Ruth has an abundance of uses of words indicating immediate family members. In an earlier post I illustrated the grammar of man and woman. In later posts I will look also at the groups of people that are not immediate family (reapers, lads, lasses, elders, handmaiden, maid-servant, city, house, and people) and the relation of redeemer that falls, with respect to distance, between these two groups. So here is father, son, mother, daughter, sister, brother, and child. We also learn something about the behaviour of numbers - especially two - from these words.
| HEBREW | CH_VS | ENGLISH | NOTES |
| א וַיְהִי בִּימֵי שְׁפֹט הַשֹּׁפְטִים וַיְהִי רָעָב בָּאָרֶץ וַיֵּלֶךְ אִישׁ מִבֵּית לֶחֶם יְהוּדָה לָגוּר בִּשְׂדֵי מוֹאָב הוּא וְאִשְׁתּו וּשְׁנֵי בָנָיו | 01.01 | Now there was in the days of the judgment of the judges, and there was a famine in the land. and he went a man from the house of bread (Bethlehem) of Judah to stay in the fields of Moab he, his wife, and his two sons | his sons, possessive plural, male - could be generically a mixed group of children but not in this case |
| ב וְשֵׁם הָאִישׁ אֱלִימֶלֶךְ וְשֵׁם אִשְׁתּוֹ נָעֳמִי וְשֵׁם שְׁנֵי-בָנָיו מַחְלוֹן וְכִלְיוֹן אֶפְרָתִים מִבֵּית לֶחֶם יְהוּדָה וַיָּבֹאוּ שְׂדֵי-מוֹאָב וַיִּהְיוּ שָׁם | 01.02 | and the name of the man was Elimelek and the name of his wife Naomi and the name of his two sons, Maxlon and Chilion Ephratites from Bethlehem of Judah and they came to the fields of Moab and they were there | his sons, repeated |
| ג וַיָּמָת אֱלִימֶלֶךְ אִישׁ נָעֳמִי וַתִּשָּׁאֵר הִיא וּשְׁנֵי בָנֶיהָ | 01.03 | and he died Elimelek the husband of Naomi and she was bereft and her two sons | his sons have become her sons - note the change in the pronomial suffix from vav ו to he ה. The form of 'two' does not change. |
| ה וַיָּמֻתוּ גַם-שְׁנֵיהֶם מַחְלוֹן וְכִלְיוֹן וַתִּשָּׁאֵר הָאִשָּׁה מִשְּׁנֵי יְלָדֶיהָ וּמֵאִישָׁהּ | 01.05 | and they died - even the two of them - Maxlon and Chilion and she was bereft, the woman, of her two children and of her husband | two children - literally the two that she bore. This noun will not be used again till the end of the story. |
| ו וַתָּקָם הִיא וְכַלֹּתֶיהָ וַתָּשָׁב מִשְּׂדֵי מוֹאָב כִּי שָׁמְעָה בִּשְׂדֵה מוֹאָב כִּי-פָקַד יְהוָה אֶת-עַמּוֹ לָתֵת לָהֶם לָחֶם | 01.06 | and she arose, she and her daughters in law to return from the fields of Moab for she had heard in the fields of Moab that יְהוָה had visited his people to give to them bread | and-daughters-in-law-of-her |
| ז וַתֵּצֵא מִן-הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר הָיְתָה-שָּׁמָּה וּשְׁתֵּי כַלּוֹתֶיהָ עִמָּהּ וַתֵּלַכְנָה בַדֶּרֶךְ לָשׁוּב אֶל-אֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה | 01.07 | and she emerged from the place where she was and her two daughters-in-law with her and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah | her two daughters in law - notice the change in the form of 'two'. |
| ח וַתֹּאמֶר נָעֳמִי לִשְׁתֵּי כַלֹּתֶיהָ לֵכְנָה שֹּׁבְנָה אִשָּׁה לְבֵית אִמָּהּ יעשה יְהוָה עִמָּכֶם חֶסֶד כַּאֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם עִם-הַמֵּתִים וְעִמָּדִי | 01.08 | and Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law Go - return - each to the house of her mother (a-b) may יְהוָה deal with you with mercy as you have dealt with those who died and with me | mother-of-her |
