why did ruth and orpah make a different decision

What does the Bible say about decision-making. The story opens with Naomis clan having left the land of promise, and their faith, for a new life in the land of Moab, apart from God. She would choose Moab and motherhood. Naomi makes another plea to which Ruth replies with the well-known "entreat-me-not-to-leave-thee" soliloquy. And she took that same zeal and self-sacrifice and brought them to the other side. But there is a powerful message in this. As for why the text continues to refer to her as "", first of all, as @Alex has noted in the comments to the other answers, it is not uncommon to find someone referred to by the country of origin even if they are no longer associated with it. The third reason for verses 8-13 is to make Ruth's faithfulness to Naomi appear amazing. Ruth (/ r u /; Hebrew: , Modern: Rt, Tiberian: R) is the person after whom the Book of Ruth is named. ( Ruth 4:1-10) Boaz truly was an upright and unselfish man. Why did Ruth stay with Naomi after Orpah decided to return home? She tried twice to dissuade the women from following her to Judah. Could these translations be too harsh? Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. Some are of the opinion that Ruth and her Moabite sister-in-law Orpah did not convert before marrying Naomi's two sons. Like Abraham, and like the family of Jacob (see the story of Joseph), the family of Elimelech was forced by famine to leave its home in the land of Israel and to preserve itself in a foreign land. Why did Ruth stay with Naomi after Orpah decided to return home? What will be different when the old order of things ends? Jasper Soriano, March 18 2021 Photo: Demart Pro Arte/Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Why was Ruth so loyal to Naomi? Comments. Following the death of her husband, Elimelech, and her two sons, Naomi decided to leave Moab, where her family had fled to escape famine. Why did the first kinsman redeemer in Ruth refuse to marry her. In this shiur Rabbi Daniel Glatstein makes the point, based on the Tzafnas Paneach, that it is possible that Rus and Orpah converted before they married but that their conversion was in doubt. What kind of tool do I need to change my bottom bracket? Tens years later, and without any children, the two sons die. Clarify Her descendants would play a major role in Jewish history on the other side of the fence. By Adele Berlin. So too Ruth could be Jewish and still be the the Jewess-from-Moab. Who Were the Philistines, and Where Did They Come From. Some scholars translate her name as neck or stiff-necked, referring to her choice to turn away from Naomi and her God and return to Moab. . What are the biblical principles for solid decision-making? Abarbanel writes that Shmuel Hanavi wrote Ruth after he anointed David to highlight David's ancestry and to show that he came from noble stock. Here are guidelines to help facilitate a meaningful learning experience for everyone. It is sold by Booklocker.com, as well as by Amazon.com and all the major on-line sellers. Questions about Ruth. The amazing thing about these accounts is that, although lineage is defined through the males, it is the women who take responsibility for the continuity of the family and the guardianship of its lineage. The story of Tamar and Judah is also a story of family continuity achieved by the determination of a woman. Two times they hold firm; on the third Orpah weakens and returns. Not only that it also opens up the reality that Jesus not only came to redeem the chosen ones but also the gentiles who like Ruth left her old gods and identity for a new identity in Christ, the executed messiah!! Is idle hands are the devil's workshop' biblical statement? Some believe they were family before they married. ESV - Naomi stands on the road to Judah as her two Moabite daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, beg to accompany her to her native land in this watercolor by Salvador Dali. Spam, Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army. The story of Ruth provides for David the same pattern that produced the patriarchal line and the line of Judahnamely, the perpetuation of the family through the deeds of womenand it thereby joins the covenant with David to the covenant with Abraham. RuthBig Theme, Little Book by Adele Berlin originally appeared in Bible Review, August 1996. We have a natural drive to make something of ourselves, to achieve immortality. What does the Bible mean by, "shedding of innocent blood"? Why do I constantly have an urge to spread the gospel, but on many accounts I've been too afraid? Orpah did what one expects. The burden of this inheritance both informed and influenced the choices that these sisters made. The covenant with David, like the covenant with Abraham, is an emblem of Gods promise to Israel. Shmuel wished to show how even though Ruth was a Moabite, she was a righteous woman and earned the respect and marriage of the great shofet Boaz. This is no anonymous family that is restoredthis is the family into which King David will be born. