Naomi is married to a man named
Elimelech. A famine causes them to move with their two sons from their home in
Judea to
Moab. While there Elimelech dies, as well as his sons who had gotten married in the meantime. Near destitute, Naomi returns to Bethlehem with one daughter-in-law,
Ruth, whom she could not dissuade from accompanying her. Her other daughter-in-law,
Orpah, remains in Moab. When Naomi returns, she tells the
Bethlehemites, "Do not call me Naomi, call me
Mara (מרא), for the
Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me".
Barry Webb points out that there is not only an objective element in her life being bitter through bereavement, dislocation, and poverty, but also a subjective element—the bitterness she feels. He further argues that in Chapter1 of the Book of Ruth, Naomi's "perception of her condition" is "distorted by self-absorption," but that Ruth plays "a key role in her rehabilitation."
Abraham Kuyper, on the other hand, asserts that "Naomi has such innate nobility of character that she immediately elicits from us our most sincere sympathy." The Book of Ruth depicts the struggles of Naomi and Ruth for survival in a patriarchal environment. The arrival of Naomi and Ruth in Bethlehem coincides with the barley harvest. Naomi gives Ruth permission to glean those fields where she is allowed. Ruth is working in the field of
Boaz, when a servant identifies her to him as Naomi's daughter-in-law. It happens that Boaz is a kinsman of Naomi's late husband. He tells her to work with the female servants, warns the young men not to bother her, and at mealtime invites her to share his food. When Naomi learns that Ruth has the attention and kindness of Boaz, she counsels Ruth to approach him directly: "...[P]ut on your best attire and go down to the threshing floor. Do not make yourself known to the man before he has finished eating and drinking. But when he lies down, take note of the place where he does so. Then go, uncover a place at his feet, and lie down. He will tell you what to do." () Webb points out Naomi's "feminine scheming" in forcing Boaz's hand. Yitzhak Berger suggests that Naomi's plan was that Ruth seduce Boaz, just as
Tamar and the
daughters of Lot all seduced "an older family member in order to become the mother of his offspring." At the crucial moment, however, "Ruth abandons the attempt at seduction and instead requests a permanent,
legal union with Boaz." Ruth marries
Boaz, and they have a son, for whom Naomi cares, The son in question was
Obed, who was the father of
Jesse and thus later the grandfather of
David. ==References==