Na'omi, whose name means "pleasant" or "delightful," is a significant figure in the Old Testament, particularly in the Book of Ruth. She is a central character whose life account provides profound insights into themes of loss, loyalty, and divine providence.

Family and Background

Na'omi was married to Elimelech, a man from Bethlehem in Judah. During a time of famine, Elimelech decided to move his family to the land of Moab, a neighboring nation often at odds with Israel. Na'omi and Elimelech had two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. The family's relocation to Moab is recorded in Ruth 1:1-2: "In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the land of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons."

Tragedy and Loss

While in Moab, Na'omi faced a series of devastating losses. Her husband Elimelech died, leaving her a widow in a foreign land. Her sons married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth, but after about ten years, both Mahlon and Chilion also died. This left Na'omi bereft of her immediate family, as described in Ruth 1:3-5: "Then Na'omi's husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons. They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. And after they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Na'omi was left without her two sons and her husband."

Return to Bethlehem

Hearing that the Lord had provided food for His people, Na'omi decided to return to Bethlehem. She urged her daughters-in-law to remain in Moab and remarry, but Ruth clung to her, expressing her loyalty in one of the most poignant declarations of commitment found in Scripture: "Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following you. For where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God" (Ruth 1:16).

Life in Bethlehem

Upon returning to Bethlehem, Na'omi's presence stirred the town, and she expressed her grief by asking to be called Mara, meaning "bitter," because "the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me" (Ruth 1:20). Despite her sorrow, Na'omi's return coincided with the barley harvest, a detail that foreshadows the providential care that would unfold.

Role in Ruth's Marriage

Na'omi played a crucial role in the unfolding of God's plan for Ruth and Boaz. Recognizing Boaz as a kinsman-redeemer, she instructed Ruth on how to approach him, leading to their eventual marriage. This union not only secured Ruth's future but also restored Na'omi's joy and lineage, as Ruth bore a son named Obed, who would become the grandfather of King David. The women of Bethlehem acknowledged Na'omi's restored joy, saying, "Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May his name become famous throughout Israel!" (Ruth 4:14).

Legacy

Na'omi's account is a testament to God's faithfulness and the transformative power of love and loyalty. Her life, marked by profound loss and eventual restoration, highlights the themes of redemption and divine providence that resonate throughout the biblical narrative. Through her, the lineage leading to David and ultimately to Jesus Christ is preserved, underscoring her vital role in God's redemptive plan.Na'omi (21 Occurrences)

Ruth 1:2
The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem Judah. They came into the country of Moab, and continued there.
(See RSV)

Ruth 1:3
Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons.
(See RSV)

Ruth 1:8
Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each of you to her mother's house: Yahweh deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead, and with me.
(See RSV)

Ruth 1:11
Naomi said, "Go back, my daughters. Why do you want to go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
(See RSV)

Ruth 1:18
When she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her, she left off speaking to her.
(See RSV)

Ruth 1:19
So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. It happened, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and the women said, "Is this Naomi?"
(See RSV)

Ruth 1:20
She said to them, "Don't call me Naomi. Call me Mara; for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
(See RSV)

Ruth 1:21
I went out full, and Yahweh has brought me home again empty; why do you call me Naomi, seeing Yahweh has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?"
(See RSV)

Ruth 1:22
So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.
(See RSV)

Ruth 2:1
Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz.
(See RSV)

Ruth 2:2
Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Let me now go to the field, and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor." She said to her, "Go, my daughter."
(See RSV)

Ruth 2:6
The servant who was set over the reapers answered, "It is the Moabite lady who came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab.
(See RSV)

Ruth 2:20
Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "Blessed be he of Yahweh, who has not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead." Naomi said to her, "The man is a close relative to us, one of our near kinsmen."
(See RSV)

Ruth 2:22
Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, "It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maidens, and that they not meet you in any other field."
(See RSV)

Ruth 3:1
Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, shall I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?
(See RSV)

Ruth 4:3
He said to the near kinsman, "Naomi, who has come back out of the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's.
(See RSV)

Ruth 4:5
Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must buy it also from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance."
(See RSV)

Ruth 4:9
Boaz said to the elders, and to all the people, "You are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, from the hand of Naomi.
(See RSV)

Ruth 4:14
The women said to Naomi, "Blessed be Yahweh, who has not left you this day without a near kinsman; and let his name be famous in Israel.
(See RSV)

Ruth 4:16
Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse to it.
(See RSV)

Ruth 4:17
The women, her neighbors, gave him a name, saying, "There is a son born to Naomi;" and they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
(See RSV)

Na'omi (21 Occurrences)
Na'omi. Naomi, Na'omi. Naomi's . Multi-Version Concordance Na'omi (21
Occurrences). Ruth 1:2 The name of the man was Elimelech, and ...
/n/na'omi.htm - 11k

Naomi (25 Occurrences)

/n/naomi.htm - 17k

Naomi's (1 Occurrence)

/n/naomi's.htm - 6k

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus