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Ruth 1:3 — Word Study

Depth

WLCוַיָּ֥מָת אֱלִימֶ֖לֶךְ אִ֣ישׁ נָעֳמִ֑י וַתִּשָּׁאֵ֥ר הִ֖יא וּשְׁנֵ֥י בָנֶֽיהָ׃

BSAThen Naomi’sNoʻŏmîy husbandʼîysh [her man, spouse] ElimelechʼĔlîymelek [my God is king] diedmûwth [came to his end, passed away] and shehûwʼ was leftshâʼar [remained, spared] with her twoshᵉnayim [a pair of] sonsbên [children, descendants]

Word
Listen & take awayRuth 1
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 3 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (va.Nei.ha) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Ruth 1:3quick helps
In a sentenceNaomi's husband Elimelech died, leaving her with their two sons.
Who is speakingThe narrator recounts the events in Naomi's life.
Where we areThis verse is part of the narrative introducing Naomi's family situation.
The hard wordמוּת
Take awayLife changes dramatically with loss; Naomi is left to navigate her new reality.
4 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, AdamClarke & more — read them › clause verbמוּת The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Ruth 1:3

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Story of Naomi and Ruthgenerated

2The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah, and they entered the land of Moab and settled there.
3Then Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons,
4who took Moabite women as their wives, one named Orpah and the other named Ruth. And after they had lived in Moab about ten years,
5both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and without her husband.

Ruth 1:3 describes a pivotal moment in Naomi's life, where she faces the death of her husband Elimelech. This event sets the stage for the challenges and transformations that follow in the narrative, highlighting themes of loss and resilience. The context reveals the hardships faced by Naomi and her family as they navigate life in a foreign land.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
12 Kings 4:1Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And now his creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves!”
2Psalm 34:19Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him from them all.
3Hebrews 12:6–10For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.”

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word מוּת, vai.Ya.motgenerated

The verb מוּת (mūth) means 'to die' and encompasses various meanings from natural death to execution. In this verse, it indicates the literal death of Elimelech, marking a significant turning point in Naomi's life.

This verb is in the Qal stem, indicating a simple action, and is in the sequential imperfect tense, showing that the action took place in the past. The frequency of this word in the Hebrew Bible underscores the universality of death as a theme in human experience.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the word died for מוּת.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verbs וַיָּ֥מָת (he died) and וַתִּשָּׁאֵ֥ר (she was left) govern the structure of the verse. The first clause describes Elimelech's death, while the second clause explains Naomi's situation after his passing.

The word order emphasizes the sequence of events: Elimelech's death occurs first, followed by Naomi being left with her sons, highlighting the impact of this loss on her life.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates מוּת as ἀπέθανεν (apethanen), which also means 'he died.' This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, indicating a straightforward translation of the death event.

The translation of וַתִּשָּׁאֵ֥ר as κατελείφθη (kataleiphthē) suggests she was left behind, reinforcing the sense of abandonment and loss.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Ruth 1:3 tells us that Naomi's husband Elimelech died, leaving her with their two sons. This moment is crucial as it sets the stage for the challenges Naomi will face in the story.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Naomi's name mean?

Naomi means 'my delight' in Hebrew, reflecting her joyful character before the hardships she faces.

What is the significance of Elimelech's death?

Elimelech's death marks a turning point for Naomi, leading her to confront the realities of widowhood and the need for survival in a foreign land.

How does this verse relate to the overall theme of the Book of Ruth?

This verse introduces themes of loss, loyalty, and the unfolding of God's providence in the lives of Naomi and Ruth.

What challenges does Naomi face after Elimelech's death?

Naomi faces the challenge of raising her two sons alone in Moab, navigating cultural differences and the loss of her husband.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How do you think Naomi felt after the death of her husband?
  2. What does this verse teach us about the impact of loss in our lives?
  3. In what ways can we support those who are grieving, as Naomi would need support?
  4. How does this story of Naomi relate to our understanding of family and community?

Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Ruth 1:3 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died,.... According to Josephus (x), after he had dwelt in the land ten years, and had married his two sons to Moabitish women; but, as Alshech observes, the text

Read John Gill on Ruth 1 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. No JFB commentary on these verses.