| יא וַתֹּאמֶר נָעֳמִי שׁבְנָה בְנֹתַי לָמָּה תֵלַכְנָה עִמִּי הַעוֹד-לִי בָנִים בְּמֵעַי וְהָיוּ לָכֶם לַאֲנָשִׁים | 01.11 | and Naomi said turn back my daughters (b) why would you go with me (a) are there yet to me sons in my body that they might become husbands for you? | daughters-of-me and a simple plural of sons |
| יב שֹׁבְנָה בְנֹתַי לֵכְןָ כִּי זָקַנְתִּי מִהְיוֹת לְאִישׁ כִּי אָמַרְתִּי יֶשׁ-לִי תִקְוָה גַּם הָיִיתִי הַלַּיְלָה לְאִישׁ וְגַם יָלַדְתִּי בָנִים | 01.12 | turn back my daughters - go (b-a) for I am too old to have a husband for had I said there is hope for me even if there was tonight a husband and even if I bore sons | each word my-daughters, and sons repeated again - part of the plea that the daughters-in-law (singular כַּלָּה) return to their mothers |
| יג הֲלָהֵן תְּשַׂבֵּרְנָה עַד אֲשֶׁר יִגְדָּלוּ הֲלָהֵן תֵּעָגֵנָה לְבִלְתִּי הֱיוֹת לְאִישׁ אַל בְּנֹתַי כִּי-מַר-לִי מְאֹד מִכֶּם כִּי-יָצְאָה בִי יַד-יְהוָה | 01.13 | As if you could wait till such had grown? As if you would remain shut up without there being a husband? no my daughters for bitterness to me is great from you for the hand of יְהוָה has come out against me | wrestling with the idiom of this verse and the prior parts of Naomi's speech - see later post on Ruth 1:10-14 |
| יד וַתִּשֶּׂנָה קוֹלָן וַתִּבְכֶּינָה עוֹד וַתִּשַּׁק עָרְפָּה לַחֲמוֹתָהּ וְרוּת דָּבְקָה בָּהּ | 01.14 | and they lifted up their voice and wept further and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law but Ruth stayed close to her | now to-mother-in-law-of-her. The verb kissed takes a prefixed preposition ל |
| טו וַתֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה שָׁבָה יְבִמְתֵּךְ אֶל-עַמָּהּ וְאֶל-אֱלֹהֶיהָ שׁוּבִי אַחֲרֵי יְבִמְתֵּךְ | 01.15 | and she said, behold your sister-in-law returns to her people and to her God you return also after your sister-in-law | sister-in-law-of-you - by now we have seen most of the singular possessive pronoun suffixes [Campbell suggests sister to keep the Levirate law foremost in the mind of the hearer - Deuteronomy 25:7,9] |
| כב וַתָּשָׁב נָעֳמִי וְרוּת הַמּוֹאֲבִיָּה כַלָּתָהּ עִמָּהּ הַשָּׁבָה מִשְּׂדֵי מוֹאָב וְהֵמָּה בָּאוּ בֵּית לֶחֶם בִּתְחִלַּת קְצִיר שְׂעֹרִים | 01.22 | So Naomi returned and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her she returned from the fields or Moab and they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the harvest of barley | |
| ב וַתֹּאמֶר רוּת הַמּוֹאֲבִיָּה אֶל-נָעֳמִי אֵלְכָה-נָּא הַשָּׂדֶה וַאֲלַקֳּטָה בַשִּׁבֳּלִים אַחַר אֲשֶׁר אֶמְצָא-חֵן בְּעֵינָיו וַתֹּאמֶר לָהּ לְכִי בִתִּי | 02.02 | and Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi let me go please to the field and glean grain after the one in whose eyes I will find favor and she said to her, go my daughter | first use of the word 'my daughter' (singular) - framing chapters 2 and 3 |
| ח וַיֹּאמֶר בֹּעַז אֶל-רוּת הֲלוֹא שָׁמַעַתְּ בִּתִּי אַל-תֵּלְכִי לִלְקֹט בְּשָׂדֶה אַחֵר וְגַם לֹא תַעֲבוּרִי מִזֶּה וְכֹה תִדְבָּקִין עִם-נַעֲרֹתָי | 02.08 | and Boaz said to Ruth do you not hear, my daughter do not go to glean in the field of another and also do not pass beyond this one but stay close here with my lasses | Note how Boaz and Naomi both use the phrase 'my daughter' |
