Ruth

Ruth 1:1–5

¹In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a certain man from Bethlehem in Judah, with his wife and two sons, went to reside in the land of Moab. ²The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah, and they entered the land of Moab and settled there.

³Then Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons, ⁴who took Moabite women as their wives, one named Orpah and the other named Ruth.

And after they had lived in Moab about ten years, ⁵both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and without her husband.

Read all of Ruth 1

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Ruth 1:1

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
In the days	בִּימֵי֙	bî·mê	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine plural construct	H3117 day
when the judges	הַשֹּׁפְטִ֔ים	haš·šō·p̄ə·ṭîm	Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H8199 judge, govern
ruled	שְׁפֹ֣ט	šə·p̄ōṭ	Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H8199 judge, govern
there was	וַיְהִ֗י	way·hî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
a famine	רָעָ֖ב	rā·‘āḇ	Noun - masculine singular	H7458 famine, hunger
in the land	בָּאָ֑רֶץ	bā·’ā·reṣ	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land
And a certain man	אִ֜ישׁ	’îš	Noun - masculine singular	H376 man
from Bethlehem	לֶ֣חֶם	le·ḥem	Preposition; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H1035 Beth-Lechem
in Judah	יְהוּדָ֗ה	yə·hū·ḏāh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3063 Judah
with his wife	וְאִשְׁתּ֖וֹ	wə·’iš·tōw	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H802 woman, wife, female
and two	וּשְׁנֵ֥י	ū·šə·nê	Conjunctive waw; Number - masculine dual construct	H8147 two
sons	בָנָֽיו׃	ḇā·nāw	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H1121 son
went	וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ	way·yê·leḵ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
to reside	לָגוּר֙	lā·ḡūr	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H1481 sojourn
in the land	בִּשְׂדֵ֣י	biś·ḏê	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine plural construct	H7704 id.
of Moab	מוֹאָ֔ב	mō·w·’āḇ	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H4124 Moab

Ruth 1:2

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
The man’s	הָאִ֣ישׁ	hā·’îš	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H376 man
name	וְשֵׁ֣ם	wə·šêm	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H8034 name
was Elimelech	אֱ‍ֽלִימֶ֡לֶךְ	’ĕlî·me·leḵ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H458 Elimelek
his wife’s	אִשְׁתּ֨וֹ	’iš·tōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H802 woman, wife, female
name	וְשֵׁם֩	wə·šêm	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H8034 name
was Naomi	נָעֳמִ֜י	nā·‘o·mî	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H5281 Noömi
and the names	וְשֵׁ֥ם	wə·šêm	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H8034 name
of his two	שְׁנֵֽי־	šə·nê-	Number - masculine dual construct	H8147 two
sons	בָנָ֣יו׀	ḇā·nāw	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H1121 son
were Mahlon	מַחְל֤וֹן	maḥ·lō·wn	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H4248 Machlon
and Chilion	וְכִלְיוֹן֙	wə·ḵil·yō·wn	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3630 Kiljon
They were Ephrathites	אֶפְרָתִ֔ים	’ep̄·rā·ṯîm	Noun - proper - masculine plural	H673 Ephrathite
from	מִבֵּ֥ית	mib·bêṯ	Preposition	H1035 Beth-Lechem
Bethlehem	לֶ֖חֶם	le·ḥem	Preposition; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H1035 Beth-Lechem
in Judah	יְהוּדָ֑ה	yə·hū·ḏāh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3063 Judah
and they entered	וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ	way·yā·ḇō·’ū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H935 come in, come, go in, go
the land	שְׂדֵי־	śə·ḏê-	Noun - masculine plural construct	H7704 id.
of Moab	מוֹאָ֖ב	mō·w·’āḇ	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H4124 Moab
and settled	וַיִּֽהְיוּ־	way·yih·yū-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
there	שָֽׁם׃	šām	Adverb	H8033 there, thither

Ruth 1:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then Naomi’s	נָעֳמִ֑י	nā·‘o·mî	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H5281 Noömi
husband	אִ֣ישׁ	’îš	Noun - masculine singular construct	H376 man
Elimelech	אֱלִימֶ֖לֶךְ	’ĕ·lî·me·leḵ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H458 Elimelek
died	וַיָּ֥מָת	way·yā·māṯ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H4191 die
and she	הִ֖יא	hî	Pronoun - third person feminine singular	H1931 he, she
was left	וַתִּשָּׁאֵ֥ר	wat·tiš·šā·’êr	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H7604 remain, be left over
with her two	וּשְׁנֵ֥י	ū·šə·nê	Conjunctive waw; Number - masculine dual construct	H8147 two
sons	בָנֶֽיהָ׃	ḇā·ne·hā	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person feminine singular	H1121 son

Ruth 1:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
who took	וַיִּשְׂא֣וּ	way·yiś·’ū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H5375 lift, take, carry
Moabite	מֹֽאֲבִיּ֔וֹת	mō·’ă·ḇî·yō·wṯ	Noun - proper - feminine plural	H4125 Moabitish
women as their wives	נָשִׁים֙	nā·šîm	Noun - feminine plural	H802 woman, wife, female
one	הָֽאַחַת֙	hā·’a·ḥaṯ	Article; Number - feminine singular	H259 one
named	שֵׁ֤ם	šêm	Noun - masculine singular construct	H8034 name
Orpah	עָרְפָּ֔ה	‘ā·rə·pāh	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H6204 Orpah
and the other	הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית	haš·šê·nîṯ	Article; Number - ordinal feminine singular	H8145 second
named	וְשֵׁ֥ם	wə·šêm	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H8034 name
Ruth	ר֑וּת	rūṯ	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H7327 Ruth
And after they had lived	וַיֵּ֥שְׁבוּ	way·yê·šə·ḇū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H3427 sit, remain, dwell
in Moab	שָׁ֖ם	šām	Adverb	H8033 there, thither
about ten	כְּעֶ֥שֶׂר	kə·‘e·śer	Preposition-k; Number - feminine singular construct	H6235 ten
years	שָׁנִֽים׃	šā·nîm	Noun - feminine plural	H8141 year

Ruth 1:5

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
both	שְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם	šə·nê·hem	Number - masculine dual construct; third person masculine plural	H8147 two
Mahlon	מַחְל֣וֹן	maḥ·lō·wn	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H4248 Machlon
and Chilion	וְכִלְי֑וֹן	wə·ḵil·yō·wn	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3630 Kiljon
also	גַם־	ḡam-	Conjunction	H1571 also, moreover, yea
died	וַיָּמ֥וּתוּ	way·yā·mū·ṯū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H4191 die
and Naomi	הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה	hā·’iš·šāh	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H802 woman, wife, female
was left	וַתִּשָּׁאֵר֙	wat·tiš·šā·’êr	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H7604 remain, be left over
without her two	מִשְּׁנֵ֥י	miš·šə·nê	Preposition-m; Number - masculine dual construct	H8147 two
sons	יְלָדֶ֖יהָ	yə·lā·ḏe·hā	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person feminine singular	H3206 child, son, boy, youth
and without her husband	וּמֵאִישָֽׁהּ׃	ū·mê·’î·šāh	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H376 man