EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Ruth 1:21
21I left here with everything that I needed. Now the Lord has brought me back here with nothing. The Almighty Lord has turned against me, so that I have suffered. It is not right for you to call me Naomi.’
Ruth 1:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?
- New International Version (NIV)I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?"
- New King James Version (NKJV)I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”
Context of Ruth 1:21
19Naomi and Ruth travelled together to Bethlehem. When they arrived there, the people were very surprised. The women from the town said, ‘Is this really Naomi?’ 20Naomi said to them, ‘Do not call me Naomi. Call me Mara, instead. The Almighty God has made my life very sad. I left here with everything that I needed. Now the Lord has brought me back here with nothing. The Almighty Lord has turned against me, so that I have suffered. It is not right for you to call me Naomi.’ 22That is how Naomi returned from Moab with Ruth. Ruth was from Moab. She was the wife of Naomi's son Mahlon. Naomi and Ruth arrived in Bethlehem when the harvest of barley was beginning.
Read all of Ruth 1Ruth 1:21 word by word
אֲנִי֙ מְלֵאָ֣ה הָלַ֔כְתִּי וְרֵיקָ֖ם הֱשִׁיבַ֣נִי יְהוָ֑ה לָ֣מָּה תִקְרֶ֤אנָה לִי֙ נָעֳמִ֔י וַֽיהוָה֙ עָ֣נָה בִ֔י וְשַׁדַּ֖י הֵ֥רַֽע לִֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- I went outהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
- fullמָלֵאmâlê' · fullH4392
- and the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- hath brought me home againשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- emptyרֵיקָםrêyqâm · emptilyH7387
- callקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call byH7121
- ye me Naomiנׇעֳמִיno‛ŏmîy · NaomiH5281
- hath testifiedעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
- against me, and the Almightyשַׁדַּיshadday · AlmightyH7706
- hath afflictedרָעַעrâ‛a‛ · be evilH7489
Cross-references for Ruth 1:21
- 1 Samuel 2:7The Lord makes some people poor and he makes other people rich. He causes some people to be important and he puts other people low down.
- Job 1:21He said, ‘When I was born, I had nothing. When I die, I will take nothing with me. The Lord has given me all the things that I have. The Lord may choose to take those things away. I will continue to praise the name of the Lord!’
- Job 10:17You find more reasons to attack me. You become more and more angry with me. You attack me with even greater power.
- Job 13:26You write down things to accuse me. You punish me for the sins I did when I was young.
- Job 16:8You have taken hold of me. Because of my troubles, people think that I am guilty. Because my body is so thin, people think that I have done bad things.
- Malachi 3:5At that time, I will come among you as your judge. I will speak clearly against those who have done wrong things. I will punish the magicians, the adulterers and those who tell lies against other people. I will punish those people who are cruel to their workers, or they deceive widows or children who have no family. And I will punish those who do not help foreigners who live among them. People who do those things show that they do not respect me.’ That is what the Lord Almighty says.
Commentaries on Ruth 1:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21I went out full - Having a husband and two sons. The Lord hath brought me home again empty - Having lost all three by death. It is also likely that Elimelech took considerable property with him into the land of Moab; for as he fled from the face of the famine, he would naturally take his property with him; and on this Naomi subsisted till her return to Bethlehem, which she might not have thought of till all was spent.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21The Lord hath testified against me - The phrase is very commonly applied to a man who gives witness concerning (usually against) another in a court of justice Exodus 20:16; 2 Samuel 1:16; Isaiah 3:9. Naomi in the bitterness of her spirit complains that the Lord Himself turned against her, and was bringing her sins up for judgment.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-22Verses 19-22 Naomi and Ruth came to Bethlehem. Afflictions will make great and surprising changes in a little time. May God, by his grace, fit us for all such changes, especially the great change!, Naomi signifies "pleasant," or "amiable;" Mara, "bitter," or "bitterness." She was now a woman of a sorrowful spirit. She had come home empty, poor, a widow and childless. But there is a fulness for believers of which they never can be emptied; a good part…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 19-2219-22. all the city was moved about them--The present condition of Naomi, a forlorn and desolate widow, presented so painful a contrast to the flourishing state of prosperity and domestic bliss in which she had been at her departure.Read the comment
Topics related to Ruth 1:21
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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