Ruth

Ruth 1:20–21

²⁰“Do not call me Naomi,^b” she replied. “Call me Mara,^c because the Almighty^d has dealt quite bitterly with me. ²¹I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? After all, the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me.”

Footnotes

b 1:20 Naomi means pleasant.
c 1:20 Mara means bitter.
d 1:20 Hebrew Shaddai; also in verse 21

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 1:20

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Do not	אַל־	’al-	Adverb	H408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . .
call	תִּקְרֶ֥אנָה	tiq·re·nāh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person feminine plural	H7121 call, proclaim, read
me	לִ֖י	lî	Preposition; first person common singular
Naomi	נָעֳמִ֑י	nā·‘o·mî	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H5281 Noömi
she replied	וַתֹּ֣אמֶר	wat·tō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H559 utter, say
Call	קְרֶ֤אןָ	qə·re·nā	Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine plural	H7121 call, proclaim, read
me	לִי֙	lî	Preposition; first person common singular
Mara	מָרָ֔א	mā·rā	Adjective - feminine singular	H4755 Mara
because	כִּי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
the Almighty	שַׁדַּ֛י	šad·day	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7706 Almighty
has dealt quite bitterly	הֵמַ֥ר	hê·mar	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H4843 be bitter
with me	לִ֖י	lî	Preposition; first person common singular

Ruth 1:21

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
I	אֲנִי֙	’ă·nî	Pronoun - first person common singular	H589 I
went away	הָלַ֔כְתִּי	hā·laḵ·tî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H1980 go, come, walk
full	מְלֵאָ֣ה	mə·lê·’āh	Adjective - feminine singular	H4392 full
but the LORD	יְהוָ֑ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
has brought me back	הֱשִׁיבַ֣נִי	hĕ·šî·ḇa·nî	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular; first person common singular	H7725 turn back, return
empty	וְרֵיקָ֖ם	wə·rê·qām	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H7387 emptily, vainly
Why	לָ֣מָּה	lām·māh	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
call	תִקְרֶ֤אנָה	ṯiq·re·nāh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person feminine plural	H7121 call, proclaim, read
me	לִי֙	lî	Preposition; first person common singular
Naomi	נָעֳמִ֔י	nā·‘o·mî	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H5281 Noömi
After all	וַֽיהוָה֙	Yah·weh	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
the LORD	וַֽיהוָה֙	Yah·weh	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
has testified	עָ֣נָה	‘ā·nāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H6030 answer, respond
against me	בִ֔י	ḇî	Preposition; first person common singular
and the Almighty	וְשַׁדַּ֖י	wə·šad·day	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7706 Almighty
has afflicted	הֵ֥רַֽע	hê·ra‘	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H7489 be evil, bad
me	לִֽי׃	lî	Preposition; first person common singular

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Ruth 1:20 Job 6:4 · Hebrews 12:11 · Psalm 88:15 · Psalm 73:14 · Isaiah 38:13 · Lamentations 3:1–20 · Job 19:6 · Job 5:17

Ruth 1:21 Job 1:21 · 1 Samuel 2:7–8 · Job 13:26 · Job 16:8 · Job 10:17

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.