Bible HebrewGo Back, My Daughters Ruth 1:8–14
Naomi urges her daughters-in-law to go home. Listen for feminine commands and the word חֶסֶד, “steadfast love”.
Ruth 1:8
וַתֹּאמֶר נָעֳמִי לִשְׁתֵּי כַלֹּתֶיהָ לֵכְנָה שֹּׁבְנָה אִשָּׁה לְבֵית אִמָּהּ יַעַשׂ יְהוָה עִמָּכֶם חֶסֶד כַּאֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם עִם־הַמֵּתִים וְעִמָּדִי
Wattōmer noʿŏmī lishtē khallōthehā lēkhənā shōvənā ʾishshā ləvēth ʾimmāh yaʿaś yəḥawwe ʿimmākhem ḥesedh kaʾăsher ʿăśīthem ʿim-hammēthīm wəʿimmādhī
“Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return, each of you to her mother's house. May yəḥawwe deal with you in steadfast love, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.””
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַתֹּאמֶר | wattōmer | and said |
| נָעֳמִי | noʿŏmī | Naomi |
| לִשְׁתֵּי | lishtē | to her two |
| כַלֹּתֶיהָ | khallōthehā | daughters-in-law |
| לֵכְנָה | lēkhənā | go |
| שֹּׁבְנָה | shōvənā | return |
| אִשָּׁה | ʾishshā | each woman |
| לְבֵית | ləvēth | to the house of |
| אִמָּהּ | ʾimmāh | her mother |
| יַעַשׂ | yaʿaś | may do |
| יְהוָה | yəḥawwe | yəḥawwe |
| עִמָּכֶם | ʿimmākhem | with you |
| חֶסֶד | ḥesedh | steadfast love |
| כַּאֲשֶׁר | kaʾăsher | as |
| עֲשִׂיתֶם | ʿăśīthem | you have done |
| עִם | ʿim | with |
| הַמֵּתִים | hammēthīm | the dead |
| וְעִמָּדִי | wəʿimmādhī | and with me |
- לֵכְנָה: Feminine plural commands end in ־נָה: לֵכְנָה, “go (women)”, שֹׁבְנָה, “return”.
- לְבֵית: בֵּית אֵם, “mother's house”, is an unusual phrase; the usual one is בֵּית אָב, “father's house”.
- יַעַשׂ: The text writes יעשה, the ordinary imperfect; a note in the margin says to read יַעַשׂ, the shorter jussive, “may he do”. This is a qere, “what is read”, and the reading shows the word as it is read.
- עִמָּכֶם: עִמָּכֶם, “with you”, has the masculine plural ending ־כֶם though Naomi speaks to two women; so does עֲשִׂיתֶם. Masculine forms for women occur several times in Ruth.
- חֶסֶד: חֶסֶד is steadfast love: loyalty and kindness that go beyond what is owed. It is a key word in Ruth (1:8, 2:20, 3:10).
Ruth 1:9
יִתֵּן יְהוָה לָכֶם וּמְצֶאןָ מְנוּחָה אִשָּׁה בֵּית אִישָׁהּ וַתִּשַּׁק לָהֶן וַתִּשֶּׂאנָה קוֹלָן וַתִּבְכֶּינָה
Yittēn yəḥawwe lākhem ūməṣenā mənūḥā ʾishshā bēth ʾīshāh wattishshaq lāhen wattiśśenā qōlān wattivkenā
““May yəḥawwe grant that you find rest, each of you in the house of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| יִתֵּן | yittēn | may give |
| יְהוָה | yəḥawwe | yəḥawwe |
| לָכֶם | lākhem | you |
| וּמְצֶאןָ | ūməṣenā | and find |
| מְנוּחָה | mənūḥā | rest |
| אִשָּׁה | ʾishshā | each woman |
| בֵּית | bēth | (in) the house of |
| אִישָׁהּ | ʾīshāh | her husband |
| וַתִּשַּׁק | wattishshaq | and she kissed |
| לָהֶן | lāhen | them |
| וַתִּשֶּׂאנָה | wattiśśenā | and they lifted up |
| קוֹלָן | qōlān | their voice |
| וַתִּבְכֶּינָה | wattivkenā | and they wept |
- יִתֵּן: An imperfect used as a wish: “may (yəḥawwe) give”.
- וּמְצֶאןָ: וּמְצֶאןָ is a feminine plural command, “and find!”, joined to the wish: “may he give… and (so) find”.
- מְנוּחָה: מְנוּחָה, “rest, a settled place”, from the root נוח. In 3:1 Naomi speaks of finding Ruth מָנוֹחַ, from the same root.
- לָהֶן: לָהֶן, “to them”, with the feminine ending ־הֶן. Compare עִמָּכֶם in verse 8.
- וַתִּשֶּׂאנָה: נָשָׂא קוֹל, “lift the voice”, is to weep or cry aloud. The same verb נשׂא was used for marrying in verse 4.
