Bible HebrewWhere You Go Ruth 1:15–22
Ruth's answer, the arrival in Bethlehem, and Naomi's new name. Pairs of “you” and “I” verbs carry Ruth's promise.
Ruth 1:15
וַתֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה שָׁבָה יְבִמְתֵּךְ אֶל־עַמָּהּ וְאֶל־אֱלֹהֶיהָ שׁוּבִי אַחֲרֵי יְבִמְתֵּךְ
Wattōmer hinnē shāvā yəvimtēkh ʾel-ʿammāh wəʾel-ʾĕlōhehā shūvī ʾaḥărē yəvimtēkh
“Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. Go back after your sister-in-law.””
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַתֹּאמֶר | wattōmer | and she said |
| הִנֵּה | hinnē | look |
| שָׁבָה | shāvā | has gone back |
| יְבִמְתֵּךְ | yəvimtēkh | your sister-in-law |
| אֶל | ʾel | to |
| עַמָּהּ | ʿammāh | her people |
| וְאֶל | wəʾel | and to |
| אֱלֹהֶיהָ | ʾĕlōhehā | her gods |
| שׁוּבִי | shūvī | go back |
| אַחֲרֵי | ʾaḥărē | after |
| יְבִמְתֵּךְ | yəvimtēkh | your sister-in-law |
- הִנֵּה: הִנֵּה, “look!”, points to something present: “see here”.
- יְבִמְתֵּךְ: יְבִמְתֵּךְ: the word means a brother's widow, here “your sister-in-law”, with ־ֵךְ “your (f.)”.
- אֱלֹהֶיהָ: אֱלֹהֶיהָ can be “her gods” or “her god”. Speaking of Orpah's people, Moab, translations usually write “gods”.
- שׁוּבִי: שׁוּבִי is a feminine singular command, with the ending ־ִי. Now Naomi speaks to Ruth alone.
Ruth 1:16
וַתֹּאמֶר רוּת אַל־תִּפְגְּעִי־בִי לְעָזְבֵךְ לָשׁוּב מֵאַחֲרָיִךְ כִּי אֶל־אֲשֶׁר תֵּלְכִי אֵלֵךְ וּבַאֲשֶׁר תָּלִינִי אָלִין עַמֵּךְ עַמִּי וֵאלֹהַיִךְ אֱלֹהָי
Wattōmer rūth ʾal-tifgəʿī-vī ləʿāzəvēkh lāshūv mēʾaḥărāyikh kī ʾel-ʾăsher tēləkhī ʾēlēkh ūvaʾăsher tālīnī ʾālīn ʿammēkh ʿammī wēlōhayikh ʾĕlōhāy
“But Ruth said, “Do not press me to leave you, to turn back from following you. For where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people are my people, and your God my God.””
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַתֹּאמֶר | wattōmer | and said |
| רוּת | rūth | Ruth |
| אַל | ʾal | do not |
| תִּפְגְּעִי | tifgəʿī | press |
| בִי | vī | me |
| לְעָזְבֵךְ | ləʿāzəvēkh | to leave you |
| לָשׁוּב | lāshūv | to turn back |
| מֵאַחֲרָיִךְ | mēʾaḥărāyikh | from after you |
| כִּי | kī | for |
| אֶל | ʾel | to |
| אֲשֶׁר | ʾăsher | where |
| תֵּלְכִי | tēləkhī | you go |
| אֵלֵךְ | ʾēlēkh | I will go |
| וּבַאֲשֶׁר | ūvaʾăsher | and where |
| תָּלִינִי | tālīnī | you lodge |
| אָלִין | ʾālīn | I will lodge |
| עַמֵּךְ | ʿammēkh | your people |
| עַמִּי | ʿammī | (are) my people |
| וֵאלֹהַיִךְ | wēlōhayikh | and your God |
| אֱלֹהָי | ʾĕlōhāy | my God |
- תִּפְגְּעִי: פָּגַע means “meet, reach”, and with בְּ “press, urge”. With אַל + a jussive: “do not urge me”.
