No wonder they didnt have a great reputation. The story of Ruth and Boaz (yes, and even Naomi) should encourage us to live godly lives in dark days, days of unbelief, disobedience, and disregard for the Word of God. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). What Naomi does mention pertains to marriage and child bearing. 15 So Naomi said, Look, your sister-in-law is returning to her people and to her god. Naomi signifies my amiable or pleasant one; Mahlon and Chilion signify sickness and consumption. I would be very reluctant to conclude that Ruths husband or his parents taught her the law. All rights reserved. The word redeem means to set free by paying a price. In the case of Ruth and Naomi, Elimelechs property had either been sold or was under some kind of mortgage, and the rights to the land had passed to Ruths husband, Mahlon, when Elimelech died. As the story of Esther unfolds, it looks as though every Jew is doomed to annihilation, but for the providence of God, whereby Gods enemies are destroyed and His people are spared. Fearing they would be overrun by the Israelites, Balak (king of Moab)4 hired Balaam to curse Israel. Other than weeping, Orpah remains silent;20 Ruths words and actions are what the author has chosen to report. He came alongside Eve as her friend, as someone who was doing her a favor. The oldest daughter went first, bearing a son whom she named Moab. May the Lord punish me severely if I do not keep my promise! (8) All of this leads me to conclude that Naomi is not an example of faith, but an excellent example of Israels poor spiritual health. It provides us with a look at the life of the common person in Israel There they made a new home and seemed to do well (the Bible does not give us many details) until Elimelech died. Her commitment is not just to Naomi; it is a lifetime commitment to Israel and to her God. The New Covenant promises that God will write the law on the hearts of those He has chosen for salvation, whether Jew or Gentile. In her mind, this was the normal, the customary, way to produce offspring. Rabbi Shimon Ben Gamliel said: The ancestors who used the power of Divine Inspiration drew names out of (future) events; we who do not have access to Divine Inspiration, draw names from our forefathers (Genesis Rabbah 37,7)., What does the name Elimelech mean? No, it is realized as I desire and is fulfilled as I intend (Isaiah 55:8-11). It was completed by more than twenty biblical scholars who worked directly from the best currently available Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Many, including me, are troubled by the times in which we live, but this is no excuse for ungodly behavior. She gave them very pragmatic counsel, based upon what could be seen, rather than on Gods Word and the principle of faith. Put another way, the title of this book is Ruth, not Orpah. A famine plagued Israel in the days of the judges. They came empty (at least according to Naomis assessment see verse 21), but God would not let them go hungry (or childless). The word redeem means to set free by paying a price. In the case of Ruth and Naomi, Elimelechs property had iddunnu) comes from the root , Hadad The same is true for Naomi. Douay-Rheims Bible And Elimelech the husband of Noemi died: and she remained with her sons. If Naomi had other sons, she could give them to these women in Levirate marriage, but she has no other sons. Ruth is never dealt with as a second-class believer. There Ruth married *Boaz, one of Elimelech's relatives. Apr. One would have to begin by saying that these two women have a fair bit in common. https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/elimelech, "Elimelech T -6d$zA ^C(D`Ed8 BR. WebThen Naomi's husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons, Ruth 1:5 both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and without her husband. A Jew who knows the law and doesnt live by it is not really a true Jew. It must be, the Sages reasoned, that Elimelech misread his destiny. Web1290 BC Elimelech dies, likely stricken by God for abandoning his inheritance, allowing his two sons to marry Moabites and not joining the battle against Benjamin in Judges 20. She was full when she had a husband and two sons; now she was empty, for all she had was Ruth. and lifts up the needy from the garbage pile, 9 He makes the barren woman of the family. 3 When Israel joined themselves to Baal-peor, the anger of the LORD flared up against Israel. 2 0 obj
It is not Naomis belief in the sovereignty of God that troubles me as much as how she applies it. She seems to have little or no conviction regarding her sins, the sins of her husband, or of the sins of the nation. You can't run away. Ruth, out of love and loyalty to her mother-in-law, accompanied Naomi back to Bethlehem, while Orpah stayed in Moab. Died. That is precisely what Naomi did with Orpah and Ruth. Many are the times when friends counsel others to act in their own best interests, and all too seldom do they point their friends to the difficult principles and commands of Scripture. WebRuth 1:2. This suggests that the Narrator was not happy with him, for when God approves of a journey, it, the participants, their families, and even their livestock are described in loving detail (See Ezra 2, 66-67, after commentary Nachalat Yosef). 1 0 obj