Ruth 1:10
וַתֹּאמַרְנָה־לָּהּ כִּי־אִתָּךְ נָשׁוּב לְעַמֵּךְ
Wattōmarnā-lāh kī-ʾittākh nāshūv ləʿammēkh
“They said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.””
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַתֹּאמַרְנָה | wattōmarnā | and they said |
| לָּהּ | lāh | to her |
| כִּי | kī | no, rather |
| אִתָּךְ | ʾittākh | with you |
| נָשׁוּב | nāshūv | we will return |
| לְעַמֵּךְ | ləʿammēkh | to your people |
- כִּי: כִּי here means “no, rather”: it contradicts what came before.
- אִתָּךְ: אִתָּךְ, “with you”: the ending ־ָךְ is “you” spoken to a woman. עַמֵּךְ, “your people”, has the same feminine ending, ־ֵךְ.
- נָשׁוּב: The daughters-in-law use the chapter's word שׁוּב, “return”, for going to a people that is not their own.
Ruth 1:11
וַתֹּאמֶר נָעֳמִי שֹׁבְנָה בְנֹתַי לָמָּה תֵלַכְנָה עִמִּי הַעוֹד־לִי בָנִים בְּמֵעַי וְהָיוּ לָכֶם לַאֲנָשִׁים
Wattōmer noʿŏmī shōvənā vənōthay lāmmā thēlakhnā ʿimmī haʿōdh-lī vānīm bəmēʿay wəhāyū lākhem laʾănāshīm
“But Naomi said, “Go back, my daughters. Why would you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb who could become your husbands?””
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַתֹּאמֶר | wattōmer | and said |
| נָעֳמִי | noʿŏmī | Naomi |
| שֹׁבְנָה | shōvənā | return |
| בְנֹתַי | vənōthay | my daughters |
| לָמָּה | lāmmā | why |
| תֵלַכְנָה | thēlakhnā | would you go |
| עִמִּי | ʿimmī | with me |
| הַעוֹד | haʿōdh | (are there) still |
| לִי | lī | to me |
| בָנִים | vānīm | sons |
| בְּמֵעַי | bəmēʿay | in my womb |
| וְהָיוּ | wəhāyū | that they would be |
| לָכֶם | lākhem | to you |
| לַאֲנָשִׁים | laʾănāshīm | as husbands |
- בְנֹתַי: Naomi calls her daughters-in-law בְּנֹתַי, “my daughters”.
- לָמָּה: לָמָּה, “why?”, is לְ + מָה, “for what?”.
- הַעוֹד: הַ + עוֹד: the question marker הֲ on עוֹד, “still”: “(are there) still…?”. The expected answer is “no”.
- וְהָיוּ: וְהָיוּ is a weqatal (וְ + perfect), which points forward: “and they would become”.
- לַאֲנָשִׁים: הָיָה לְ, “become (something) to”: “become husbands to you”. אֲנָשִׁים, “men”, here means “husbands”, as אִישׁ did in verse 3.
Ruth 1:12
שֹׁבְנָה בְנֹתַי לֵכְןָ כִּי זָקַנְתִּי מִהְיוֹת לְאִישׁ כִּי אָמַרְתִּי יֶשׁ־לִי תִקְוָה גַּם הָיִיתִי הַלַּיְלָה לְאִישׁ וְגַם יָלַדְתִּי בָנִים
Shōvənā vənōthay lēkhənā kī zāqantī mihyōth ləʾīsh kī ʾāmartī yesh-lī thiqwā gam hāyīthī hallaylā ləʾīsh wəgham yāladhtī vānīm
“Go back, my daughters, go, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I said, “I have hope,” even if I had a husband tonight and even bore sons,”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| שֹׁבְנָה | shōvənā | return |
| בְנֹתַי | vənōthay | my daughters |
| לֵכְןָ | lēkhənā | go |
| כִּי | kī | for |
| זָקַנְתִּי | zāqantī | I am (too) old |
| מִהְיוֹת | mihyōth | to belong |
| לְאִישׁ | ləʾīsh | to a husband |
| כִּי | kī | if |
| אָמַרְתִּי | ʾāmartī | I said |
| יֶשׁ | yesh | there is |
| לִי | lī | to me |
| תִקְוָה | thiqwā | hope |
| גַּם | gam | even |
| הָיִיתִי | hāyīthī | if I were |
| הַלַּיְלָה | hallaylā | tonight |
| לְאִישׁ | ləʾīsh | to a husband |
| וְגַם | wəgham | and even |
| יָלַדְתִּי | yāladhtī | I bore |
| בָנִים | vānīm | sons |
- זָקַנְתִּי: זָקַנְתִּי מִהְיוֹת, “I am old from being”: מִן after a word like “old” means “too … to”: “too old to belong to a man”.