- לְעָזְבֵךְ: לְ + the infinitive of עזב + ־ֵךְ “you (f.)”: “to leave you”.
- תֵּלְכִי: Pairs of the same verb, “you” then “I”: תֵּלְכִי / אֵלֵךְ, תָּלִינִי / אָלִין. The prefix ת with the ending ־ִי is “you (f.)”; the prefix א is “I”.
- עַמֵּךְ: Four words and no verb: עַמֵּךְ עַמִּי וֵאלֹהַיִךְ אֱלֹהָי, “your people, my people; and your God, my God”. Only the endings change, from ־ֵךְ “your” to ־ִי “my”.
Ruth 1:17
בַּאֲשֶׁר תָּמוּתִי אָמוּת וְשָׁם אֶקָּבֵר כֹּה יַעֲשֶׂה יְהוָה לִי וְכֹה יֹסִיף כִּי הַמָּוֶת יַפְרִיד בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵךְ
Baʾăsher tāmūthī ʾāmūth wəshām ʾeqqāvēr kō yaʿăśe yəḥawwe lī wəkhō yōsīf kī hammāweth yafrīdh bēnī ūvēnēkh
“Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May yəḥawwe do so to me, and more, if anything but death separates me from you.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| בַּאֲשֶׁר | baʾăsher | where |
| תָּמוּתִי | tāmūthī | you die |
| אָמוּת | ʾāmūth | I will die |
| וְשָׁם | wəshām | and there |
| אֶקָּבֵר | ʾeqqāvēr | I will be buried |
| כֹּה | kō | so |
| יַעֲשֶׂה | yaʿăśe | may do |
| יְהוָה | yəḥawwe | yəḥawwe |
| לִי | lī | to me |
| וְכֹה | wəkhō | and so |
| יֹסִיף | yōsīf | may he add |
| כִּי | kī | if |
| הַמָּוֶת | hammāweth | death |
| יַפְרִיד | yafrīdh | separates |
| בֵּינִי | bēnī | between me |
| וּבֵינֵךְ | ūvēnēkh | and between you |
- אֶקָּבֵר: Niphal (passive) of קבר, “bury”: “I will be buried”.
- כֹּה: כֹּה יַעֲשֶׂה יְהוָה לִי וְכֹה יֹסִיף, “so may yəḥawwe do to me, and so may he add”, is an oath formula: the speaker calls a penalty on herself if she breaks her word. The penalty is left unsaid.
- כִּי: In oaths, כִּי can introduce the condition or mean “surely”: “if (anything but) death separates…”, or “death alone will separate…”. Translations read it both ways.
- בֵּינִי: בֵּין … וּבֵין, “between … and between”: Hebrew repeats בֵּין with each side.
Ruth 1:18
וַתֵּרֶא כִּי־מִתְאַמֶּצֶת הִיא לָלֶכֶת אִתָּהּ וַתֶּחְדַּל לְדַבֵּר אֵלֶיהָ
Wattēre kī-mithʾammeṣeth hī lālekheth ʾittāh watteḥdal lədhabbēr ʾēlehā
“When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her about it.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַתֵּרֶא | wattēre | and she saw |
| כִּי | kī | that |
| מִתְאַמֶּצֶת | mithʾammeṣeth | was determined |
| הִיא | hī | she |
| לָלֶכֶת | lālekheth | to go |
| אִתָּהּ | ʾittāh | with her |
| וַתֶּחְדַּל | watteḥdal | and she stopped |
| לְדַבֵּר | lədhabbēr | speaking |
| אֵלֶיהָ | ʾēlehā | to her |
- וַתֵּרֶא: The verse names neither woman. The verbs and endings, all feminine, carry the story.
- מִתְאַמֶּצֶת: A Hithpael participle of אמץ, “be strong”: “making herself strong”, determined.
- וַתֶּחְדַּל: חָדַל + לְ + an infinitive: “stop doing”. Naomi stops arguing.
