What is the meaning of Ruth 1:12? Return home, my daughters “Return home, my daughters” (Ruth 1:12a) • Naomi speaks tenderly—“my daughters”—affirming genuine affection, not rejection (cf. Ruth 1:8–9). • Home represents familiarity, security, and prospects for remarriage within Moabite culture, whereas following Naomi involves uncertainty in Judah (cf. Genesis 24:58). • Her counsel is practical as well as loving, acknowledging that God ordinarily blesses within established family structures (cf. Proverbs 31:21; 1 Timothy 5:8). Go on, for I am too old to have another husband “Go on, for I am too old to have another husband” (Ruth 1:12b) • Naomi highlights natural limitations: her advanced age makes remarriage and childbearing highly unlikely (cf. Genesis 18:11 regarding Sarah). • She is not doubting God’s power but facing facts so her daughters-in-law can make informed decisions (cf. Luke 14:28—counting the cost). • For widowed women in ancient Israel, remarriage to a kinsman often restored provision and lineage (cf. 1 Timothy 5:9–14). Naomi’s age removes that standard possibility. Even if I thought there was hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear sons “Even if I thought there was hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear sons” (Ruth 1:12c) • Naomi references the levirate principle: a widow might wait for a dead husband’s brother—or future sons—to grow up and continue the family line (cf. Deuteronomy 25:5–10; Genesis 38:11). • She paints an extreme scenario—remarrying immediately and conceiving that very night—yet even then the daughters-in-law would be years away from relief, underscoring the futility of their staying (cf. Job 14:1–2 on life’s brevity). • Her words underline selfless concern: she releases them from any cultural or emotional obligation so they can seek new beginnings (cf. Philippians 2:4). summary Naomi’s plea in Ruth 1:12 is a loving, realistic release of Orpah and Ruth. Acknowledging her age and the improbability of providing husbands according to levirate custom, she urges them to return home for their own welfare. The verse showcases sacrificial love, honest appraisal of circumstances, and sets the stage for Ruth’s extraordinary commitment that follows. |
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