Read Robert Jamieson on Ruth 1 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Rth 1:3 And Elimelech Naomi’ s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. Ver. 3. And Elimelech Naomi’ s husband died.] Her head was cut off, her root uncovered. Mulier vel hoc solo nomine misera est quod vidua est; To be a widow is misery enough of itself, and haleth at the heels of it many miseries. "I am indeed a widow woman, and my husband is dead." But Naomi as a "widow indeed," though desolate and a relict, as here, "yet trusted in God, and continued in prayers and supplications day and night." Her motto was that of a certain French lady, Sola facta solum Deum sequor; Now that I am alone, I follow hard after God alone.

Read John Trapp on Ruth 1 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 3. Elimelech - died] Probably a short time after his arrival in Moab.

Read AdamClarke on Ruth 1 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

Then Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons,

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left with her two sons.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Then Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons,

NETBNew English Translation2006

Sometime later Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, so she and her two sons were left alone.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Then Elimelech the husband of Naomi died, and she remayned with her two sonnes,

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And Elimelech husband of Naomi dieth, and she is left, she and her two sons;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And Elimelech husband of Naomi dies, and she is left, she and her two sons;

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Thereupon died Elimelech Na'omi's husband; and she was left, with her two sons.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Then Elimelek, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And Elimelech the husband of Noemi died: and she remained with her sons.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

However, Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And Elimelech, Naomi's husband, came to his end; and only her two sons were with her.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

וַandclauseverbיָּ֥מָתhe.diednoun phrase · subjectאֱלִימֶ֖לֶךְElimelechnoun phraseאִ֣ישׁthe.husbandנָעֳמִ֑יof.Naomiוַandclauseverbתִּשָּׁאֵ֥רshe.was.leftnoun phrase · subjectהִ֖יאsheוּandnoun phraseשְׁנֵ֥יthe.twonoun phraseבָנֶֽיsonsהָher

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text reads: וַיָּ֥מָת אֱלִימֶ֖לֶךְ אִ֣ישׁ נָעֳמִ֑י וַתִּשָּׁאֵ֥ר הִ֖יא וּשְׁנֵ֥י בָנֶֽיהָ׃. The Septuagint matches this closely, with all eight words corresponding directly to the Hebrew, indicating strong agreement between these witnesses.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וַיָּ֥מָת אֱלִימֶ֖לֶךְ אִ֣ישׁ נָעֳמִ֑י וַתִּשָּׁאֵ֥ר הִ֖יא וּשְׁנֵ֥י בָנֶֽיהָ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיָּ֥מָתἀπέθανενאֱלִימֶ֖לֶךְαβιμελεξאִ֣ישׁἀνὴρנָעֳמִ֑יνωεμινוַתִּשָּׁאֵ֥רκατελείφθηהִ֖יאαὐτὴוּשְׁנֵ֥יδύοבָנֶֽיהָ׃αὐτῆς

8 of the 8 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q104a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

וימת אלימלך איש [נעמי] [ותשאר] [היא] [ושני] בני׳ה

3 words on the leather — 1 partly restored, 4 supplied entire by an editor.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q105a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[וימת] [אלימלך] [איש] [נעמי] [ותשאר] [היא] [ושני] בני׳ה

nothing on the leather here — 1 partly restored, 7 supplied entire by an editor.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Ruth 1:3מוּתand he diedand he diedמוּתאֱלִימֶ֫לֶךְElimelechElimelechאֱלִימֶ֫לֶךְאִישׁ[the] husba[the] husband oאִישׁנָעֳמִיNaomiNaomiנָעֳמִישָׁאַרand she wasand she was lefשָׁאַרהוּאshesheהוּאשְׁנַ֫יִםand [the] tand [the] twoשְׁנַ֫יִםבֵּןsons hersons herבֵּןאֵלgodgodאֵלנֹ֫עַםpleasantnepleasantnessנֹ֫עַםבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָהאֱנוֹשׁhumanhumanאֱנוֹשׁאִשָּׁהwomanwomanאִשָּׁהשֵׁנִיsecondsecondשֵׁנִירָצַחto murderto murderרָצַחקָבַרto buryto buryקָבַרנָעֳמִיNaomiNaomiנָעֳמִיבֹּ֫עַזBoazBoazבֹּ֫עַזרֵעַneighborneighborרֵעַאֱלִימֶ֫לֶךְElimelechElimelechאֱלִימֶ֫לֶךְרוּתRuthRuthרוּתשָׂרִידsurvivorsurvivorשָׂרִידפְּלֵיטָהsurvivorsurvivorפְּלֵיטָהטָמֵאuncleanuncleanטָמֵאעֵתtimetimeעֵתעָשָׂרtentenעָשָׂר
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Ruth 1:3

