Christian Standard Bible
Ruth 1:1
1During the time of the judges, there was a famine in the land. A man left Bethlehem in Judah with his wife and two sons to stay in the territory of Moab for a while.
Ruth 1:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Beth–lehem–judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
- New International Version (NIV)In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab.
- English Standard Version (ESV)In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.
Context of Ruth 1:1
During the time of the judges, there was a famine in the land. A man left Bethlehem in Judah with his wife and two sons to stay in the territory of Moab for a while. 2The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife’s name was Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They entered the fields of Moab and settled there. 3Naomi’s husband, Elimelech, died, and she was left with her two sons.
Read all of Ruth 1Ruth 1:1 word by word
וַיְהִ֗י בִּימֵי֙ שְׁפֹ֣ט הַשֹּׁפְטִ֔ים וַיְהִ֥י רָעָ֖ב בָּאָ֑רֶץ וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ אִ֜ישׁ מִבֵּ֧ית לֶ֣חֶם יְהוּדָ֗ה לָגוּר֙ בִּשְׂדֵ֣י מוֹאָ֔ב ה֥וּא וְאִשְׁתּ֖וֹ וּשְׁנֵ֥י בָנָֽיו׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Now it came to pass in the daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- when the judgesשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
- that there was a famineרָעָבrâ‛âb · famineH7458
- in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- And a certain manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- of Beth–lehem–judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
- of Beth–lehem–judahבֵּית לֶ֫חֶםbêyth lechem · BethlehemH1035
- wentיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- to sojournגּוּרgûr · to sojournH1481
- in the countryשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
- of Moabמוֹאָבmô'âb · MoabH4124
- he, and his wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
- and his twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
- sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
Cross-references for Ruth 1:1
- Judges 2:16The Lord raised up judges, who saved them from the power of their marauders,
- Judges 12:8Ibzan, who was from Bethlehem, judged Israel after Jephthah
- Genesis 12:10There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to stay there for a while because the famine in the land was severe.
- Genesis 26:1There was another famine in the land in addition to the one that had occurred in Abraham’s time. And Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, at Gerar.
- Genesis 43:1Now the famine in the land was severe.
- Leviticus 26:19I will break down your strong pride. I will make your sky like iron and your land like bronze,
- Deuteronomy 28:23The sky above you will be bronze, and the earth beneath you iron.
- 2 Samuel 21:1During David’s reign there was a famine for three successive years, so David inquired of the Lord. The Lord answered, “It is due to Saul and to his bloody family, because he killed the Gibeonites.”
- 1 Kings 17:1Now Elijah the Tishbite, from the Gilead settlers, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, in whose presence I stand, there will be no dew or rain during these years except by my command!”
- 1 Kings 18:2So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria.
- 2 Kings 8:1Elisha said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Get ready, you and your household, and go live as a resident alien wherever you can. For the Lord has announced a seven-year famine, and it has already come to the land.”
- Psalms 105:16He called down famine against the land and destroyed the entire food supply.
- Psalms 107:34and fruitful land into salty wasteland, because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.
- Jeremiah 14:1This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:
- Ezekiel 14:13“Son of man, suppose a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its supply of bread, to send famine through it, and to wipe out both people and animals from it.
- Joel 1:10The fields are destroyed; the land grieves; indeed, the grain is destroyed; the new wine is dried up; and the fresh oil fails.
Commentaries on Ruth 1:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1When the judges ruled - We know not under what judge this happened; some say under Ehud, others under Shamgar. See the preface. There was a famine - Probably occasioned by the depredations of the Philistines, Ammonites, etc., carrying off the corn as soon as it was ripe, or destroying it on the field. The Targum says: "God has decreed ten grievous famines to take place in the world, to punish the inhabitants of the earth, before the coming of Messiah the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1In the days when the Judges ruled - “Judged.” This note of time, like that in Rth 4:7 ; Judges 18:1; Judges 17:6, indicates that this Book was written after the rule of the judges had ceased. The genealogy Rth 4:17-22 points to the time of David as the earliest when the Book of Ruth could have been written. A famine - Caused probably by one of the hostile invasions recorded in the Book of Judges. Most of the Jewish commentators, from the mention of…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1We find in this book excellent examples of faith, piety, patience, humility, industry, and loving-kindness, in the common events of life. Also we see the special care which God's providence take of our smallest concerns, encouraging us to full trust therein. We may view this book as a beautiful, because natural representation of human life; as a curious detail of important facts; and as a part of the plan of redemption. Elimelech and his sons die in the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1The judges led Israel from Joshua's death (around 1376 or 1200 BC) until Saul became king (around 1050 BC). The events in the Book of Ruth happened around 1100 BC. Drought often caused famine in Israel's hill country. Bethlehem was a small town in northern Judah's hill country. Moab, southeast of Judah, sometimes had enough rain when Judah did not.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-5Commentary by Robert Jamieson 1. in the days when the judges ruled--The beautiful and interesting story which this book relates belongs to the early times of the judges. The precise date cannot be ascertained.Read the comment
Topics related to Ruth 1:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ruth 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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