They wanted to become full-fledged Jewesses, observing the faith and living in the Land. But Ruth makes a different decision, revealing not only her dedication to her mother-in-law, but her dedication to the God of Israel (As Naomi noted, Orpah was . Orpah was motivated by safety, and safety is what she got. One path can lead away from God, and the other takes us toward God and into His loving care and protection. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Repentence comes due to conviction. The fact that she had to tell Naomi that Naomis God would be her God only shows that the Church sees its failure in believing in the executed messiah and finally agrees to accept the true God on his terms, with no intercession. Just as we willingly accepted the Torah and the Jewish mission at Sinai, so too did Ruth voluntarily enter the covenant to become a part of that same glorious mission. In all, Leah and Rachel provide Jacob with 12 sons (and one daughter), who will in turn father the 12 tribesthe people of Israel. The book of Ruth tells a smaller story within this narrative, showing God quietly at work in the lives of a few individuals. Adapted from Reading Ruth, edited by Judith Kates and Gail Reimer (1994), Ballantine Books, a division of Random House. ESV - Please ensure your answer MEETS all our guidelines. Israel is suffering from famine and they decide to relocate to the nearby nation of Moab. How to determine chain length on a Brompton? Is it okay for a Christian to play Bedwars on Minecraft? (Although Ralbag does mention that this was because Naami wanted to see if her conversion was legitimately sincere.) Raise your eyes and look out from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west, for I give all the land that you see to you and your offspring forever. In this article, Adele Berlin argues that Ruth illuminates the main theme of the Hebrew Bible: the continuity of Gods people in their land.Ed. In Christian Bibles it is slipped in between Judges and Samuel, among the historical books. Boaz was NOT the Students also viewed. We read a lot about Ruth, who seems to be Naomis favored daughter-in-law, but not so much about Orpah, the second daughter-in-law. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem . Ruth, on the contrary, was renouncing the polytheism of the Moabites and embracing the monotheism of the Hebrews. Like Abraham, and like the family of Jacob (see the story of Joseph), the family of Elimelech was forced by famine to leave its home in the land of Israel and to preserve itself in a foreign land. In the stories of Jacobs wives, Leah and Rachel, the issue is no longer which son will be the heir, for they are all the children of Israel. Rather, the emphasis is on the accumulation of progeny. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Comments. At first it would seem that the ties that bind Naomi, Ruth and Orpah after the deaths of their husbands do not make them a family in any customary sense. Comments are sorted chronologically. This is all the more amazing after Naomi's grim description of their future with her. She clearly had the seeds of greatness within her. YA scifi novel where kids escape a boarding school, in a hollowed out asteroid, Existence of rational points on generalized Fermat quintics. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab(Ruth 1:1). For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. If this suggests that the Book of Ruth is an anomaly, I propose to show that, on the contrary, its thematic connections with the rest of the Bible are much stronger than we generally perceive. She gathered her belongings and set out for Bethlehem with her dutiful daughters-in-law in tow. Upon leaving Naomi, Orpah ran into a battalion of 100 soldiers. On its face, the Book of Ruth is a short self-contained story, unconnected to the narrative sequence from Genesis through Kings. We know from Orpah that we can choose familiarity or faitheternity or obscurity and darkness. or'-pa (`orpah; for meaning see below): A Moabitess, wife of Mahlon, son of Elimelech and Naomi. Orpah ( Hebrew: Orp, meaning "neck" or "fawn") is a woman mentioned in the Book of Ruth in the Hebrew Bible. Undoubtedly, the land/family motif helps to explain why the author emphasizes certain details and ties the story to the Torah and rest of the Old Testament. Please consider. The sons too perish, and at last Naomi resolves to return to Israel, widowed, childless and impoverished. She backed down. I see this so called Church down on its luck do to its worship of a failed messiah who had nothing left to lose but to glaum on to the one nation that still had the grace of God on it. The two daughters-in-law must consider their future, Naomi pleaded in hopes of dissuading her daughters-in-law from continuing the journey. She is joining herself to Naomi not only on the private family level, but also on the national peoplehood level. 