Chapter 1 

• Vv. 1-5 A lot happens in setting up the scene. The author introduces the setting, the initial conflict, and the main characters in rapid form. This book takes place in the time of the judges in a year of famine. A man and wife leave looking for fertile land, only to eventually lose the patriarch and the two sons. All that is left is the matriarch and two daughter in laws.

  • How does setting change your perception of what is happening in this chapter?

  • Look up the meaning of each characters name. What is their significance to the story?

  • How does this scene already show the importance of community?

• Vv. 6-18 Seeing that they will not survive in such a time without the presence of a male leader, Naomi intends to return to her homeland and asks that her daughter-in-laws do likewise. Orpah does but Ruth refuses and determines that she will not abandon Naomi’s side.

  • How many times is a form of return used in chapter 1? How does the idea of returning hold a deeper significance than a simple physical movement?

  • How is the idea of finding rest misplaced in verse 9 compared to where the believer ought to find rest? How does Ruth’s response show how we ought to find rest?

• Vv. 19-22 Naomi returns to her home without her family, only Ruth has tagged along. This brings out a deep pain in Naomi, causing her to change her name from Naomi, which means pleasant, to Mara, meaning bitter. She was once full but has returned empty.

  • How does Naomi’s description of herself and her physical location show our own spiritual journey in life?

  • Why is Ruth’s origin repeated?

Pastor’s Answers

• The setting is extremely important for the narrative being played out. It is the time of the judges, meaning the life of a women in one of perpetual danger. Especially a woman without a man’s protection. People were treated unfairly and much evil was committed. Ruth also happens to be a Moabite woman, meaning that she would have been viewed as a lesser in Israel because of her affiliation with foreign gods.

• Elimelech- my God is King; Naomi- pleasant, delight; Mahlon- sick; Chilion- weak; Orpah- neck, specifically back of the neck; Ruth- friend; Boaz- swiftness. These names play a significant role as they describe what part of the story that they will play. One that may be less obvious is the role of Elimelech’s name. One reason for the powerful name usage is that, though the family experiences tragedy, God is still faithful. Also, it is important once again to reference the setting. Judges repeats often that each in Israel did what was right in their own eyes and Israel had no king. There was a draw for the reader to desire a king, one after God’s own heart. But while God was delivering a king, He still proved himself to be the rightful King and the one the Israelites should have looked to as king. Though death would separate Ruth from the line of Elimelech, Boaz would swiftly bring her back that God may once again be seen as King of Israel. It also is important to note that Ruth is in the line of David, and therefore a matriarch in the line of Jesus.

• Community is seen as important in this chapter as it is by community alone that Naomi might survive. She is too old to be remarried or have children of her own to take care of her. She must depend on a broken and twisted society to take care of her.

• A form of return is used 12 times in chapter 1. This is significant as it is not just describing the actions of Naomi, but also describing the need for Israel to return “home” to their relationship with God.

• Naomi encourages her daughters-in-law to return to their own homes that they may find rest in the embrace of a new husband. Orpah does so, but Ruth presents to the reader a theme that true rest that is from the Lord is not found in the embrace of human company or the ease of life. She will work diligently amidst difficult circumstances in a foreign land in order to find rest in a covenantal relationship set up with a woman who has turned sour. Rest, then, is not the absence of work but a peace in the soul. This only comes through experiencing the Lord and his kindness seen through his redemption.

• Naomi describes herself as once pleasant but now bitter; once full but returning empty. We are often like this in our own spiritual journeys. We are at home with the Lord and we go through a difficult time of spiritual “famine”. Instead of turning to the Lord, we pack all the blessings he has given us and we search for greener pastures. We eventually find ourselves at a loss of those blessings, recognizing that those days of famine were actually times of pleasant fullness. Now, searching for answers, we return to the start.