Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse.
Parallel translations
- WEB Naomi took the child, and laid him in her bosom, and became nurse to it.
- KJV And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.
- BSB And Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and became a nurse to him.
- NKJV Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him.
- NLT Naomi took the baby and cuddled him to her breast. And she cared for him as if he were her own.
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 takes the child to her bosom and becomes his nurse, embracing the joy of restored family. The once-bitter widow is now filled with new hope.
Overview
Naomi tenderly cradles Obed and cares for him, a poignant image of her restored life and gladness. The grandmother who returned to Bethlehem empty now holds the very child through whom God answers her emptiness. This intimate scene displays God's quiet faithfulness in mending broken lives and preparing the lineage that would bring forth the King and, ultimately, Christ.
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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 4:16 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
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