Ruth 1:19
וַתֵּלַכְנָה שְׁתֵּיהֶם עַד־בֹּאָנָה בֵּית לָחֶם וַיְהִי כְּבֹאָנָה בֵּית לֶחֶם וַתֵּהֹם כָּל־הָעִיר עֲלֵיהֶן וַתֹּאמַרְנָה הֲזֹאת נָעֳמִי
Wattēlakhnā shəttēhem ʿadh-bōʾānā bēth lāḥem wayhī kəvōʾānā bēth leḥem wattēhōm kol-hāʿīr ʿălēhen wattōmarnā hăzōth noʿŏmī
“So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women said, “Is this Naomi?””
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַתֵּלַכְנָה | wattēlakhnā | and they went |
| שְׁתֵּיהֶם | shəttēhem | the two of them |
| עַד | ʿadh | until |
| בֹּאָנָה | bōʾānā | their coming (to) |
| בֵּית | bēth | Beth- |
| לָחֶם | lāḥem | -lehem |
| וַיְהִי | wayhī | and it was |
| כְּבֹאָנָה | kəvōʾānā | when they came (to) |
| בֵּית | bēth | Beth- |
| לֶחֶם | leḥem | -lehem |
| וַתֵּהֹם | wattēhōm | and was stirred |
| כָּל | kol | all |
| הָעִיר | hāʿīr | the town |
| עֲלֵיהֶן | ʿălēhen | over them |
| וַתֹּאמַרְנָה | wattōmarnā | and they said |
| הֲזֹאת | hăzōth | is this |
| נָעֳמִי | noʿŏmī | Naomi |
- שְׁתֵּיהֶם: שְׁתֵּיהֶם, “the two of them”, has the masculine ending ־הֶם though both are women (compare 1:8).
- בֹּאָנָה: בֹּאָנָה: the infinitive of בּוֹא + ־ָנָה “their (f.)”: “their coming”.
- כְּבֹאָנָה: כְּ + an infinitive = “when”: כְּבֹאָנָה, “when they came”.
- וַתֵּהֹם: עִיר, “town”, is feminine, so its verb is too: וַתֵּהֹם, “and (she) was in an uproar”.
- וַתֹּאמַרְנָה: וַתֹּאמַרְנָה is feminine plural: the speakers are women of the town.
- הֲזֹאת: הֲ + זֹאת: “is this…?”, with the feminine “this”.
Ruth 1:20
וַתֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶן אַל־תִּקְרֶאנָה לִי נָעֳמִי קְרֶאןָ לִי מָרָא כִּי־הֵמַר שַׁדַּי לִי מְאֹד
Wattōmer ʾălēhen ʾal-tiqrenā lī noʿŏmī qərenā lī mārā kī-hēmar shadday lī məʾōdh
“She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi (Pleasant); call me Mara (Bitter), for the Almighty has made it very bitter for me.””
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַתֹּאמֶר | wattōmer | and she said |
| אֲלֵיהֶן | ʾălēhen | to them |
| אַל | ʾal | do not |
| תִּקְרֶאנָה | tiqrenā | call |
| לִי | lī | me |
| נָעֳמִי | noʿŏmī | Naomi |
| קְרֶאןָ | qərenā | call |
| לִי | lī | me |
| מָרָא | mārā | Mara |
| כִּי | kī | for |
| הֵמַר | hēmar | has made bitter |
| שַׁדַּי | shadday | the Almighty |
| לִי | lī | to me |
| מְאֹד | məʾōdh | very |
- תִּקְרֶאנָה: קָרָא לְ + a name: “call (someone) by that name”. אַל + a jussive: “do not call”.
- מָרָא: מָרָא, “bitter”, is spelled with א where the usual feminine ending is ה (מָרָה). The name answers נָעֳמִי, “pleasant”.
- הֵמַר: Hiphil of מרר, “be bitter”: “has made bitter”.
- שַׁדַּי: שַׁדַּי is a divine name found mostly in Job and in Genesis. It is traditionally translated “the Almighty”; where it comes from is uncertain.