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(And once this was accomplished, then it retroactively validated her conversion as a child - just as is true today when a child is converted and then continues to keep mitzvos after bar/bas mitzvah; thus, no further conversion ceremony was needed when they arrived in Eretz Yisrael, and indeed none is recorded.). Why is the birthright so emphasized in the Bible? Before that Yaweh was probably part of Ruths ovreall Pantheon of Gods, a Trinity or more of Gods. In the Book of Ruth, Orpah and Ruth chose different paths because that was best for them. I am also acquiring Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, as my wife, so as to perpetuate [Mahlons] name upon his estate, that [his] name may not disappear from among his kinsmen. How can I make the following table quickly? In the Hebrew Bible its in an entirely different place, in the third section, known as the Writings. I would say that it was because, even though Ruth and Orpah were both Moabites by birth who had been married to Jewish men, Ruth had apparently developed a belief in the God of Israel in a way that Orpah had not. A. On Shavuot we commemorate the Revelation at Sinai when God descended upon Mount Sinai and proclaimed before the nation I am the Lord your God. In the synagogue we read the Book of Ruth that recounts the heartwarming story of Ruth the Moabite, who leaves everything behind to follow her mother-in-law Naomi to the Holy Land, ultimately fully embracing Judaism and becoming great-grandmother to King David. A further interesting point to the story it that Ruth, as a Moabitess, belonged the people founded by Moab: the son of Lots eldest daughter by her father (Gen 19:37). Thrice-bereaved of any provider, Naomi decides to return to Judah, having heard that the Lord had given food to her people in Bethlehem. What age was Jehoiachin when he began his reign? Rashi (to Ruth 1:12) states that she (and Orpah) were still gentiles when they were on the road back to Eretz Yisrael (indeed, we derive from their conversation the halachah that we are to attempt to dissuade a prospective convert (Yevamos 47b)). Divine action, however, is only visible in people's actions: Naomi's decision to return, Ruth's loyalty to Naomi, Naomi's plan to take advantage of Boaz's desire and the townswomen's . On the other hand, Orpah passes away into obscurity after she says goodbye to Naomi and Ruth on the road to Bethlehem. As is clear from the Talmud (Yevamot 47b), they were not doing so as a mere courtesy. Advantages of converts (in spiritual terms). The story of Ruth and Naomi is one of the best-loved stories in the Bible. Elimelech (also spelled Elimelek) was the husband of Naomi and the father of two sons, Mahlon and Kilion. Orpah's husband was Chilion. Clarify Leah and Rachels eagerness to bear children for Jacob is again emphasized when they argue over who shall use the aphrodisiac mandrakes found by Leahs son (Genesis 30:1416). She was willing to give her all for her beliefs, to follow Naomi no matter what the cost. Ruth: Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament by Daniel Block. And they wept again. Since its time for the barley harvest, Ruth decides to glean from a field. What does the Bible say about decision-making. [1] After the death of her husband, Orpah and her sister-in-law Ruth wished to go to Judea with Naomi. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. Leah, during a hiatus in her childbearing, does the same by giving her maidservant Zilpah to Jacob as a concubine. Vote Up Thanks to Ruth, the family of Naomi (strangely, the text does not put it in terms of Elimelech or Mahlon) survives. Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, is also our . Elimelech of Bethlehem departs the country for Moab, taking his wife Naomi and their two sons along. Moab was a pagan country, a thorn in the side of Judea . The lives of these three women were interwoven. God forbade His people from marrying Moabite women. But our Sages tell us about a fascinating postscript to the story of Orpah. The book of Ruth with four chapters started with Naomi and her husband, Elimelech who left their . 2022 28 Jun. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God is a radical thought because it signals that Ruth is changing her identity in a world where that was almost inconceivable. Sign Up to view the rest of this answer. Your people will be my people, and your God my God. Exodus in the Bible and the Egyptian Plagues. I think that anyone who uses Ruth to do so is absolutely wrong and doing something atrocious. Thus, the rabbi disagreed as to when Ruth converted. Proverbs 14:12 warns us that "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." We only see her eating dinner! We have a natural drive to make something of ourselves, to achieve immortality. The relevance of the Book of Ruth to Shavuot is clear enough. In ancient times, a name revealed a lot about that person. Ask a Question. Naomi even later tested them to see if they have converted. COPYRIGHT 2023 BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY 5614 Connecticut Ave NW #343, Washington DC 20015-2604. What is the significance of Ruth telling Naomi, "Wherever you go, I will go" (Ruth 1:16)? Can I ask for a refund or credit next year? It is available as both book and ebook. Her name is supposed to be derived from the Hebrew word for "neck" (`oreph), and so to mean "stiff-necked" because of her turning . Id invite you to research this for yourself and experience the grace Naomi and Ruth shared with us through this story. In the days when the Judges ruled: This account begins in the closing days . The higher the vote, the further up an answer is. Depending on whether youre using a Jewish or Christian version, the Book of Ruth is placed between Judges and Samuel or between the Song of Songs and Lamentations. by GotQuestions.org Audio Pages. Why didn't Adam die the day he ate the forbidden fruit, as God said he would in Genesis 2:17? Was He More than an Exodus Hero? Why did Ruth and Orpah make different decisions? Login or Sign Up to view the rest of this answer. Thereafter, we read: "Jehovah granted her conception and she bore a son.". We meet Orpah for the first time in Ruth 1:3-4. In Bethlehem, the story begins with the barley harvest (Passover) and concludes at the wheat harvest (Pentecost/Shavuos). When the famine abates, Naomi returns to Bethlehem. The Rabbis state that Ruth was Orpah's sister, as well as her sister-in-law, and both were the daughters of King Eglon of Moab (Ruth Rabbah 2:9), who (according to the same A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules). She took religion and spirituality quite seriously. We will discuss how Providence and human choice interacts to shape the history on individuals and nations, God . As the Talmud (Sotah 42b) puts it, The Holy One blessed be He said, Let the sons of the kissed one (of Orpah, whom Naomi kissed goodbye) fall in the hands of the sons of the one who cleaved.. FROM JOSHUA TO RUTH QUIZ 3. Naomi warned that Orpah and Ruth might not have the opportunity to remarry if they went with her to Bethlehem. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Your people will be my people and your God my God. RUTH: GOD PROVIDES A KINSMAN-REDEEMER. Encourage everyone in the group to read the book. Why did Ruth and Orpah make different decisions? Is it pashut pshat that Rut never ate breakfast? In Judah, she would live as an outsider and possibly never marry again. Naomi made 2 decisions here; one is to leave Moab and the second is to return. Instead of becoming a spiritual giant, she became a mother of physical giants. This also teaches us an important lesson about the Revelation at Sinai, which we celebrate on Shavuot. Ishus 2:6); in that case she reaches halachic maturity only at age 35 (ibid. In verses 11-13, Naomi explains to Orpah and Ruth why they should return to their homeland. 15 And she said, "See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law." 16 But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. Ask Us! Naomi kissed them and wept. The matter is soon settled. (Revelation 21:4). We would be driven to achieve, to fulfill ourselves, and to become godlike and eternal. The second decision requires discipline and determination until we reach our destination. Report And Ruth's sister-in-law Orpah followed that advice. Community answers are sorted based on votes. In her first attempt, she gave them her blessings to return and find husbands and a future. Why did Ruth and Orpah make different decisions? What did Jesus mean when he said, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees"? I also said that people use this to try and undermine the halakhic requirements of giyur which I should I guess have qualified. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so . He points to Rambam issurei biah 13:14-15 which states that if there is reason to suspect that the conversion was for reasons beside belief (money, power, love etc.) An easily researchable task through simply following the lineage of David and the inclusion of Ruth in the genealogy of Christ in Matthews Gospel. Photo: Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munchen. Mary Evans's commentary places each book in its historical and canonical context . However, it seems they became comfortable and complacent because the sons married Moabite women, and they were there for more than a decade. In other words: even though she was a Moabite, look how great she was and how Boaz accepted her etc. In fact, Ruth's sister-in-law, Orpah, chose to leave: "Look," said Naomi, "your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Who should be making the financial decisions for a church body? 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