After the death of their father, the two sons married Moabite women. Who would carry on his line? 1 Copyright 2010 by Robert L. Deffinbaugh. He is the ancestor of the Moabites of today. Ruth would have none of this foolish talk, and she made this abundantly clear to her mother-in-law. He was right, but, was there, perhaps, a personal element in his reaction? The term she used to refer to Him Shaddai was a term that emphasized Gods great power. Mahlon married Ruth in Moab while Kilion married Ruth's sister Orpah. Elimelech died, and the sons married two Moabite women: Mahlon married Ruth and Chilion married Orpah. May the Lord show you the same kind of devotion that you have shown to your deceased husbands and to me! God has chosen to save Gentiles as well as Jews. What could have led them to this interpretation? And one of these two Ruth is a Moabite, not an Israelite. Retrieved February 22, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/elimelech. There were no state registries or social security numbers and names served a much more fluid purpose than they do today. After only ten years in Moab, Elimelechs sons also died. The Messianic seed was often put at risk in the Old Testament. We read of the origin of the Moabites in Genesis 19,3 just after the account of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Shouldnt Ruth follow her lead? Who was Elimelech? It took two attempts to convince Orpah to turn back and three attempts to convince Naomi that her efforts to turn Ruth away were futile. There may have been others who traveled to Moab with Elimelech and his family, but the author does not make a point of telling this to his readers. - As part of a small team, I organized a five-day congress (90 participants, budget 17,000), the largest yearly event of the association. It is not for us to say how far those are right who see in the death of Elimelech and his sons Gods punishment for the disregard of His In Job and in Ruth, this term seems to underscore Gods power, but in the context of suffering and adversity. The resolution to these irregularities is primarily exegetical. As I was studying our text for this message, it occurred to me that the text which describes the origin of the Moabites in Genesis 19 is a key to understanding the story of Ruth, and especially Naomis role in this account. The chapter ends with the authors assessment of where things stand, with a hint of what lies ahead. Many years later, the Israelites were camped on the plains of Moab, across the Jordan River from Jericho, poised to enter the Promised Land. 3 I will bless those who bless you, but the one who treats you lightly I must curse, and all the families of the earth will bless one another by your name (Genesis 12:1-3, emphasis mine). Who would want a Moabite wife, especially a widow? Naomi was married to Elimelech and had two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. <>
WebBoaz is a preeminent example of selflessness, willing to risk the loss of his own name so that he could make sure that the name and line of his relative Elimele It was a bad start, and sadly things didnt get any better over time. The benchmark by which we need to compare Ruth and Naomi is the Abrahamic Covenant: 1 Now the LORD said to Abram, Go out from your country, your relatives, and your father's household to the land that I will show you. And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband. They did not seem to live by it, so why would they consider it important to teach it to a Moabite? Yet, they throw a shadow over the entire story. Naomi is not at all like Ruth or Boaz; she is, in fact, a backdrop against which Ruth and Boaz are contrasted. Ruth 4:9 . He went first from Israel, the land of the living, and led them thence, and so he now goeth out of The all-powerful God was making Naomis life miserable, so she thought and said. You, leaders, did not stand among the ruins like Moses did. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. Judaism. Elimelech appears to have been a man of faith who did not or could not be fully faithful. 2013Mrz 20185 Jahre. While they were in Moab, Elimelech died, leaving Naomi and her two sons. Naomi adds one final argument in favor of Orpah and Ruth returning home to Moab. Instead, it was God who demonstrated His sovereignty by bringing about the chain of events that culminated in the establishment of monarchy in Israel. "Elimelech They need new or different husbands to marry and to bear children. In the past, Naomi was always portrayed in a somewhat flattering way. Here is a story that not only warms our hearts, it encourages our faith by unveiling the providential hand of God in bringing salvation and blessing during one of the darkest periods in history. Naomi was preoccupied with the here and now, rather than trusting in Gods covenant promises by faith. What are the advantages and disadvantages of video capture hardware? Just being Jewish and knowing the Law of Moses isnt enough; one must also live by the law. In her second effort, Naomi insists that her daughters-in-law must not return with her because it would only cause them to endure some of her affliction (verse 13). Eventually, Naomi steered Ruth into a relationship with a distant relative named Boaz. From these events, we can easily see that the Moabites were no friend to Israel. Obviously, Naomi had changed. This news prompted her to return to her people and