Bible HebrewLeaving Moab Ruth 1:1–7
A family leaves Bethlehem in a famine, and three widows are left. Notice how many verbs are feminine: from here the women carry the story.
Ruth 1:1
וַיְהִי בִּימֵי שְׁפֹט הַשֹּׁפְטִים וַיְהִי רָעָב בָּאָרֶץ וַיֵּלֶךְ אִישׁ מִבֵּית לֶחֶם יְהוּדָה לָגוּר בִּשְׂדֵי מוֹאָב הוּא וְאִשְׁתּוֹ וּשְׁנֵי בָנָיו
Wayhī bīmē shəfōṭ hashshōfəṭīm wayhī rāʿāv bāʾāreṣ wayyēlekh ʾīsh mibbēth leḥem yəhūdhā lāghūr biśdhē mōʾāv hū wəʾishtō ūshənē vānāw
“In the days when the judges judged, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah went to live as a foreigner in the fields of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִי | wayhī | and it was |
| בִּימֵי | bīmē | in the days of |
| שְׁפֹט | shəfōṭ | the judging of |
| הַשֹּׁפְטִים | hashshōfəṭīm | the judges |
| וַיְהִי | wayhī | and there was |
| רָעָב | rāʿāv | a famine |
| בָּאָרֶץ | bāʾāreṣ | in the land |
| וַיֵּלֶךְ | wayyēlekh | and went |
| אִישׁ | ʾīsh | a man |
| מִבֵּית | mibbēth | from Beth- |
| לֶחֶם | leḥem | -lehem |
| יְהוּדָה | yəhūdhā | (of) Judah |
| לָגוּר | lāghūr | to live as a foreigner |
| בִּשְׂדֵי | biśdhē | in the fields of |
| מוֹאָב | mōʾāv | Moab |
| הוּא | hū | he |
| וְאִשְׁתּוֹ | wəʾishtō | and his wife |
| וּשְׁנֵי | ūshənē | and two of |
| בָנָיו | vānāw | his sons |
- וַיְהִי: וַיְהִי בִּימֵי, “and it was in the days of…”, is a common way to open a story and set its time.
- שְׁפֹט: שְׁפֹט הַשֹּׁפְטִים, “the judging of the judges”: an infinitive followed by a participle of the same verb used as a noun, “those who judge”.
- מִבֵּית: בֵּית לֶחֶם means “house of bread”. The story opens with a famine in the “house of bread”.
- לָגוּר: גּוּר is to live somewhere as a foreigner, without the rights of a native. The related noun גֵּר means “sojourner”, a foreigner who lives among the people.
- וּשְׁנֵי: שְׁנֵי, the construct of שְׁנַיִם “two”: “two of his sons” = “his two sons”.
Ruth 1:2
וְשֵׁם הָאִישׁ אֱלִימֶלֶךְ וְשֵׁם אִשְׁתּוֹ נָעֳמִי וְשֵׁם שְׁנֵי־בָנָיו מַחְלוֹן וְכִלְיוֹן אֶפְרָתִים מִבֵּית לֶחֶם יְהוּדָה וַיָּבֹאוּ שְׂדֵי־מוֹאָב וַיִּהְיוּ־שָׁם
Wəshēm hāʾīsh ʾĕlīmelekh wəshēm ʾishtō noʿŏmī wəshēm shənē-vānāw maḥlōn wəkhilyōn ʾefrāthīm mibbēth leḥem yəhūdhā wayyāvōʾū śədhē-mōʾāv wayyihyū-shām
“The man's name was Elimelech, his wife's name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They came to the fields of Moab and stayed there.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וְשֵׁם | wəshēm | and the name of |
| הָאִישׁ | hāʾīsh | the man |
| אֱלִימֶלֶךְ | ʾĕlīmelekh | Elimelech |
| וְשֵׁם | wəshēm | and the name of |
| אִשְׁתּוֹ | ʾishtō | his wife |
| נָעֳמִי | noʿŏmī | Naomi |
| וְשֵׁם | wəshēm | and the name of |
| שְׁנֵי | shənē | two of |
| בָנָיו | vānāw | his sons |
| מַחְלוֹן | maḥlōn | Mahlon |
| וְכִלְיוֹן | wəkhilyōn | and Chilion |
| אֶפְרָתִים | ʾefrāthīm | Ephrathites |
| מִבֵּית | mibbēth | from Beth- |
| לֶחֶם | leḥem | -lehem |
| יְהוּדָה | yəhūdhā | (of) Judah |
| וַיָּבֹאוּ | wayyāvōʾū | and they came |
| שְׂדֵי | śədhē | (to) the fields of |
| מוֹאָב | mōʾāv | Moab |
| וַיִּהְיוּ | wayyihyū | and they were |
| שָׁם | shām | there |
- וְשֵׁם: Sentences without a verb: וְשֵׁם הָאִישׁ אֱלִימֶלֶךְ, “and the name of the man, Elimelech”. The construct שֵׁם, “name of”, comes three times.
