She said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people, and to her god. Follow your sister-in-law.”
Parallel translations
- KJV And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.
- BSB “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; follow her back home.”
- NKJV And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”
- NASB Then she said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”
- NLT “Look,” Naomi said to her, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Naomi points to Orpah's return and urges Ruth to follow her back to her people and god. This final test draws out Ruth's wholehearted commitment.
Overview
Naomi names the real stakes: returning to Moab means returning to Moab's god, Chemosh. Her urging is a genuine test of Ruth's resolve, giving Ruth every reason to leave. Ruth's refusal in the next verses will reveal a conversion of heart—choosing the LORD over the gods of her birth.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Judg 11:24Won’t you possess that which Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whoever Yahweh our God has dispossessed from before us, them will we possess.
- Zeph 1:6those who have turned back from following Yahweh, and those who haven’t sought Yahweh nor inquired after him.
- 2 Kgs 2:2Elijah said to Elisha, “Please wait here, for Yahweh has sent me as far as Bethel.” Elisha said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
- Ps 125:5But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways, Yahweh will lead them away with the workers of iniquity. Peace be on Israel.
- Josh 24:15If it seems evil to you to serve Yahweh, choose today whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.”
- Luke 14:26–33“If anyone comes to me, and doesn’t disregard his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he can’t be my disciple.
- Josh 24:19Joshua said to the people, “You can’t serve Yahweh, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your disobedience nor your sins.
- Heb 10:38But the righteous will live by faith. If he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”
- Ps 36:3The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit. He has ceased to be wise and to do good.
- Luke 24:28They came near to the village, where they were going, and he acted like he would go further.
- Matt 13:20–21What was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the word, and immediately with joy receives it;
- 1 Jn 2:19They went out from us, but they didn’t belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have continued with us. But they left, that they might be revealed that none of them belong to us.
- 2 Sam 15:19–20Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why do you also go with us? Return, and stay with the king; for you are a foreigner, and also an exile. Return to your own place.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Boaz the kinsman-redeemer who buys back the destitute and takes a bride foreshadows Christ, our Redeemer who pays the price to make a people his own; and from Ruth's line comes David, and David's greater Son.
How Ruth 1:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.