarriage and a stable future, something Naomi, now a grieving widow herself, might not be able to provide.
c. 11th century BC
Orpah Returns to Moab
After weeping and initial protest, Orpah agrees with Naomi's counsel and returns to her people and her gods in Moab, while Ruth chooses to stay with Naomi.
c. 11th century BC
Ruth Commits to Naomi
Ruth pledges her unwavering loyalty to Naomi, vowing to adopt Naomi's people and God as her own, famously declaring, 'Where you go I will go.'
c. 11th century BC
Return to Bethlehem
Naomi and Ruth arrive in Bethlehem during the barley harvest, where their return causes a stir among the townspeople who recognize Naomi.
"But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me." — Naomi doesn't just wish her daughters-in-law well; she entrusts their future kindness to the very God they are about to leave behind. She blesses them with the same steadfast love they showed to her…
