hotcoffee
New Member
Ruth 1:3 Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.
The first thing that comes to mind when I read these verses is the 10 childless years in Moab. Here was Ruth, a Jewish woman, and her two Jewish sons and two Moabite women. Surely those two women still had ties to their god, right? But still, in the Jewish tradition, the sons took care of their mother.
The easy English commentary refers to 2 Kings 23:13. Apparently the god that Orpah [not Oprah] and Ruth worship was named Chemosh. When you google Chemosh you will find that people in Moab also offered blood offerings.
It makes sense that Naomi, was not the only Jewish woman in Moab. Remember Judah [including Bethlehem] was suffering from a famine. That might explain why Naomi stayed with her two sons so long after her husband passed away.
The Matthew Henry commentary questions Elimelek's decision to take his wife and sons to Moab in the first place.
Those who bring young people into bad acquaintance, and take them out of the way of public ordinances, thought they may think them well-principled, and armed against temptation, know not what will be the end. It does not appear that the women the sons of Elimelech married, were proselyted to the Jewish religion. Earthly trials or enjoyments are of short continuance. Death continually removes those of every age and situation, and mars all our outward comforts: we cannot too strongly prefer those advantages which shall last for ever.
Back in verses 1-2 the commentaries talked about how the Dead Sea was located between Judah [the promised land including Bethlehem] and Moab. Elimelek could have kept his family in Judah. Not everyone in Judah left for Moab. Had they stayed in Bethlehem, the boys would have married Jewish women who would have shared the same commitment to God.
Another commentary says that the famine in Bethlehem was not total. Elimelek could have stayed there with Naomi and he sons.
By those who tarried at home it appears that the famine was not so extreme but that there was sufficient to keep life and soul together; and his charge was but small, only two sons. But if he could not be content with the short allowance that his neighbors took up with, and in the day of famine could not be satisfied unless he kept as plentiful a table as he had done formerly, if he could not live in hope that there would come years of plenty again in due time, or could not with patience wait for those years, it was his fault, and he did by it dishonor God and the good land he had given them, weaken the hands of his brethren, with whom he should have been willing to take his lot, and set an ill example to others.
I'm learning so much about myself. The decisions I made long before my son was born just might answer why I have a daughter-in-law who has no relationship with me.
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