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and he died Elimelech [the] husband of Naomi and she was left she and [the] two sons her
וַיָּ֥מָתvai.Ya.mot and he died H4191 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
840× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to die, either literally or as a punishment, and is used in books like Genesis and Exodus. It can also mean to perish or be killed. This concept is seen in the story of Adam and Eve, where death enters the world as a result of sin.
Amplified meaning
came to his end, passed away
Tyndale gloss
to die
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מוּת (mūth) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to die' or 'to kill.' It encompasses a range of meanings from dying naturally to being executed as a penalty. The word can refer to both humans and animals, and it includes various forms such as causing death or being killed. There is a distinction in usage based on the subject, whether it is a person or God inflicting death.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מוּת vb. die

Qal

die, of natural or other causes

die as a penalty = be put to death

Po‛lel. kill, put to death, despatch (intens.)

Hiph.

abs., elsewhere c. acc., subj. man

subj. God, by inflicting penalty

of animals killing men

bring to a premature death

Hoph. be killed, put to death

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4191 מוּת die .. die, of natural or other causes

. die as a penalty = be put to death

. kill, put to death, despatch (intens.)

. . abs., elsewhere c. acc., subj. man

. subj. God, by inflicting penalty

. of animals killing men

. bring to a premature death

. be killed, put to death

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4191 muwth mooth

a primitive root: to die (literally or figuratively);

causatively, to kill:--X at all, X crying, (be) dead (body,

man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to,

be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), X must needs,

slay, X surely, X very suddenly, X in (no) wise.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מוּת (mut) — to die.

1) to die, kill, have one executed

1a)(Qal)

1a1) to die

1a2) to die (as penalty), be put to death

1a3) to die, perish (of a nation)

1a4) to die prematurely (by neglect of wise moral conduct)

1b) (Polel) to kill, put to death, dispatch

1c) (Hiphil) to kill, put to death

1d) (Hophal)

1d1) to be killed, be put to death

1d1a) to die prematurely

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
and he died Elimelech [the] husband of Naomi and she was left she and [the] two sons her
אֱלִימֶ֖לֶךְ'e.li.Me.lekh Elimelech H458 Noun proper masculine
6× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Elimelech was an Israelite whose name means my God is king, husband of Naomi and father of Mahlon and Chilion in the book of Ruth.
Amplified meaning
my God is king
Tyndale gloss
Elimelech
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֱלִימֶ֫לֶךְ (Eliymelek) means "God is king" and refers to a man mentioned in the Old Testament, specifically as Naomi's husband. The name is derived from the Hebrew words for God and king. He is noted in the Book of Ruth, where he is the father of Mahlon and Chilion.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֱלִימֶ֫לֶךְ n.pr.m. (God is king) husband of Naomi

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H458 אֱלִימֶ֫לֶךְ (God is king) husband of Naomi

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

458 'Eliymelek el-ee-meh'-lek

from 410 and 4428; God of (the) king; Elimelek, an

Israelite:--Elimelech.

see HEBREW for 0410

see HEBREW for 04428

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֱלִימֶ֫לֶךְ (e.li.me.lekh) — Elimelech.

A man living before Israel's Monarchy, first mentioned at Rut.1.2; married to Naomi (H5281);

father of: Mahlon (H4248), Chilion (H3630)

§ Elimelech = "my God is king"

Naomi's husband

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

e-lim'-e-lek ('elimelekh, "my God is king"; Abeimelech, Alimelek):

Elimelech was a member of the tribe of Judah, a native of Bethlehem Judah, a man of wealth and probably head of a family or clan (Ru 1:2,3; 2:1,3). He lived during the period of the Judges, had a hereditary possession near Bethlehem, and is chiefly known as the husband of Naomi, the mother-in-law of Ru and ancestress of David the king. Because of a severe famine in Judea, he emigrated to the land of Moab with his wife and his sons, Mahlon and Chilion. Not long afterward he died, and his two sons married Moabite women, Ru and Orpah. Ten years in all were spent in Moab, when the two sons died, and the three widows were left. Soon afterward Naomi decided to return to Judah, and the sequel is told in the Book of Ruth.

See RUTH; NAOMI.

J. J. Reeve

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Elimelech

God his king, a man of the tribe of Judah, of the family of the Hezronites, and kinsman of Boaz, who dwelt in Bethlehem in the days of the judges. In consequence of a great dearth he, with his wife Naomi and his two sons, went to dwell in the land of Moab. There he and his sons died (Ruth 1:2,3; 2:1,3; 4:3,9). Naomi afterwards returned to Palestine with her daughter Ruth.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(my God is king), a man of the tribe of Judah and of the family of the Hezronites, who dwelt in Bethlehem-Ephratah in the days of the Judges. (B.C. 1312.) In consequence of a great death in the land he went with his wife, Naomi, and his two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, to dwell in Moab, where he and his sons died without posterity. (Ruth 1:2,3) etc.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A Bethlehemite, husband of Naomi, Ru 1:2.

and he died Elimelech [the] husband of Naomi and she was left she and [the] two sons her
אִ֣ישׁ'ish [the] husband of H376 Noun common · masculine singular construct
1,664× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for man, referring to a male person or individual, is used in the Bible to describe humans in contrast to God or animals, as seen in Genesis and Psalms. It can also mean husband or servant. In the KJV, it is translated as man or male.
Amplified meaning
her man, spouse
Tyndale gloss
man
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אִישׁ (iysh) means 'man' and can refer to an individual male, a husband, or a human being in general. It encompasses various meanings, including champion and great man, and can also imply 'whosoever' or 'each.' The word is built from a root suggesting existence and is used throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אִישׁ 2166 n.m. man (= vir)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H376 אִישׁ man (= vir)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

376 'iysh eesh

contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root

meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male

person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and

in such cases frequently not expressed in

translation):--also, another, any (man), a certain, +

champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-,

husband-)man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree),

him (that is), husband, man(-kind), + none, one, people,

person, + steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy.

Compare 802.

see HEBREW for 0582

see HEBREW for 0802

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אִישׁ (ish) — man.

: man

1) man

1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)

1b) husband

1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

אִישׁ (ish) — man: husband.

: husband

1) man

1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)

1b) husband

1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

אִישׁ (ish) — man: anyone.

: anyone/someone

1) man

1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)

1b) husband

1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he died Elimelech [the] husband of Naomi and she was left she and [the] two sons her
נָעֳמִ֑יno.'o.Mi Naomi H5281 Noun proper feminine
21× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Naomi was an Israelite woman who lived before the monarchy. She was the wife of Elimelech and mother of Mahlon and Chilion, and is also known as Mara. Naomi means 'my delight'.
Tyndale gloss
Naomi
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָעֳמִי (No`omiy) refers to Naomi, the mother-in-law of Ruth. The name is derived from a root meaning 'pleasant.' Naomi is a significant figure in the Book of Ruth, where she is described as the wife of Elimelech and mother of Mahlon and Chilion. She is also known as Mara, meaning 'bitter,' in Ruth 1:20.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נָעֳמִי n.pr.f. mother-in-law of Ruth

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5281 נָעֳמִי mother-in-law of Ruth

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5281 No`omiy no-om-ee'

from 5278; pleasant; Noomi, an Israelitess:--Naomi.

see HEBREW for 05278

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נׇעֳמִי (no.o.mi) — Naomi.

A woman living before Israel's Monarchy, first mentioned at Rut.1.2; married to Elimelech (H0458);

mother of: Mahlon (H4248) and Chilion (H3630); also called Mara at Rut.1.20;

Also named: ma.ra (מָרָא "Mara" H4755)

§ Naomi = "my delight"

wife of Elimelech, mother of Mahlon and Chilion, and mother-in-law of Ruth and Orpah