- אֱלִימֶלֶךְ: אֱלִימֶלֶךְ means “my God is king”. נָעֳמִי comes from the root נעם, “pleasant”; verse 20 plays on her name.
- אֶפְרָתִים: אֶפְרָתִים, “Ephrathites”: people from Ephrath (Ephrathah), a name connected with Bethlehem.
- שְׂדֵי: שְׂדֵי־מוֹאָב, “(to) the fields of Moab”: after a verb of motion, Hebrew can leave out “to”.
Ruth 1:3
וַיָּמָת אֱלִימֶלֶךְ אִישׁ נָעֳמִי וַתִּשָּׁאֵר הִיא וּשְׁנֵי בָנֶיהָ
Wayyāmoth ʾĕlīmelekh ʾīsh noʿŏmī wattishshāʾēr hī ūshənē vānehā
“Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיָּמָת | wayyāmoth | and died |
| אֱלִימֶלֶךְ | ʾĕlīmelekh | Elimelech |
| אִישׁ | ʾīsh | the husband of |
| נָעֳמִי | noʿŏmī | Naomi |
| וַתִּשָּׁאֵר | wattishshāʾēr | and was left |
| הִיא | hī | she |
| וּשְׁנֵי | ūshənē | and two of |
| בָנֶיהָ | vānehā | her sons |
- אִישׁ: אִישׁ means “man” and also “husband”. In the construct, אִישׁ נָעֳמִי, “the man of Naomi”, is “Naomi's husband”.
- וַתִּשָּׁאֵר: Niphal of שׁאר, “remain”: “she was left”. The prefix ת means “she” here. The same verb comes back in verse 5.
- בָנֶיהָ: In verse 1 they were “his sons”; now they are בָנֶיהָ, “her sons”.
Ruth 1:4
וַיִּשְׂאוּ לָהֶם נָשִׁים מֹאֲבִיּוֹת שֵׁם הָאַחַת עָרְפָּה וְשֵׁם הַשֵּׁנִית רוּת וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׁם כְּעֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים
Wayyiśʾū lāhem nāshīm mōʾăviyyōth shēm hāʾaḥath ʿorpā wəshēm hashshēnīth rūth wayyēshəvū shām kəʿeśer shānīm
“They took Moabite wives for themselves. The name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the second was Ruth. They lived there about ten years.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיִּשְׂאוּ | wayyiśʾū | and they took |
| לָהֶם | lāhem | for themselves |
| נָשִׁים | nāshīm | wives |
| מֹאֲבִיּוֹת | mōʾăviyyōth | Moabite |
| שֵׁם | shēm | the name of |
| הָאַחַת | hāʾaḥath | the one |
| עָרְפָּה | ʿorpā | Orpah |
| וְשֵׁם | wəshēm | and the name of |
| הַשֵּׁנִית | hashshēnīth | the second |
| רוּת | rūth | Ruth |
| וַיֵּשְׁבוּ | wayyēshəvū | and they lived |
| שָׁם | shām | there |
| כְּעֶשֶׂר | kəʿeśer | about ten |
| שָׁנִים | shānīm | years |
- וַיִּשְׂאוּ: נָשָׂא, “lift, carry”, with נָשִׁים: “take wives”, marry. This way of saying it is found mostly in later books of the Bible, such as Ezra and Chronicles.
- מֹאֲבִיּוֹת: The ending ־ִי makes a word for a people (מוֹאָבִי, “Moabite”); ־ִיּוֹת is its feminine plural.
- הָאַחַת: הָאַחַת … הַשֵּׁנִית, “the one … the second”: feminine forms, since they describe women.
- כְּעֶשֶׂר: כְּ before a number means “about”: כְּעֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים, “about ten years”.
Ruth 1:5
וַיָּמוּתוּ גַם־שְׁנֵיהֶם מַחְלוֹן וְכִלְיוֹן וַתִּשָּׁאֵר הָאִשָּׁה מִשְּׁנֵי יְלָדֶיהָ וּמֵאִישָׁהּ
Wayyāmūthū gham-shənēhem maḥlōn wəkhilyōn wattishshāʾēr hāʾishshā mishshənē yəlādhehā ūmēʾīshāh
“Then both of them, Mahlon and Chilion, also died, and the woman was left without her two children and without her husband.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַיָּמוּתוּ | wayyāmūthū | and died |
| גַם | gham | also |
| שְׁנֵיהֶם | shənēhem | both of them |
| מַחְלוֹן | maḥlōn | Mahlon |
| וְכִלְיוֹן | wəkhilyōn | and Chilion |
| וַתִּשָּׁאֵר | wattishshāʾēr | and was left |
| הָאִשָּׁה | hāʾishshā | the woman |
| מִשְּׁנֵי | mishshənē | without her two |
| יְלָדֶיהָ | yəlādhehā | children |
| וּמֵאִישָׁהּ | ūmēʾīshāh | and without her husband |
- שְׁנֵיהֶם: שְׁנַיִם “two” + ־ֵיהֶם “them”: “the two of them”, “both”.
