Ruth's Decision to Leave Moab for Bethlehem

Ruth's decision to leave Moab and accompany her mother-in-law Naomi to Bethlehem is a pivotal moment in the biblical book that bears her name. This choice sets in motion the events that lead to her marriage to Boaz and her place in the lineage of David and ultimately, Christ ^{[1, 2]}.

The narrative begins with Elimelech, Naomi's husband, moving his family from Bethlehem-Judah to Moab due to a famine in their homeland ^{[1, 4, 7]}. While in Moab, Elimelech dies, as do his two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, who had married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth ^{[5, 7]}. This leaves Naomi, Orpah, and Ruth as widows ^[5]. After about ten years, Naomi hears that the famine in Judah has ended and decides to return to Bethlehem ^{[1, 7, 13]}.

As Naomi prepares to return, she initially encourages her daughters-in-law to remain in Moab with their own people ^[8]. Orpah eventually returns to her family, but Ruth makes a resolute choice to stay with Naomi ^[8]. The text highlights Ruth's determination, stating that "she saw that she was determined to go with her" ^[11]. This decision is significant because Moabites were descendants of Lot and were often in conflict with Israel ^[6]. Despite this, Ruth, a Moabitess, chooses to align herself with Naomi and her people ^{[2, 10]}.

Jewish tradition, as seen in the Midrash Rabbah, emphasizes the preciousness of converts, noting that once Ruth decided to convert, Scripture equated her with Naomi ^[11]. The journey itself was undertaken by the two women alone, traveling on foot to Bethlehem ^[12]. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest ^{[3, 9]}. This timing is crucial, as it soon leads to Ruth's gleaning in Boaz's fields, a practice allowed for the poor and foreigners ^[9]. Ruth's decision to leave her homeland and embrace Naomi's people and God is often interpreted as an act of profound loyalty and faith ^[13].