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. @bookofruth Moabite is an demonym not a religion. And the Torah taught us just how to do it. And as was the custom in Israel, Boaz takes off his sandal to validate the transaction of his becoming redeemer and says to the witnesses: The child Obed is shown in this decorative letter, in the arms of either Ruth or Naomi. But the Talmud tells us otherwise. He also serves as a volunteer writer for Torah.org. Two daughters-in-law of Naomi were Ruth and: closest relative of Ruth's husband. A. Alshich also follows this approach, pointing to the fact that the Talmud Bavli (Yevamos 47) learns from the dialogue between Naami and Ruth with regards to the laws of conversion. GotQuestions.org Audio Pages. The matter is soon settled. Orpah was motivated by safety, and safety is what she got. Her sister-in-law, Orpah, tends to fall into the background of the story. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. One path can lead away from God, and the other takes us toward God and into His loving care and protection. Second, it is important to keep in mind the purpose of Megillas Ruth in the first place. Who should be making the financial decisions for a church body? Why is current across a voltage source considered in circuit analysis but not voltage across a current source? For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. We praise Ruth and forget Orpah. How can we know what parts of the Bible apply to us today? Why does the second bowl of popcorn pop better in the microwave? rev2023.4.17.43393. 2022 28 Jun. Naomi at least had kinsman and suddenly Naomis God is Ruths God, Naomis people, her people? Orpah, as a mere agent in the story, serves as a foil for Ruth. But if not, we would be driven towards every other cause imaginable Communism, anarchism, liberalism, capitalism, you-name-it-ism. By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. The Book of Ruth, too, is about exile and return, land and people. The outcome of Orpahs choice is not known. But she didnt do it. 1:8, 1:11 and 1:12; the Talmud derives from her the number of times a potential convert is to be dissuaded). An Orpah Choice (Ruth 1:8-14) In verse 8, Naomi instructs her two daughters-in-law to "go back, each of you, to your mother"s home.". What are the biblical principles for solid decision-making? Orpah almost became great. What did it mean to spread the corner of your garment over someone? What sort of contractor retrofits kitchen exhaust ducts in the US? In the blessing, the townspeople add a specific reference to Judah, the founder of Boazs tribe: May your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah (Ruth 4:12). In her first attempt, she gave them her blessings to return and find husbands and a future. So Ruth spoke: "Do not plead with me to abandon you, to turn back from accompanying you; for where you go I shall go, and where you spend the night I shall spend the night. Kates and G.Twersy-Rimer, Ballantine, 1994). And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. Ruth said, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn . She asks her two daughter in-laws to leave her. Mary Evans's commentary places each book in its historical and canonical context . His wife and sons stay on, and the sons marry non-Jewish women Moabite princesses by the names of Ruth and Orpah. From what I've read, it seems that Ruth only converted to Judaism after her husband died. And Ruth's sister-in-law Orpah followed that advice. "Where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge," she insists. 2 The man's name was Elimelek, his wife's name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. Who Was Moses? In other words: even though she was a Moabite, look how great she was and how Boaz accepted her etc. Orpah chose the familiar path while Ruth chose the faithful way. She was one of so many almosts throughout history people who strove for greatness and immortality but who failed to hang on, instead fading into anonymity. Why did Ruth and Orpah make different decisions? God reveals the true identity of . One may read Ruth's care for Naomi as a performative, prophetic act of faith. In ancient times, a name revealed a lot about that person. 14 Liberal scholars argue that Ruth was written after the Babylonian exile. Her many publications include Zephaniah (Doubleday, 1991), Biblical Poetry Through Medieval Jewish Eyes (Indiana Univ. It does not seem to fit neatly into the sequence of biblical books. Why can't Ploni Almoni be a real name, in Ruth? Ruth is also one of the few women who are mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus found in the book of Matthew. It tells of a relationship between two women-Naomi, the senior of the two, and her daughter-in-law Ruth. Unfortunately, we have no idea how Orpah's story turned out. There are indeed a lot of opinions on when Ruth underwent conversion. Is there a difference between priests and Levites? The ancient world had no mechanism for religious conversion or change of citizenship; the very notion was unthinkable. I'm saying I don't even think it's pashut pshat. Required fields are marked *. Who will occupy the Millennial Kingdom?added 5 months ago; If Orpah and Ruth had stayed in Moab, they may not . Same zeal and self-sacrifice and brought them to the other side of the fence clung to her exile and,! 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