- הָאִשָּׁה: She is no longer named: הָאִשָּׁה, “the woman”.
- מִשְּׁנֵי: מִן here means “without, bereft of”: “left from her two boys and from her husband”.
- יְלָדֶיהָ: יְלָדִים, “children, boys”, a word for young ones, where verse 3 had בָּנִים, “sons”.
Ruth 1:6
וַתָּקָם הִיא וְכַלֹּתֶיהָ וַתָּשָׁב מִשְּׂדֵי מוֹאָב כִּי שָׁמְעָה בִּשְׂדֵה מוֹאָב כִּי־פָקַד יְהוָה אֶת־עַמּוֹ לָתֵת לָהֶם לָחֶם
Wattāqom hī wəkhallōthehā wattāshov miśśədhē mōʾāv kī shāməʿā biśdhē mōʾāv kī-fāqadh yəḥawwe ʾeth-ʿammō lāthēth lāhem lāḥem
“Then she set out with her daughters-in-law to return from the fields of Moab, for she had heard in the field of Moab that yəḥawwe had visited his people and given them bread.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַתָּקָם | wattāqom | and she arose |
| הִיא | hī | she |
| וְכַלֹּתֶיהָ | wəkhallōthehā | and her daughters-in-law |
| וַתָּשָׁב | wattāshov | and she returned |
| מִשְּׂדֵי | miśśədhē | from the fields of |
| מוֹאָב | mōʾāv | Moab |
| כִּי | kī | for |
| שָׁמְעָה | shāməʿā | she had heard |
| בִּשְׂדֵה | biśdhē | in the field of |
| מוֹאָב | mōʾāv | Moab |
| כִּי | kī | that |
| פָקַד | fāqadh | had visited |
| יְהוָה | yəḥawwe | yəḥawwe |
| אֶת | ʾeth | (object marker) |
| עַמּוֹ | ʿammō | his people |
| לָתֵת | lāthēth | to give |
| לָהֶם | lāhem | them |
| לָחֶם | lāḥem | bread |
- וַתָּקָם: וַתָּקָם and וַתָּשָׁב are feminine: the prefix ת means “she” here. Naomi is now the one who acts.
- וַתָּשָׁב: שׁוּב, “return”, is used twelve times in this chapter. In verse 22 it is used even of Ruth, who had never been to Judah.
- פָקַד: פָּקַד has a wide range: “visit, attend to, take note of, appoint, count”. Here yəḥawwe attends to his people.
- לָחֶם: לָתֵת לָהֶם לֶחֶם, “to give them bread”. לֶחֶם echoes Beth-lehem, the “house of bread”, where the famine began.
Ruth 1:7
וַתֵּצֵא מִן־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר הָיְתָה־שָׁמָּה וּשְׁתֵּי כַלֹּתֶיהָ עִמָּהּ וַתֵּלַכְנָה בַדֶּרֶךְ לָשׁוּב אֶל־אֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה
Wattēṣē min-hammāqōm ʾăsher hāythā-shāmmā ūshəttē khallōthehā ʿimmāh wattēlakhnā vadderekh lāshūv ʾel-ʾereṣ yəhūdhā
“So she left the place where she had been, and her two daughters-in-law with her, and they went on the road to return to the land of Judah.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַתֵּצֵא | wattēṣē | and she went out |
| מִן | min | from |
| הַמָּקוֹם | hammāqōm | the place |
| אֲשֶׁר | ʾăsher | which |
| הָיְתָה | hāythā | she had been |
| שָׁמָּה | shāmmā | there |
| וּשְׁתֵּי | ūshəttē | and two of |
| כַלֹּתֶיהָ | khallōthehā | her daughters-in-law |
| עִמָּהּ | ʿimmāh | with her |
| וַתֵּלַכְנָה | wattēlakhnā | and they went |
| בַדֶּרֶךְ | vadderekh | on the road |
| לָשׁוּב | lāshūv | to return |
| אֶל | ʾel | to |
| אֶרֶץ | ʾereṣ | the land of |
| יְהוּדָה | yəhūdhā | Judah |
- אֲשֶׁר: אֲשֶׁר … שָׁמָּה, “which … there”: Hebrew says “the place which she was there”, where English says “the place where she was”.
- וּשְׁתֵּי: שְׁתֵּי is the feminine form of “two”, to match כַּלּוֹת, “daughters-in-law”.
- וַתֵּלַכְנָה: וַתֵּלַכְנָה, the feminine plural wayyiqtol, “and they (women) went”, ends in ־נָה.
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