Ruth 1:21
אֲנִי מְלֵאָה הָלַכְתִּי וְרֵיקָם הֱשִׁיבַנִי יְהוָה לָמָּה תִקְרֶאנָה לִי נָעֳמִי וַיהוָה עָנָה בִי וְשַׁדַּי הֵרַע לִי
ʾĂnī məlēʾā hālakhtī wərēqām hĕshīvanī yəḥawwe lāmmā thiqrenā lī noʿŏmī wa-yəḥawwe ʿānā vī wəshadday hēraʿ lī
“I went away full, but yəḥawwe has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, when yəḥawwe has testified against me, and the Almighty has brought harm on me?”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| אֲנִי | ʾănī | I |
| מְלֵאָה | məlēʾā | full |
| הָלַכְתִּי | hālakhtī | went away |
| וְרֵיקָם | wərēqām | but empty |
| הֱשִׁיבַנִי | hĕshīvanī | has brought me back |
| יְהוָה | yəḥawwe | yəḥawwe |
| לָמָּה | lāmmā | why |
| תִקְרֶאנָה | thiqrenā | do you call |
| לִי | lī | me |
| נָעֳמִי | noʿŏmī | Naomi |
| וַיהוָה | wa-yəḥawwe | when yəḥawwe |
| עָנָה | ʿānā | has testified |
| בִי | vī | against me |
| וְשַׁדַּי | wəshadday | and the Almighty |
| הֵרַע | hēraʿ | has done harm |
| לִי | lī | to me |
- אֲנִי: The words come in a striking order: “I, full, went … and empty he brought me back, yəḥawwe”. The two opposites, מְלֵאָה and רֵיקָם, come first.
- הֱשִׁיבַנִי: Hiphil of שׁוּב + ־נִי: “he caused me to return” = “he brought me back”.
- עָנָה: עָנָה בְּ is “answer against”, that is, testify against someone. The ancient Greek translation reads a different verb from the same letters: “he has humbled me”.
- הֵרַע: Hiphil of רעע, the root of רַע, “bad, evil”: “has done evil to, brought harm on”.
Ruth 1:22
וַתָּשָׁב נָעֳמִי וְרוּת הַמּוֹאֲבִיָּה כַלָּתָהּ עִמָּהּ הַשָּׁבָה מִשְּׂדֵי מוֹאָב וְהֵמָּה בָּאוּ בֵּית לֶחֶם בִּתְחִלַּת קְצִיר שְׂעֹרִים
Wattāshov noʿŏmī wərūth hammōʾăviyyā khallāthāh ʿimmāh hashshāvā miśśədhē mōʾāv wəhēmmā bāʾū bēth leḥem bithḥillath qəṣīr śəʿōrīm
“So Naomi returned, and with her Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, who returned from the fields of Moab. They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַתָּשָׁב | wattāshov | and returned |
| נָעֳמִי | noʿŏmī | Naomi |
| וְרוּת | wərūth | and Ruth |
| הַמּוֹאֲבִיָּה | hammōʾăviyyā | the Moabite |
| כַלָּתָהּ | khallāthāh | her daughter-in-law |
| עִמָּהּ | ʿimmāh | with her |
| הַשָּׁבָה | hashshāvā | who returned |
| מִשְּׂדֵי | miśśədhē | from the fields of |
| מוֹאָב | mōʾāv | Moab |
| וְהֵמָּה | wəhēmmā | and they |
| בָּאוּ | bāʾū | came (to) |
| בֵּית | bēth | Beth- |
| לֶחֶם | leḥem | -lehem |
| בִּתְחִלַּת | bithḥillath | at the beginning of |
| קְצִיר | qəṣīr | the harvest of |
| שְׂעֹרִים | śəʿōrīm | barley |
- הַמּוֹאֲבִיָּה: Ruth is called הַמּוֹאֲבִיָּה, “the Moabite”, a title the book gives her several times.
- הַשָּׁבָה: הַ + a perfect verb: here the article works like “who”, “the one who returned”. This is rare, and some read the word as a participle instead.
- וְהֵמָּה: וְהֵמָּה, “and they”: the masculine “they” for two women, as elsewhere in Ruth.
- בִּתְחִלַּת: The chapter ends with the harvest beginning. It began with a famine (verse 1).
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