And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.
What does Ruth 1:4 mean?
Elimelech's care to provide for his family, was not to be blamed; but his removal into the country of Moab could not be justified. And the removal ended in the wasting of his family.
Key themes
HopeHesedProvidenceLoyalty
Read with
Keep this verse inside Ruth 1:1-5 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Related topics
Glossary
- Moab Place
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Biblical region. Modern identification: Kerak.
- Orpah Person
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Forelock or fawn, a Moabitess, the wife of Chilion ( Ruth 1:4 ; 4:10 ). On the death of her husband she accompanied Naomi, her mother-in-law, part of the way to Bethlehem, and then returned to Moab.
- Ruth Person
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A friend, a Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, whose father, Elimelech, had settled in the land of Moab.