Ruth 1:13-17

The Pulpit Commentary - Ruth 1:6-14

Longing for the old home. Brings to view I. NAOMI 'S RESOLUTION . No wonder that she formed it; for— 1. The ties that bound her to the land of Moab had been snapped by the hand of death. In the death of her husband there was the disruption of the house-band . In the deaths of her two sons who had become husbands , the only other bands or bonds that could keep together for Naomi a home in Moab were burst. Matthew Henry says, "The land of Moab was now become a... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ruth 1:10-14

Separation. These three women were bound together by the memory of common happiness, by the memory of common sorrows. The proposal that they should part, however reasonable and just, could not but reopen the flood-gates of their grief. Orpah found her consolation in her home in Moab, and Ruth found hers in Naomi's life-long society and affection. But as the three stand before us on the borders of the land, as Naomi begs her daughters-in-law to return, the sorrow and the sanctity of human... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ruth 1:14

And they, the daughters-in-law, lifted up their voice in unison and unity, as if instead of two voices there had been but one. Hence the propriety of the singular number, as in Ruth 1:9 . And wept again. The "again" doubles back on the statement in Ruth 1:9 . With uplifted voice, in shrill Oriental wail, and amid streams of tears, they bemoaned their hapless lot. Then, after the paroxysm of grief had somewhat spent itself, Orpah yielded to her mother-in-law's dissuasives, and at length... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ruth 1:15

EXPOSITION And she said, Behold, thy sister-in-law is gone back to her people, and to her gods: return thou after thy sister-in-law. The expression that stands in King James's version thus, "and to her gods," is rendered by Dr. Cassel " and to her God." The same interpretation, it is noteworthy, is given in the Targum of Jonathan, who renders the expression, "and to her Fear" ( וּלְוַת דְּחַלְרָּהּ ). Such a translation assumes that the Moabites were not only theists, but... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ruth 1:15-22

Devoted attachment. I. Ruth was fixed in her desire and determination to CAST IS HER LOT WITH HER DESOLATE AND DESTITUTE MOTHER - IN - LAW . The absolute unselfishness of this determination is noteworthy, for— 1. Be it noted that Naomi was not one of those who are always murmuring and complaining because they do not receive sufficient consideration. 2. Still less did she claim as a right, or urge as a duty, that her daughter-in-law should become her... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ruth 1:16

And Ruth said, Insist not on me forsaking thee: for whither thou goest, I will go. Ruth's mind was made up. Her heart would not be wrenched away from her mother-in-law. The length of the journey, its dangers, and the inevitable fatigue accompanying it, moved not, by so much as a jot, her resolution. Had not her mother-in-law the same distance to travel, the same fatigue to endure, the same perils to encounter? Might not the aged traveler, moreover, derive some assistance and cheer from the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ruth 1:16-17

"Entreat me not to leave thee." A mother and a daughter-in-law are to go together. The daughter wishes it, and petitions with most eloquent ardor that it shall be so. A mother-in-law is sometimes—alas, too often—the subject of criticism and satire. It is a difficult position to fill, and many bitterly unkind and untrue caricatures have been made upon the relationship. In this case Naomi had made herself beloved by both Orpah and Ruth, and it was only through Naomi's words, "Turn again," that... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ruth 1:16-18

Constancy. For simple pathos and unstudied eloquence, this language is unsurpassed. "One touch of nature makes the whole world kin." Here is the fervent outpouring of a true heart. Love and resolution are at their height. Thousands of human souls have expressed their mutual attachment in these words. They are not words of extravagance or of passion, but of feeling, of principle, of a fixed and changeless mind. Constancy must be admired, even by the inconstant. I. THERE WERE ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ruth 1:17

Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried. She wished to be naturalized for life in Naomi's fatherland. Nor did she wish her remains to be conveyed back for burial to the land of her nativity. So may Yahveh do to me, and still more, but death only shall part me and thee. She appeals to the God of the Israelites, the one universal God. She puts herself on oath, and invokes his severest penal displeasure if she should suffer anything less uncontrollable than death to part her... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Ruth 1:11-13

See marginal references and notes. The Levirate law probably existed among the Moabites, and in Israel extended beyond the brother in the strict sense, and applied to the nearest relations, since Boaz was only the kinsman of Elimelech Ruth 3:12. read more

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