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper feminine
HNpf
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

na'-o-mi, na-o'-mi, na-o'-mi (no`omi, probably equals "pleasantness"; Septuagint. Codex Vaticanus Noemein; Codex Alexandrinus Noemmei(n)): Wife of Elimelech and mother-in-law of Ru (Ru 1:2-4:17). She went with her husband to the land of Moab, and after his death returned to Bethlehem. When greeted on her return, she told the women of the town to call her, not no`omi ("pleasantness"), but marah ("bitterness"), "for," she said, "the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me." She advised Ru in her dealings with Boaz, and afterward nursed their child.ith Anaitis (equalsAnahita), the Asian Artemis. She was the Venus, but sometimes the Diana, of the Romans. There are many variants of the name: Anaea (Strabo xvi.738), Aneitis (Plut. Artax. xxvii), Tanais (Clement of Alexandria, loc. cit.), also Tanath, sometimes in Phoenician inscriptions…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Naomi

The lovable; my delight, the wife of Elimelech, and mother of Mahlon and Chilion, and mother-in-law of Ruth (1:2, 20, 21; 2:1). Elimelech and his wife left the district of Bethlehem-Judah, and found a new home in the uplands of Moab. In course of time he died, as also his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, who had married women of Moab, and three widows were left mourning the loss of their husbands. Naomi longs to return now to her own land, to Bethlehem. One of her widowed daughters-in-law, Ruth, accompanies her, and is at length married to Boaz (q.v.).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

or Nao’mi (my delight), the wife of Elimelech and mother-in-law of Ruth. (Ruth 1:2) etc.; Ruth 2:1 etc.; Ruth 3:1; 4:3 etc. (B.C. 1363.) The name is derived from a root signifying sweetness or pleasantness. Naomi left Judea with her husband and two sons, in a time of famine and went to the land of Moab. Here her husband and sons died; and on her return to Bethlehem she wished to be known as Mara, bitterness , instead of Naomi, sweetness.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Wife of Elimelech, and mother-in-law of Ruth. See RUTH.

and he died Elimelech [the] husband of Naomi and she was left she and [the] two sons her
וַתִּשָּׁאֵ֥רva.ti.sha.'Er and she was left H7604 Verb · Niphal · sequential imperfect third person feminine singular
133× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To remain or be left over, as in Joshua 10:20. It can also mean to spare or reserve something, like God sparing Noah in Genesis 7:23. This word is used to describe the remnant of Israel.
Amplified meaning
remained, spared
Tyndale gloss
to remain
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁאַר (sha'ar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to remain or be left over. It encompasses various nuances, including being left behind, surviving, or leaving something as a gift. The entries indicate its use in different forms, such as Qal, Niphal, and Hiphil, highlighting its versatility in contexts like remnants or spare items.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁאַר 133 vb. remain, be left over

Qalthe youngest still remains

Niph.

be left over

be left behind

Hiph.

leave over, spare

leave or keep over

the city shall have 100 left

leave as a gift

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7604 שָׁאַר remain, be left over .he youngest still remains

. . be left over

. be left behind

. . leave over, spare

. leave or keep over

. the city shall have 100 left

. leave as a gift

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7604 sha'ar shaw-ar'

a primitive root; properly, to swell up, i.e. be

(causatively, make) redundant:--leave, (be) left, let,

remain, remnant, reserve, the rest.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁאַר (sha.ar) — to remain.

1) to remain, be left over, be left behind

1a) (Qal) to remain

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be left over, be left alive, survive

1b1a) remainder, remnant (participle)

1b2) to be left behind

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to leave over, spare

1c2) to leave or keep over

1c3) to have left

1c4) to leave (as a gift)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Niphal-ConsecImperf-3fs — Verb · Niphal · sequential imperfect third person feminine singular
Hc/VNw3fs
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

left (sama'l, "to go to the left," "to turn to the left," semo'l, "the left hand," sema'li, "belonging to the left," "situated on the left"; aristeros, and euphemistically euonumos, literally, "having a good name," "of good omen"): The words are chiefly used in orientation with or without the addition of the word "hand." So Abraham says to Lot: "If thou wilt take the left hand (semo'l), then I will go to the right; or if thou take the right hand, then I will go to the left (sama'l)" (Ge 13:9). Frequently in Hebrew idiom the right hand and the left are mentioned together in order to express the idea "everywhere," "anywhere," "altogether" (Ge 24:49; Ex 14:22,29; Nu 22:26

and he died Elimelech [the] husband of Naomi and she was left she and [the] two sons her
הִ֖יאhi' she H1931 Pronoun
1,879× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word is a pronoun meaning 'he', 'she', or 'it', used to refer to a person or thing. It is used in the Bible to emphasize a subject or make it clear who is being talked about.
Tyndale gloss
he/she/it
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הוּא (hu) is a third-person singular pronoun meaning he, she, or it, used for emphasis or when no verb is present. It can also refer to oneself or serve as a demonstrative pronoun. The word has various nuances, including resuming the subject with emphasis or expressing it unobtrusively. It can indicate 'that' or 'those' when used with the definite article.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הוּא m. הִיא f., pron. of the 3rd ps. sing. he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it

an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)

It resumes the subj. with emph.

Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible

It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

As an emph. predicate, of God

In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)

With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1931 הוּא, הִיא he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it . an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)

. It resumes the subj. with emph.

. Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible

. It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

. As an emph. predicate, of God

. In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)

. With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1931 huw' hoo

of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is hiyw {he}; a

primitive word, the third person pronoun singular, he (she or

it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also

(intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same;

sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally

(instead of copula) as or are:--he, as for her, him(-self),

it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they,

this, those, which (is), who.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הוּא (hu) — he/she/it.

pron 3p s

1) he, she, it

1a) himself (with emphasis)

1b) resuming subj with emphasis

1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate)

1d) (anticipating subj)

1e) (emphasising predicate)

1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron

2) that (with article)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron — Pronoun
HPp3fs
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he died Elimelech [the] husband of Naomi and she was left she and [the] two sons her
וּשְׁנֵ֥יu.she.Nei and [the] two H8147 Conjunction · noun common both dual construct
769× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for the number two appears in Genesis and Exodus, describing pairs and dualities. It can also mean double or twice. In the Bible, it is often used to describe things that come in twos, like two witnesses or two tablets.
Amplified meaning
a pair of
Tyndale gloss
two
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שְׁנַ֫יִם (shnayim) means 'two' and serves as both a cardinal and ordinal number. It can denote 'both,' 'double,' or 'twice,' and is used in various combinations with other numbers. The word is derived as a dual form of שָׁנָה (shanah), which relates to the concept of pairs.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שְׁנַ֫יִם, שְׁתַּיִם 768 n.m. et f. du. two

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8147 שְׁנַ֫יִם, שְׁתַּיִם two

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8147 shnayim shen-ah'-yim

dual of 8145; feminine shttayim {shet-tah'-yim}; two; also

(as ordinal) twofold:--both, couple, double, second, twain, +

twelfth, + twelve, + twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.

see HEBREW for 08145

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שְׁנַ֫יִם (she.na.yim) — two.

1) two

1a) two (the cardinal number)

1a1) two, both, double, twice

1b) second (the ordinal number)

1c) in combination with other numbers

1d) both (a dual number)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Adj — Conjunction · noun common both dual construct
HC/Ncbdc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

too.

See NUMBER.

and he died Elimelech [the] husband of Naomi and she was left she and [the] two sons her
בָנֶֽיהָ׃va.Nei.ha sons her H1121 Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
4,943× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means a son or descendant, and can also refer to a grandson, nation, or quality. It appears in 1 Chronicles 24, describing a Levite named Beno. The word is used to show family relationships and inheritance.
Amplified meaning
children, descendants
Tyndale gloss
son: child
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּן 4870 n.m. son

son, male child, born of a woman

children (male and female)

youth, young men

the young of animals

of plant shoots

fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

member of a guild, order or class

of animals son of (the) herd

ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

n. relat. of age

base

בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman

. children (male and female)

. youth, young men

. the young of animals

. of plant shoots

. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

. . member of a guild, order or class

. of animals son of (the) herd

. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

. n. relat. of age

H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1121 ben bane

from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the

widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,

including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,

etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)

(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,

(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,

bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X

came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of

first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +

kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)

people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +

spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous

one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.

see HEBREW for 01129

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 0251

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּן (ben) — son: child.

: child/son

בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;

son of: Jaaziah (H3269);

brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)

§ Beno = "his son"

the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)

בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.

: descendant, people, tribe, nation

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : child/son

בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.

: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : descendant

בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.

: rebel/son(Belial)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : people/men/nation/tribe

בֵּן (ben) — son.

: [inheriting]son/heir

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.

: warrior/son(strong)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HNcmpc/Sp3fs
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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