 |  |
Ruth 1: 1-3.
From Bethlehem to Moab.
A | A | 1: 1-3. |
a1 | A certain man. Unnamed at first.
b1 | Bethlehem-Judah.
c1 | Sojourn. Moab.
a1 | He and his wife.
d | TWO SONS.
a2 | Names given.
b2 | Bethlehem-Judah.
c2 | Continued. Moab.
a2 | He died.
d | TWO SONS.
After the death of Elimelech, the two sons married two women of Moab, and lived
together for ten years. In both cases the marriages were childless, and at the death of the
two sons, the three widows were faced with a serious problem. Elimelech's inheritance
which passed on to Mahlon and Chilion was temporarily suspended owing to the fact that
no child had been born to either of the two sons. This gives point to the otherwise rather
strange reference that Naomi makes to the idea of the two widows waiting until she,
Naomi, might re-marry and have further sons--a far-fetched argument to our ears, but
not so when read in the light of the law of Moses, to which we must make reference later.
We do not propose to give here the full outline of this first chapter, but pass on to the
fourth member which is as follows:
Ruth 1: 8-18.
A | A | 1: 8-18. |
d1 | Ye dealt kindly with me.
e1 | "Rest" in house of husband.
e1 | "Tarry" for husband.
d1 | The Lord against me.
f | Orpah. Kissed.
Ruth. Clave.
d2 | She has gone back.
e2 | Her people. Her gods.
d2 | Intreat me not to leave.
e2 | Thy people. Thy God.
In those days the lot of an unmarried woman was such that marriage with almost
anyone, however irksome, was preferable. Naomi speaks of Orpah and Ruth "finding
rest" (menuchah) in the house of a husband. The same word is repeated in Ruth 3: 1:
"Shall I not seek rest for thee?" This figure, too, is prophetic; for in Isaiah we find
marriage terms employed to describe the glory of that future day when Israel shall be
restored. In Isa. 62: we read that Israel shall be called Hephzi-bah, "My delight is in
her", and the land Beulah, "Married" (Isa. 62: 4). Again, in Isa. 32::