to her land. Even professing Christians can fall victim to the tyranny of the urgent. We know that this backfired because Balaam could not curse those whom God had blessed.5 When this approach did not work, Balaam counseled Balak how to harm Israel in a very different way by having the Moabite women seduce the Israelite men.6 One might easily infer from this that the Moabites, like the Canaanites, were a sexually immoral people (in a way that tempted the Israelites). Take note of the fact that Ruths covenant is not a short-term commitment; it is a lifetime commitment. She would be buried where Naomi was buried. Due to the famine in Israel during the time of the Judges, Elimelech crossed over to Moab, where he and his two sons died. Following their deaths, his wife Naomi returned to Beth-Lehem together with her daughter-in-law *Ruth (Ruth 1:13; 2:1, 3; 4:3, 9). There Ruth married *Boaz, one of Elimelech's relatives. 9 May the Lord enable each of you to find security in the home of a new husband! Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept loudly. The final chapters of the Book of Judges are certainly the worst of times, and yet the Book of Ruth describes the best of times. This suggests to me that godly character is not only evident in the good times, but even more dramatically in the bad times. 19 So the two of them journeyed together until they arrived in Bethlehem. The Bible did not say how this happened, but the household was now comprised of three widows. The NEW ENGLISH TRANSLATION, also known as THE NET BIBLE, is a completely new translation of the Bible, not a revision or an update of a previous English version. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. It would also seem that Naomis barrenness was divinely imposed.18, (5) Moab was not the place of Gods promised blessings; Israel was.19. WebElimelech was a member of the tribe of Judah, a native of Bethlehem Judah, a man of wealth and probably head of a family or clan ( Ruth 1:2,3; 2:1,3 ). Spouse. Many tears were shed, but in the end both women refused to leave Naomi and return to their mothers home. Another label for pragmatism is doing what seems right in our own eyes. That was the spirit of the age during the days of the judges. Web1 During the time of the judges there was a famine in the land of Judah. I think I understand generally what Paul is saying here, based upon the promise in Jeremiah: 33 But I will make a new covenant with the whole nation of Israel after I plant them back in the land, says the Lord. Ruth and Naomi are very different people. See also: More about the Book of Ruth. Serving the god(s) of Moab (or any others) was an abomination to God: You shall have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:3). The text does not really tell us but the Sages do, and so, we will engage in reverse engineering, trying to grasp their view of this complex personality and then to appreciate the antecedents of their interpretation. 1 During the time of the judges there was a famine in the land of Judah. I was bereaved and barren, dismissed and divorced. The Path of Despair and the Path of Return. Dedicate an Article as Ili-Milku, a variant of the name Milk-ilu, ruler of Gezer. 12 For all who have sinned apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. And thus there is no evidence of repentance on her part at this point in time. stream
Her God is all powerful, but not merciful and gracious. No wonder God forbade Moabites from entering the assembly to the tenth generation.7. My impression is that Naomi had changed not only in her appearance (she may not have aged well in Moab), but also in spirit. Surely you would not remain unmarried all that time! There do not appear to be many generations between Boaz and David, but biblical genealogies dont always include every genealogical link in such cases. In our text (as in Judges and everywhere else in Scripture), man looks bad, very bad, and God looks good, very good. - In 2012, I became a member of juFORUM, a Germany-wide network of young scientists. And so they, like Lots daughters (the oldest one in particular), devised a scheme whereby the line would be preserved, albeit apart from faith and obedience to Gods Word. There were no men nearby to marry, she reasoned, so there was no conventional way25 for them to bear children and thus to preserve their fathers line. They would be a reminder that Naomis sons their husbands had not married Israelite wives. Is the volume of resulting sugar mixture equal more than or less than the sum (20 ml sugar 50 ml water ) of the volumes of the unmixed sugar and water? 38 The younger daughter also gave birth to a son and named him Ben-Ammi. Naomi felt that God was against her, and every indication is that she felt God had dealt with her in a harsh and severe way. The contrast between Naomi and Ruth is very clear when the two womens words and actions are viewed from the vantage point of the Abrahamic Covenant. In Judges 3, we read that the Israelites were subject to Eglon, king of Moab, for 18 years.8 Since the Moabites were not Canaanites, marriage to a Moabite was not strictly forbidden.9 Nevertheless, Moabites were not only regarded as aliens or foreigners, but also as second class citizens. Marriage to a Moabite was not something one did to gain status in Israel. 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