Ruth 1:4 (KJV)

What does Ruth 1:4 mean?

Ruth 1:4 tells how Naomi’s two sons married women from Moab, naming them Orpah and Ruth, and that the families lived in Moab for about ten years. This sets the stage for the story by introducing Ruth and showing the family’s long stay in a foreign land.

The verse is part of a narrative about Naomi’s family after they left Bethlehem due to famine. The focus is on the marriages of her sons to Moabite women, which was unusual for Israelites, and the length of time they remained in Moab. This detail prepares the reader for the events that follow, especially Ruth’s important role in the story.

The Hebrew behind Ruth 1:4

• מוֹאָב (Moav): This is the Hebrew name for Moab, a neighboring nation often seen as outsiders by Israelites. The mention highlights the cross-cultural aspect of the marriages.
• נָשָׂא (nasa, “took”): This word is often used for marriage in Hebrew narrative, carrying the sense of “taking” a wife, which reflects the customs of the time.
• אִשָּׁה (ishah, “wife/woman”): The same word is used for both “wives” and “women” in this verse, showing that the women they married were Moabite by origin.
• שֵׁם (shem, “name”): The verse repeats “the name of the one… the name of the other,” emphasizing the introduction of Orpah and Ruth as key figures.

Why Ruth 1:4 matters

• Ruth 1:4 clarifies that Ruth was not an Israelite by birth but a Moabite, which is crucial for understanding the rest of the book and her remarkable loyalty to Naomi.
• The verse highlights the family’s long-term settlement in Moab, showing that their connection to the land and its people was not brief or accidental.
• By naming Orpah and Ruth, the verse signals a shift in focus from Naomi’s sons to the women, setting up Ruth’s central role in the story that follows.