Sources

Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Ruth — (a female friend) a Moabitish woman, the wife, first of Mahlon, second of Boaz, the ancestress of David and Christ, and one of the four women who are named by St. Matthew in the genealogy of Christ. A severe famine in the land of Judah induced Elimelech, a native of Bethlehem--ephratah, to emigrate into the land of Moab, with his wife Naomi, and his two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. This was probably about the time of Gideon, B.C. 1250. At the end of ten years Naomi now left a widow and childless, having heard that there was plenty again in Judah, resolved to retur”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Ruth — A friend, a Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, whose father, Elimelech, had settled in the land of Moab. On the death of Elimelech and Mahlon, Naomi came with Ruth, her daughter-in-law, who refused to leave her, to Bethlehem, the old home from which Elimelech had migrated. There she had a rich relative, Boaz, to whom Ruth was eventually married. She became the mother of Obed, the grandfather of David. Thus Ruth, a Gentile, is among the maternal progenitors of our Lord (Matt. 1:5). The story of "the gleaner Ruth illustrates the friendly relations between the good B”
Ruth “Ruth 1:22 (Rotherham) — So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned out of the country of Moab,—and, they, entered Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.”
Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 9, section 1: . How Under Eli's Government Of The Israelites Booz Married Ruth, From Whom Came Obed The Grandfather Of David. 1. Now after the death of Samson, Eli the high priest was governor of the Israelites. Under him, when the country was afflicted with a famine, Elimelech of Bethlehem, which is a city of the tribe of Judah, being not able to support his family under so sore a distress, took with him Naomi his wife, and the children that were born to him by her, Chillon and Mahlon, and removed his habitation into the land of Moab; and upo”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Naomi — The lovable; my delight, the wife of Elimelech, and mother of Mahlon and Chilion, and mother-in-law of Ruth (1:2, 20, 21; 2:1). Elimelech and his wife left the district of Bethlehem-Judah, and found a new home in the uplands of Moab. In course of time he died, as also his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, who had married women of Moab, and three widows were left mourning the loss of their husbands. Naomi longs to return now to her own land, to Bethlehem. One of her widowed daughters-in-law, Ruth, accompanies her, and is at length married to Boaz (q.v.).”
Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Moab — (of his father), Mo'abites. Moab was the son of the Lot's eldest daughter, the progenitor of the Moabites. Zoar was the cradle of the race of Lot. From this centre the brother tribes spread themselves. The Moabites first inhabited the rich highlands which crown the eastern side of the chasm of the Dead Sea, extending as far north as the mountain of Gilead, from which country they expelled the Emims, the original inhabitants, (2:11) but they themselves were afterward driven southward by the warlike Amorites, who had crossed the Jordan, and were confined to the c”
Ruth (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Ruth 1 (introduction): Ruth Goes With Naomi to Bethlehem - Ruth 1 In the time of the judges Elimelech emigrated from Bethlehem in Judah into the land of Moab, along with his wife Naomi, and his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, because of a famine in the land (Rut 1:1, Rut 1:2). There Elimelech died; and his two sons married Moabitish women, named Orpah and Ruth. But in the course of ten years they also died, so that Naomi and her two daughters-in-law were left by themselves (Rut 1:3-5). When Naomi heard that the Lord had once more blessed the land of Israel with bread, she set ”
Ruth (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ruth 1 (introduction): This chapter treats of a family that removed from the land of Canaan to the land of Moab on account of a famine, where the father of it and his two sons died, and each of them left a widow, Rut 1:1 the mother-in-law proposed to return to her own country, and set forward with her two daughters-in-law, whom, when they had gone a little way with her, she entreated to go back, and expostulated with them about it, Rut 1:6, upon which one of them did, but the other, Ruth, the subject of this book, resolved to go the journey with her, Rut 1:14 and they both came to”
Ruth (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ruth 2:2: And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi,.... After they had been some little time at Bethlehem, and not long; for they came at the beginning of barley harvest, and as yet it was not over, nor perhaps for some time after this; and knowing and considering the circumstances they were in, and unwilling to live an idle life, and ready to do any thing for the support of her life, and of her ancient mother-in-law; which was very commendable, and showed her to be an industrious virtuous woman: she addressed her, and said: let me now go to the field; she did not choose to go any w”
Ruth (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ruth 1:22: So Naomi returned,.... Aben, Ezra thinks this is to be understood of her returning at another time; but it is only an observation of the writer of this history, to excite the attention of the reader to this remarkable event, and particularly to what follows: and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter in law with her, which returned out of the country of Moab; to Bethlehem, the birth place of the Messiah, and who was to spring from her a Gentile; and which, that it might be the more carefully remarked, she is called a Moabitess, and said to return out of the country of Moab: ”
Midrash Rabbah (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Midrash Rabbah, Ruth Rabbah 3:5: “She saw that she was determined to go with her” – Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said: Come and see how precious converts are before the Omnipresent. Once she [Ruth] decided to convert, Scripture equated her with Naomi. 138 In the following verse it says: “The two of them went until they came to Bethlehem” (Ruth 1:19).”
Ruth (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ruth 1:19: So they two went until they came to Bethlehem,.... Went on their way directly till they came to it, without lingering or staying by the way, at least not unnecessarily, and not for any time; and they kept together, though Ruth was a younger woman, and could have gone faster, yet she kept company with her ancient mother, and was no doubt very much edified and instructed by her pious conversation; and it seems that they were alone, only they two; for as they had no camels nor asses to ride on, but were obliged to travel on foot, so they had no servants to wait upon them, ”
Ruth (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Ruth 1:6: See here, I. The good affection Naomi bore to the land of Israel, Rut 1:6. Though she could not stay in it while the famine lasted, she would not stay out of it when the famine ceased. Though the country of Moab had afforded her shelter and supply in a time of need, yet she did not intend it should be her rest for ever; no land should be that but the holy land, in which the sanctuary of God was, of which he had said, This is my rest for ever. Observe, 1. God, at last, returned in mercy to his people; for, though he contend long, he will not contend always. As the jud”

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