Free bible commentary on book of ruth in easy english. Ruth, by meeting naomi in her pain and answering it, becomes representative of god. Thus naomi, renaming herself mara, which means bitter, identifies herself as empty and deserted by god 1. Bible story of ruth teaches us not to jump to conclusions. In fact, we learn that a family from bethlehem, the house of bread, has moved to moab due to famine. Naomis life illustrates the power of god to bring something good out of bitter circumstances. For she feels the lord has dealt bitterly with her 1 she left judah full, and has returned empty 2 she believes the. Although we encounter no obvious miraculous interventions in the book of ruth, the hand of god is by no means absent. Naomi was now a widow, but she was not alone in her grief she still had the comfort of her two sons.
Call me mara, because the almighty has made my life very bitter. Matthew henry 18 october 1662 22 june 1714 was an english commentator on the bible, who published his works in 1706, sixvolume exposition of the old and new testaments 17081710 or complete commentary, provides an exhaustive verse by verse study of the bible, covering the whole of. A bible study guide for women the gospel of christ. In her the gentiles find a place to share the hope of judahs race. It is also one of only two books named after a gentile, luke being the other. The book illustrates the lords faithfulness to those who love him like naomi and ruth. Lets take a look at the book of ruth and observe from the life of naomi some perspective on what bitterness is able to do in our lives. The sons married moabite women, but then elimelech and both of the. Mahlon sickness chilion consumption boaz in him is strength naomi my pleasantness mara bitterness orpah her neck ruth beauty or satisfied 4. Though the story takes its name from the younger woman, the older is the dominant character. God uses the circumstances of naomi, ruth and boaz to bring about the real kinsman redeemer jesus christ. For she feels the lord has dealt bitterly with her. Ruth 1 commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole.
Commentary on the book of ruth by matthew henry old. The story of ruth and her motherinlaw naomi teaches us the importance of being loyal and the blessings. One moabite daughterinlaw decides to return to her family in moab while ruth chooses to remain with her. The instructions that she gives ruth in verses 35 make it clear that naomi is determined to help ruth to obtain boaz as a husband. A free bible version and commentary on the book of ruth in easyenglish. Gregory goswell argues that naomi is the central character of the book, whereas ruth is the main character. The interpreters bible gives the following outline of the book of ruth. A study of the book of ruth coalition for christian outreach. She was the wife of a man named elimelech, and they lived in bethlehem with their two sons, mahlon and kilion. And a certain man of bethlehem in judah went to live temporarily in the country of moab with his wife and his two sons. And she said unto them, call me not naomi, call me mara. It also shows that god had mercy on the gentiles, like ruth, even during old testament times. This is but one instance of many throughout the book that shows god active. So she spoke, as many have spoken since, not knowing that gods ways are ways of pleasantness and all his paths peace, when they are not isolated from the plan of our life, but considered as parts of the whole.
The story reads more like a drama in four acts with an epilogue and prologue gotbible. These two issues are addressed in the book of ruth. Ruth commits to following naomi wherever she goes and following her god. They may have even stumbled across passages in christian living books about how to live life like ruth instead of naomi. Widows possibly felt some level of guilt for what had befallen them. Call me mara, because the almighty has made life very bitter for me. In this way, the book can be seen to be naomi s story. May 20, 2014 lets take a look at the book of ruth and observe from the life of naomi some perspective on what bitterness is able to do in our lives. Moab was a group of people whose ancestry came from one of lots daughters who had children by their father after getting him drunk. It is a brilliant work of theological art, and it invites us to reflect on the question of how god involves himself in the daytoday joys and hardships of our lives. When she saw that ruth was stedfastly minded to go with her which was the very thing she aimed at in all that she had said, to make her of a stedfast mind in going with her, when she saw that she had gained her point, she was well satisfied, and left off speaking to her, and you can find more about that here. I went away full, and the lord has brought me back empty.
May god, by his grace, fit us for all such changes, especially the great change. The mans name was elimelech and his wifes name was naomi and his two sons were named mahlon and chilion. Feb 08, 2021 the book of ruth tells an important story in the history of israelbut also reminds us to take seriously the lives of ordinary peoplevillagers, immigrants, married people, widows and the poor. Naomi is one of the main characters in the book of ruth. The book of ruth by richard arillotta friday study. Jan 02, 2020 marah or mara is referenced again in a different context in the book of ruth. David guziks bible commentary on ruth chapter 1, where ruth makes the.
As we will see later in our study, the law of sonship meant that ruth s biological son, obed, was legally the son heir of naomi, for we read in ruth 4. Naomi said, we are commanded to keep sabbaths and good days, on which we may not travel above 2000 cubits a sabbathdays journey. Oct 12, 2018 the book of ruth was written initially in hebrew. Ruth seals her bond of loyalty with naomi by pledging to remain with her until death trible, 844. May 23, 2019 ruth, however, refused to leave naomi, even after being given every opportunity to return, for she believed in the god of israel and was strong in faith. Ruth 1 amp naomi widowed in the days when the bible. Ruth free bible commentary in easy english easyenglish bible. Call me mara, because the almighty has dealt quite bitterly with me. But she responds in verse 20, do not call me naomi i. Ruth is a story of biblical proportions including everything from famine, widows. Naomi widowed in the days when the judges governed israel, there was a famine in the land of canaan.
The etymology of her name is not certain, but it is possible that it means good, pleasant. Perhaps funny is not the right word, because there really isnt anything funny about bitterness. There is more than can and needs to be said see the tab ruth above for various, related articles and i will be returning to and expanding this commentary. His name was obed and he was the grandfather of king david and part of the lineage of jesus christ. Verses 1014 both ruth and orpah still wanted to stay with naomi. You can read more indepth bible verses from the scripture below and use the articles and videos to. The book of ruth a story of the redemptive power of love. Tonight he will winnow barley at the threshing floor.
