13 Would ye tarry H7663 for them H3860 till they were grown? H1431 would ye stay H5702 for them H3860 from having husbands? H376 nay, my daughters; H1323 for it grieveth H4843 me much H3966 for your sakes that the hand H3027 of the LORD H3068 is gone out H3318 against me.
Have pity H2603 upon me, have pity H2603 upon me, O ye my friends; H7453 for the hand H3027 of God H433 hath touched H5060 me.
For thine arrows H2671 stick fast H5181 in me, and thy hand H3027 presseth me sore. H5181
For indeed the hand H3027 of the LORD H3068 was against them, to destroy H2000 them from among H7130 the host, H4264 until they were consumed. H8552
So they sent H7971 and gathered together H622 all the lords H5633 of the Philistines, H6430 and said, H559 Send away H7971 the ark H727 of the God H430 of Israel, H3478 and let it go again H7725 to his own place, H4725 that it slay H4191 us not, and our people: H5971 for there was a deadly H4194 destruction H4103 throughout all the city; H5892 the hand H3027 of God H430 was very H3966 heavy H3513 there.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ruth 1
Commentary on Ruth 1 Matthew Henry Commentary
An Exposition, With Practical Observations, of
The Book of Ruth
Chapter 1
In this chapter we have Naomi's afflictions.
All these things were melancholy and seemed against her, and yet all were working for good.
Rth 1:1-5
The first words give all the date we have of this story. It was in the days when the judges ruled (v. 1), not in those disorderly times when there was no king in Israel; but under which of the judges these things happened we are not told, and the conjectures of the learned are very uncertain. It must have been towards the beginning of the judges' time, for Boaz, who married Ruth, was born of Rahab, who received the spies in Joshua's time. Some think it was in the days of Ehud, others of Deborah; the learned bishop Patrick inclines to think it was in the days of Gideon, because in his days only we read of a famine by the Midianites' invasion, Judges 6:3, 4. While the judges were ruling, some one city and some another, Providence takes particular cognizance of Bethlehem, and has an eye to a King, to Messiah himself, who should descend from two Gentile mothers, Rahab and Ruth. Here is,
Rth 1:6-18
See here,
The Chaldee paraphrase thus relates the debate between Naomi and Ruth:-Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, for I will be a proselyte. Naomi said, We are commanded to keep sabbaths and good days, on which we may not travel above 2000 cubits-a sabbath-day's journey. Well, said Ruth, whither thou goest I will go. Naomi said, We are commanded not to tarry all night with Gentiles. Well, said Ruth, where thou lodgest I will lodge. Naomi said, We are commanded to keep 613 precepts. Well, said Ruth, whatever thy people keep I will keep, for they shall be my people. Naomi said, We are forbidden to worship any strange god. Well, said Ruth, thy God shall be my God. Naomi said, We have four sorts of deaths for malefactors, stoning, burning, strangling, and slaying with the sword. Well, said Ruth, where thou diest I will die. We have, said Naomi, houses of sepulchre. And there, said Ruth, will I be buried.
Rth 1:19-22
Naomi and Ruth, after many a weary step (the fatigue of the journey, we may suppose, being somewhat relieved by the good instructions Naomi gave to her proselyte and the good discourse they had together), came at last to Bethlehem. And they came very seasonably, in the beginning of the barley-harvest, which was the first of their harvests, that of wheat following after. Now Naomi's own eyes might convince her of the truth of what she had heard in the country of Moab, that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread, and Ruth might see this good land in its best state; and now they had opportunity to provide for winter. Our times are in God's hand, both the events and the time of them. Notice is here taken,