And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

RUTH 1:20KJV
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Ruth 1:20 (KJV)

What does Ruth 1:20 mean?

Naomi asks the women of Bethlehem to call her “Mara,” meaning “bitter,” instead of “Naomi,” a name associated with pleasantness. After losing her husband and both sons, she says that the Almighty has made her life deeply bitter.

The key is the link between “Mara” and “hath dealt very bitterly.” The Hebrew name מָרָא (Mara) echoes the verb הֵמַר (hemar), “has made bitter.” Naomi chooses a name that expresses what she believes God has done to her.

The Hebrew behind Ruth 1:20

  • “Naomi” — נָעֳמִי (Na‘omi): Her name is associated with pleasantness or sweetness. The women have just recognized her on her return to Bethlehem. Hearing her familiar name prompts Naomi to say that the name no longer fits her experience.

  • “Call … call” — קָרָא (qara): This verb means to call, name, or address someone. Both commands address the women as a group. Naomi asks her community to address her with a name that reflects her grief.

  • “Almighty” — שַׁדַּי (Shaddai): This divine title is traditionally rendered “Almighty.” Its precise origin is uncertain, so the word should not be broken into parts to produce a hidden meaning. Here Naomi names God as the one responsible for her bitter condition.

  • “Very” — מְאֹד (me’od): This word means “greatly” or “exceedingly.” It intensifies “hath dealt … bitterly”: Naomi describes the bitterness of her experience as severe.

Why Ruth 1:20 matters

  • Naomi’s request is a public expression of grief. “Call me not Naomi, call me Mara” tells the women how profoundly loss has changed her sense of who she is.

  • Naomi makes a claim about God’s action. “The Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me” goes beyond saying that she feels bitter. She understands her suffering as something God has brought upon her.

  • Her words belong to a homecoming marked by loss. Naomi has returned to Bethlehem with Ruth after the deaths in her family. The contrast between her familiar name and her chosen name explains why returning home does not feel like a return to her former life.

Where else these words appear

“bitterly” Hebrew H4843 · used in 15 verses

  • Genesis 49:23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:
  • 1 Samuel 30:6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
  • Isaiah 38:17 Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

“Naomi” Hebrew H5281 · used in 20 verses

  • Ruth 1:2 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.
  • Ruth 1:22 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.
  • Ruth 3:1 Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?

“Almighty” Hebrew H7706 · used in 48 verses

  • Genesis 17:1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
  • Job 11:7 Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?
  • Job 29:5 When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;