I love the story of ruth in the old testament book that bears her name. To explain how ruth, a moabitess, came to be an ancestor of david, and ultimately, the messiah cf. Boaz and ruth had a son named obed and a grandson named jesse who would be the father of david and from whose genealogy would come to the savior jesus christ. Naomi, the widow, ruth, the moabite, and boaz, the israelite farmer. Naomi said, we are commanded not to tarry all night with gentiles. Naomi and ruth return 6 then naomi heard in moab that the lord had blessed his people in judah by giving them good crops again. The book of ruth tells the extraordinary story of gods faithfulness to israel in the life and work of three ordinary. Naomi was overwhelmed with the lost and was looking at the situation instead of humbly seeking god. Her story starts with a famine in her hometown of bethlehem, which results in her family moving and settling in the neighbouring country of moab. Ruth god in the lives of ordinary people 59 page pdf.
Matthew henry 18 october 1662 22 june 1714 was an english commentator on the bible, who published his works in 1706, sixvolume exposition of the old and new testaments 17081710 or complete commentary, provides an exhaustive verse by verse study of the bible, covering the whole of the old testament, and the gospels and acts in the new testament. Chapters available ruth chuck smith bible commentary. Nov, 2012 the dramatic flavor of the book is observed from the fact that 59 out of the 85 verses 69% contain dialogue between the characters a commentary on ruth, david stewart, p. Naomi and ruth face agonizing hardship, but in god, hardship is not hopelessness. Ruth 1 amp naomi widowed in the days when the bible gateway.
In fact, naomi has earlier described boaz as a goel a redeemer 2. Here we have one of the constant plays on words and names found in the hebrew bible. The book of ruth is one of two in the hebrew bible that bears a womans name the other is esther. Ruth was very loyal to naomi, even though naomi insisted that ruth and orpha return to their native land where there was the possibility of a home and a husband. Read the full bible story account of ruth and naomi s special relationship in the scripture below. Naomi realizes ruth is determined to go with her c. Naomi, who later changes her name to mara, which means bitterness opposed. When the preferred character of ruth features as the primary sermon illustration. Jul 15, 2020 call me mara a story of restoration book of ruth july 15, 2020 article when naomi returned to her own country from moab with her daughterinlaw ruth, her old town was a buzz. The instructions that she gives ruth in verses 35 make it clear that naomi is determined to help ruth to obtain boaz as. Naomi painted the future black and ruth took her hand and walked into it with her. The book of ruth is a beautiful story, and probably one you may have heard in sunday school as a child. Ruth depicts the struggles of naomi and ruth for survival in a patriarchal environment. Now see from royal davids line one hope for jew and gentile shine.
The book of ruth reminds us to take seriously the lives of. Have you ever felt deep inside yourself, call me mara. Naomi s plight shapes the narrative, and her plan brings it to resolution. There was a relative of naomis husband, a man of great wealth, of the. The story of naomi appears in the bible in the book of ruth. And yet in the book of ruth, the two widows, naomi and ruth, become the active agents of positive change, showing that god uses unexpected people in unexpected ways. This is a short commentary on the book of ruth that i wrote as part of my preparation for my recent book on the targum of ruth. Naomi now finds herself without a husband, and without any sons to care for her.
While the easy route would have been to return to her. Naomi and mara orpah returned not only to her own people but to her gods ruth 1. When naomi returned to her own country from moab with her daughterinlaw ruth, her. If some upbraided her with her poverty, she was not moved against them, as she would have been if she had been poor and proud. Ruth 1 nlt elimelech moves his family to moab in bible. The last years of naomis life were full and rich who could have predicted it. Naomi and ruth overcame the effects on them of the oppressive systems of patriarchy, segregation, and. When naomi and her daughterinlaw ruth, both widowed, traveled back to naomis homeland of israel, the women of the village greeted their longlost friend. Call me no longer naomi, call me mara bitter, for the almighty has dealt bitterly with me ruth 1.
When feeling bitter with life book of ruth bible study. He did this so that he could also acquire naomi and ruth. Yet in moab, all she seemed to encounter was a series of disappointments and hardship. Call me mara a story of restoration book of ruth hannahs. Tragedy strikes the family of ruth and naomi ruth 1. The path to naomis redemp tion then becomes the path the church might. Naomi told the women of bethlehem to call her mara because the lord dealt bitterly with her.
Madipoane masenya interpreted the book of ruth in the global bible commentary gbc as a female. It is easier to take people out of egypt than to take egypt out of the people. Ruth marries boaz, and they have a son, for whom naomi cares, and so the women of the town say. Naomi and her husband, elimelech of bethlehem, went to moab with their two sons during a time of famine ruth 1. For a better understanding of the book the meaning of the hebrew names is especially informative. May 17, 2020 thats where we find naomi in her return to bethlehem ruth 1. When naomi set out for moab years earlier with her husband, elimelech, she was filled with such high hopes and vibrant dreams of what her life would look like. Apr 03, 2021 so ruth and naomi return together to bethlehem of judah verse 19. Call me mara, she answered, for the almighty has made me very bitter. So naomi and her daughtersinlaw got ready to leave moab to return to her homeland. Naomi is ruths motherinlaw in the hebrew bible in the book of ruth. On the contrary, god is at work at every moment, especially through the actions of faithful people in the book. Maybe you havent said it out loud but maybe you have or something like it.
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