- כִּי: כִּי here means “if, even if”. The sentence runs on into verse 13, a string of conditions Naomi thinks cannot happen.
- יֶשׁ: יֵשׁ, “there is”, with לְ: “there is to me” = “I have”. Hebrew has no verb “to have”.
- הַלַּיְלָה: הַלַּיְלָה, “the night” with the article, means “tonight”, as הַיּוֹם means “today”.
Ruth 1:13
הֲלָהֵן תְּשַׂבֵּרְנָה עַד אֲשֶׁר יִגְדָּלוּ הֲלָהֵן תֵּעָגֵנָה לְבִלְתִּי הֱיוֹת לְאִישׁ אַל בְּנֹתַי כִּי־מַר־לִי מְאֹד מִכֶּם כִּי־יָצְאָה בִי יַד־יְהוָה
Hălāhēn təśabbērənā ʿadh ʾăsher yighdālū hălāhēn tēʿāghēnā ləviltī hĕyōth ləʾīsh ʾal bənōthay kī-mar-lī məʾōdh mikkem kī-yāṣəʾā vī yadh-yəḥawwe
“would you wait for them until they grew up? Would you shut yourselves away for them, and not have a husband? No, my daughters. It is far more bitter for me than for you, for the hand of yəḥawwe has gone out against me.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| הֲלָהֵן | hălāhēn | (would you) for them |
| תְּשַׂבֵּרְנָה | təśabbērənā | wait |
| עַד | ʿadh | until |
| אֲשֶׁר | ʾăsher | that |
| יִגְדָּלוּ | yighdālū | they grow up |
| הֲלָהֵן | hălāhēn | (would you) for them |
| תֵּעָגֵנָה | tēʿāghēnā | shut yourselves away |
| לְבִלְתִּי | ləviltī | so as not |
| הֱיוֹת | hĕyōth | to be |
| לְאִישׁ | ləʾīsh | to a husband |
| אַל | ʾal | no |
| בְּנֹתַי | bənōthay | my daughters |
| כִּי | kī | for |
| מַר | mar | (it is) bitter |
| לִי | lī | to me |
| מְאֹד | məʾōdh | very |
| מִכֶּם | mikkem | more than you |
| כִּי | kī | for |
| יָצְאָה | yāṣəʾā | has gone out |
| בִי | vī | against me |
| יַד | yadh | the hand of |
| יְהוָה | yəḥawwe | yəḥawwe |
- הֲלָהֵן: הֲלָהֵן is read in two ways: הֲ + “for them” (the sons), or הֲ + an Aramaic-like word לָהֵן, “therefore”: “would you therefore wait?”.
- תֵּעָגֵנָה: תֵּעָגֵנָה, from עגן, “shut oneself off”, occurs only here in the Bible.
- מַר: מַר, “bitter”. The root comes back in verse 20, where Naomi calls herself מָרָא, “Bitter”.
- מִכֶּם: מִן after מַר can mean “more than” or “because of”: “more bitter for me than for you”, or “bitter for me because of you”. Translations differ.
- יַד: יַד יְהוָה, “the hand of yəḥawwe”: the hand stands for power and action.
Ruth 1:14
וַתִּשֶּׂנָה קוֹלָן וַתִּבְכֶּינָה עוֹד וַתִּשַּׁק עָרְפָּה לַחֲמוֹתָהּ וְרוּת דָּבְקָה בָּהּ
Wattiśśenā qōlān wattivkenā ʿōdh wattishshaq ʿorpā laḥămōthāh wərūth dāvəqā bāh
“They wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.”
Word by word
| Hebrew | Sounds | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| וַתִּשֶּׂנָה | wattiśśenā | and they lifted |
| קוֹלָן | qōlān | their voice |
| וַתִּבְכֶּינָה | wattivkenā | and they wept |
| עוֹד | ʿōdh | again |
| וַתִּשַּׁק | wattishshaq | and kissed |
| עָרְפָּה | ʿorpā | Orpah |
| לַחֲמוֹתָהּ | laḥămōthāh | her mother-in-law |
| וְרוּת | wərūth | but Ruth |
| דָּבְקָה | dāvəqā | clung |
| בָּהּ | bāh | to her |
- וַתִּשֶּׂנָה: וַתִּשֶּׂנָה is spelled without the א of נשׂא (compare וַתִּשֶּׂאנָה in verse 9).
- וְרוּת: וְ + a name + a perfect (דָּבְקָה) instead of a wayyiqtol sets Ruth against Orpah: “but Ruth clung”.
- דָּבְקָה: דָּבַק, “cling, stick to”, is the verb of Genesis 2:24, where a man “clings” to his wife.
Bible Hebrew teaches this with practice questions and reviews that come back right before you forget. The alphabet, the lessons, the vocabulary and the guided readings are recorded in the biblical pronunciation. Free, no ads, and it works offline.
Practice this lesson free