Ruth 1:13 kjv

Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me.

Ruth 1:13 nkjv

would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me!"

Ruth 1:13 niv

would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD's hand has turned against me!"

Ruth 1:13 esv

would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me."

Ruth 1:13 nlt

Would you wait for them to grow up and refuse to marry someone else? No, of course not, my daughters! Things are far more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD himself has raised his fist against me."

Ruth 1 verses

Ruth 1 13 Meaning

Ruth 1:13 captures Naomi’s profound despair and the bleak reality facing her daughters-in-law. She highlights the social impossibility and great sacrifice it would demand for Ruth and Orpah to remain with her, hoping for her to bear sons who would then grow up to potentially marry them through levirate marriage. This concept was deeply rooted in their culture to ensure the deceased husband's lineage and the widow's security. Naomi asserts that her own suffering, seen as the "hand of the Lord" against her, is far more bitter than anything they might endure by returning to Moab, effectively releasing them from any obligation to her or the hope of a future with her family.

Ruth 1 13 Context

Ruth chapter 1 opens with famine in Judah, leading Elimelech and his family (Naomi and two sons, Mahlon and Chilion) to sojourn in Moab. There, the sons marry Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. Tragically, within ten years, Elimelech and both sons die, leaving Naomi, Orpah, and Ruth as childless widows in a foreign land. Naomi hears that the famine in Judah has ended and decides to return. On the way, she urges her daughters-in-law to return to their families in Moab, emphasizing their bleak prospects if they stay with her. Ruth 1:13 is part of Naomi's second, more emphatic plea to Orpah and Ruth, explaining why staying with her is not a viable option from her human perspective. Historically, in ancient Israel, a woman's status, security, and identity were intricately tied to marriage and male offspring. Childless widowhood was a highly precarious and socially vulnerable state, often leading to destitution. The possibility of levirate marriage, though a duty, depended on a male kinsman's availability and willingness, a hope Naomi views as impossible in her circumstance.

Ruth 1 13 Word analysis

• Would you therefore wait till they were grown?: Naomi presents a hypothetical scenario, highlighting the extreme and improbable nature of waiting.
  • wait (יָחַל - yakhal): This Hebrew verb means to wait, hope, or long for. Here, it conveys a sense of passive, futile waiting for an impossible future.
  • grown (יִגְדָּלוּ - yigdalu): From the root גָּדַל (gadal), meaning "to grow great" or "grow up." It emphasizes the long, uncertain passage of time for hypothetical sons to reach maturity.
• would you therefore refrain from marrying?: This reiterates the sacrifice. They would be foregoing a new marriage, a secure future, and children.
  • refrain (תִּעָגֵנָה - ti'agenah): From עָגַן (agan), unique to this verse in the Qal stem (to be anchored, detained, restrained). It powerfully portrays the women being "anchored" or "stuck" by loyalty, preventing them from a normal life and new marriage.
• Nay, my daughters, for I am much grieved for your sakes: Naomi directly answers her rhetorical questions, expressing deep sorrow not for herself, but for them.
  • Nay: A direct negative, dismissing the notion immediately.
  • grieved (מַר־לִי - mar-li): Literally, "bitter to me" or "it is bitter for me." This is a recurring motif for Naomi's sorrow (cf. Ruth 1:20-21). It denotes intense sorrow, suffering, and a deep sense of wrong or injustice experienced.
  • for your sakes: Naomi’s grief stems from their suffering and bleak prospects, emphasizing her selfless love and concern for them despite her own overwhelming pain.
• for the hand of the Lord is gone out against me.: This is Naomi's theological interpretation of her suffering.
  • the hand of the Lord (יַד יְהוָה - yad Yahweh): This is a powerful anthropomorphism, signifying God's active presence and power. It refers to divine activity, often perceived as judgment, affliction, or direct intervention. It emphasizes Yahweh’s sovereignty and involvement in human affairs.
  • gone out against me (יָצְאָה בִּי - yatza'ah bi): Implies an active, purposeful opposition or direct dealing by God, as if God has specifically targeted her. This is not passive fate but perceived divine action, confirming her perception of extreme hardship and loss.

Ruth 1 13 Bonus section

The concept of "the hand of the Lord" in this verse, while signifying Naomi's personal suffering and God's perceived judgment, sets a theological foundation for the entire book of Ruth. Although Naomi views God's hand as "against me" due to her bitter circumstances, the subsequent narrative reveals that God's hand is ultimately for His people, working His redemptive plan through unforeseen circumstances, culminating in a future for Naomi and establishing the lineage of David and eventually the Messiah. This contrasts with other ANE cultures where deity's actions were often arbitrary or solely destructive; here, God's sovereignty, even in perceived adversity, works towards a divine purpose.

Ruth 1 13 Commentary

Ruth 1:13 reveals Naomi's depth of suffering and her pragmatic, albeit despairing, assessment of their future. Faced with the harsh reality of her barrenness, old age, and the custom of levirate marriage which would require hypothetical future sons (a near impossibility), she paints a picture of extreme hardship and perpetual widowhood for her daughters-in-law if they remain with her. Her bitter conviction that "the hand of the Lord is gone out against me" underscores her theological worldview where God is directly responsible for her misfortunes. While sorrowful, this perspective highlights divine sovereignty in affliction, a common theme in the Old Testament, even if her immediate conclusion about her prospects is born of deep grief. The verse serves to highlight the magnitude of the choice facing Orpah and Ruth and sets the stage for Ruth's radical loyalty and faith later.