“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. ruled: Heb. judged”
Of one. Hebrew, “And it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled.” (Haydock) — The and shews the connection with the former book. (Calmet) — Land. Chaldean adds, “of Israel,” (Menochius) while the less fertile country of Moab had abundance. God thus punished the idolatry of his people. Some say the famine lasted ten years; but this is uncertain, though Noemi continued so long out of the country, ver. 4. (Salien)
“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. continued: Heb. were”
Elimelech. Josephus and others read erroneously, Abimelech. He was probably called also Jokim, 1 Paralipomenon iv. 22. — Ephrathites. This title often designates people of the tribe of Ephraim; (Judges xii. 5., and 1 Kings i. 2,) but here it means those of Ephrata, which is also called Bethlehem of Juda, about five or six miles south of Jerusalem, Genesis xxxv. 19., and Micheas v. 2. (Calmet)
“And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.”
Ruth was the wife of Mahalon; (chap. iv. 10,) and signifies one “well watered, (Menochius) or inebriated,” &c. (Haydock) — The sons of Noemi were excused by necessity in marrying idolaters, though they ought to have done their best to convert them. The Chaldean greatly condemns their marriage, and thinks that their death was in punishment of their prevarication, Deuteronomy vii. 3. and xx. 11. (Calmet) — Salien is of the same opinion. So various have always been the sentiments of people on this head! (Haydock) See Serarius, q. 11.
“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.”
Mothers, who had separate apartments from the men. (Calmet) — Me. They had behaved with great respect and love towards their husbands, and towards Noemi, whom they even wish to accompany. (Menochius) — The pronouns in this, and verses 9, 11, 13, and 19, are surprisingly corrupted in Hebrew being masculine or feminine, where we should expect the contrary. (Kennicott)
“The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.”
Take. She proposes marriage to them, as a state more suitable to their years, (Haydock) and wishes that they may experience none of its solicitudes, (1 Corinthians vii. 28,) but be constantly protected by their husbands. Widows are exposed to many difficulties. (Menochius)
“And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?”
Of me. Hence it appears that the Rabbins are under a mistake, when they say that those children who are born after the death of their brothers, are not obliged to take their widows.
“Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me. tarry: Heb. hope it grieveth: Heb. I have much bitterness”
Marry. Hebrew, “would you stay for them from having husbands?”
“And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.”
And returned, is not expressed in Hebrew. But the Septuagint have, “and she returned to her people.” (Haydock).
“And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.”
To her gods, &c. Noemi did not mean to persuade Ruth to return to the false gods she had formerly worshipped; but by this manner of speech, insinuated to her, that if she would go with her, she must renounce her false gods, and turn to the Lord, the God of Israel. (Challoner) — She wished to try her constancy. (Salien) — Most infer from this passage, that Orpha was never converted, or that she relapsed. — Her gods, may indeed be rendered in the singular, “god.” But what god was peculiar to her and the Moabites, but Chamos? (Calmet) — Noemi might well fear that Orpha would give way to the superstition of her countrymen, to which she had been addicted, even though she might have made profession of serving the true God, while she lived with her. (Haydock).
“Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.”
The Lord do so and so, &c. A form of swearing usual in the history of the Old Testament, by which the person wished such and such evils to fall upon them, if they did not do what they said. (Challoner) — It is not certain that they expressed what particular evils. (Calmet) — They might be willing to undergo any punishment, if they should transgress. (Haydock) — The pagans used a similar form of imprecation, 3 Kings xix., and 4 Kings xx. 10. (Calmet)
“So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?”
That Noemi. This exclamation might proceed either from surprise, or from contempt. (Menochius)
“And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. Naomi: that is, Pleasant Mara: that is, Bitter”
That is. The explanations are added by St. Jerome. (Haydock) — Noemi had formerly a husband and two sons, with great riches, of which she was now deprived. (Worthington)
“I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?”
Almighty. Hebrew Sadai, (“the self-sufficient) hath afflicted.”
“So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.”
Harvest. About the month of Nisan, or our March (Calmet) and April. (Menochius)