| יא וַיַּעַן בֹּעַז וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ הֻגֵּד הֻגַּד לִי כֹּל אֲשֶׁר-עָשִׂית אֶת-חֲמוֹתֵךְ אַחֲרֵי מוֹת אִישֵׁךְ וַתַּעַזְבִי אָבִיךְ וְאִמֵּךְ וְאֶרֶץ מוֹלַדְתֵּךְ וַתֵּלְכִי אֶל-עַם אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יָדַעַתְּ תְּמוֹל שִׁלְשׁוֹם | 02.11 | and Boaz answered and said to her to be shown, it has been shown to me all that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband and you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth and went to a people which you did not know before in times past | first appearance of father |
| יח וַתִּשָּׂא וַתָּבוֹא הָעִיר וַתֵּרֶא חֲמוֹתָהּ אֵת אֲשֶׁר-לִקֵּטָה וַתּוֹצֵא וַתִּתֶּן-לָהּ אֵת אֲשֶׁר-הוֹתִרָה מִשָּׂבְעָהּ | 02.18 | and she lifted it up and went to the city and her mother-in-law saw what she gleaned and she brought out and gave to her what she had left over after she was sated | |
| יט וַתֹּאמֶר לָהּ חֲמוֹתָהּ אֵיפֹה לִקַּטְתְּ הַיּוֹם וְאָנָה עָשִׂית יְהִי מַכִּירֵךְ בָּרוּךְ וַתַּגֵּד לַחֲמוֹתָהּ אֵת אֲשֶׁר-עָשְׂתָה עִמּוֹ וַתֹּאמֶר שֵׁם הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי עִמּוֹ הַיּוֹם בֹּעַז | 02.19 | and her mother-in-law said to her where did you glean today and where work may the one who took note of you be blessed and she showed her mother-in-law what she had done with him and she said, the name of the man that I worked with today is Boaz | |
| כ וַתֹּאמֶר נָעֳמִי לְכַלָּתָהּ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לַיהוָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא-עָזַב חַסְדּוֹ אֶת-הַחַיִּים וְאֶת-הַמֵּתִים וַתֹּאמֶר לָהּ נָעֳמִי קָרוֹב לָנוּ הָאִישׁ מִגֹּאֲלֵנוּ הוּא | 02.20 | And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law Blessed be he from יהוָה who has not left off his kindness for the living and the dead and Naomi said to her near to us is the man and he our redeemer | |
| כב וַתֹּאמֶר נָעֳמִי אֶל-רוּת כַּלָּתָהּ טוֹב בִּתִּי כִּי תֵצְאִי עִם-נַעֲרוֹתָיו וְלֹא יִפְגְּעוּ-בָךְ בְּשָׂדֶה אַחֵר | 02.22 | and Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law good my daughter to go out with his lasses that none force you into another field | |
| כג וַתִּדְבַּק בְּנַעֲרוֹת בֹּעַז לְלַקֵּט עַד-כְּלוֹת קְצִיר-הַשְּׂעֹרִים וּקְצִיר הַחִטִּים וַתֵּשֶׁב אֶת-חֲמוֹתָהּ | 02.23 | so she stayed close with the lasses of Boaz to glean to the completion of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest and she lived with her mother-in-law | there is a passage of time here - within the space of the two consecutive harvests |
| א וַתֹּאמֶר לָהּ נָעֳמִי חֲמוֹתָהּ בִּתִּי הֲלֹא אֲבַקֶּשׁ-לָךְ מָנוֹחַ אֲשֶׁר יִיטַב-לָךְ | 03.01 | and Naomi her mother-in-law said to her my daughter do I not seek for you rest that it may be good for you | |
| ו וַתֵּרֶד הַגֹּרֶן וַתַּעַשׂ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר-צִוַּתָּה חֲמוֹתָהּ | 03.06 | and she descended to the threshing-floor and she did everything just as her mother-in-law commanded | |
| י וַיֹּאמֶר בְּרוּכָה אַתְּ לַיהוָה בִּתִּי הֵיטַבְתְּ חַסְדֵּךְ הָאַחֲרוֹן מִן-הָרִאשׁוֹן לְבִלְתִּי-לֶכֶת אַחֲרֵי הַבַּחוּרִים אִם-דַּל וְאִם-עָשִׁיר | 03.10 | and he said you are blessed of יהוָה my daughter you have made good your mercy the end from the beginning that you did not follow choice whether poor or wealthy | |
| יא וְעַתָּה בִּתִּי אַל-תִּירְאִי כֹּל אֲשֶׁר-תֹּאמְרִי אֶעֱשֶׂה-לָּךְ כִּי יוֹדֵעַ כָּל-שַׁעַר עַמִּי כִּי אֵשֶׁת חַיִל אָתְּ | 03.11 | and now my daughter have no fear all that you say I will do for you for all the gate, my people, know that you are a woman of ability | |
| טז וַתָּבוֹא אֶל-חֲמוֹתָהּ וַתֹּאמֶר מִי-אַתְּ בִּתִּי וַתַּגֶּד-לָהּ אֵת כָּל-אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה-לָהּ הָאִישׁ | 03.16 | and she came to her mother-in-law and she said is that you, my daughter? and she told her all that the man had done for her | |
| יז וַתֹּאמֶר שֵׁשׁ-הַשְּׂעֹרִים הָאֵלֶּה נָתַן לִי כִּי אָמַר אֵלַי אַל-תָּבוֹאִי רֵיקָם אֶל-חֲמוֹתֵךְ | 03.17 | and she said six of barley these he gave to me and he said to me you may not go empty to your mother-in-law | |
| יח וַתֹּאמֶר שְׁבִי בִתִּי עַד אֲשֶׁר תֵּדְעִין אֵיךְ יִפֹּל דָּבָר כִּי לֹא יִשְׁקֹט הָאִישׁ כִּי-אִם-כִּלָּה הַדָּבָר הַיּוֹם | 03.18 | and she said - sit tight my daughter until you know how a thing will fall out for the man will not rest in this case he will complete the thing today | the last use of the word 'my daughter' |
| ג וַיֹּאמֶר לַגֹּאֵל חֶלְקַת הַשָּׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר לְאָחִינוּ לֶאֱלִימֶלֶךְ מָכְרָה נָעֳמִי הַשָּׁבָה מִשְּׂדֵה מוֹאָב | 04.03 | and he said to the redeemer the portion of the field of our brother Elimelek which Naomi who returned from the field of Moab is selling | to-brother-of-us |
| י וְגַם אֶת-רוּת הַמֹּאֲבִיָּה אֵשֶׁת מַחְלוֹן קָנִיתִי לִי לְאִשָּׁה לְהָקִים שֵׁם-הַמֵּת עַל-נַחֲלָתוֹ וְלֹא-יִכָּרֵת שֵׁם-הַמֵּת מֵעִם אֶחָיו וּמִשַּׁעַר מְקוֹמוֹ עֵדִים אַתֶּם הַיּוֹם | 04.10 | and moreover Ruth the Moabite the wife of Mahlon I have bought to me as wife to raise up the name as his inheritance so the name of the dead is not cut off from his brothers and from the gate of his place witnesses you are today | from-with brothers-of-him |
| יג וַיִּקַּח בֹּעַז אֶת-רוּת וַתְּהִי-לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה וַיָּבֹא אֵלֶיהָ וַיִּתֵּן יְהוָה לָהּ הֵרָיוֹן וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן | 04.13 | So Boaz got Ruth and she became his wife and he went to her and יְהוָה gave her conception and she bore a son | |
| טו וְהָיָה לָךְ לְמֵשִׁיב נֶפֶשׁ וּלְכַלְכֵּל אֶת-שֵׂיבָתֵךְ כִּי כַלָּתֵךְ אֲשֶׁר-אֲהֵבַתֶךְ יְלָדַתּוּ אֲשֶׁר-הִיא טוֹבָה לָךְ מִשִּׁבְעָה בָּנִים | 04.15 | and he will be to you one who restores your being and sustains your old age for your daughter-in-law who loves you and bore him is better to you than seven sons | Sons reappear here for the first time since chapter 1 - there is a full and complex frame to the story involving the use of place names and words relating to birth and sons and daughter-in-law. |
| טז וַתִּקַּח נָעֳמִי אֶת-הַיֶּלֶד וַתְּשִׁתֵהוּ בְחֵיקָהּ וַתְּהִי-לוֹ לְאֹמֶנֶת | 04.16 | and Naomi got the child and set him in her lap and became for him his support | the second use of 'child' |
| יז וַתִּקְרֶאנָה לוֹ הַשְּׁכֵנוֹת שֵׁם לֵאמֹר יֻלַּד-בֵּן לְנָעֳמִי וַתִּקְרֶאנָה שְׁמוֹ עוֹבֵד הוּא אֲבִי-יִשַׁי אֲבִי דָוִד | 04.17 | and the women neighbours called him a name saying a son is born to Naomi and they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse the father of David | a son is born - one can see how the birthing concept can skip generations. So there is no need for the 'this is the generation of', or 'x begat y' to assume contiguity |
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