_THE EXILE AND THE RETURN_ CONTENTS.—_A famine in the land of Israel.—Elimelech a wealthy Hebrew, descended of an ancient and honourable house, goes down to the fields of Moab with his family. The removal is followed by his death; the marriage of his sons Mahlon and Chilion to Ruth and Orpah, and t... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES.— _Ruth 1:1_. NOW] Heb. ו _vau_, and. The same introcopula between all the books of the O. T. so far, except in the opening of Deuteronomy, which begins abruptly. Keil (1 Kings 1:1) says the use of this conjunction at the beginning of a writing is a sure sign of its con... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES.— _Ruth 1:2_. AND THE NAME OF THE MAN (WAS) ELIMELECH. A descendant of Nahshon mentioned in connection with the erection of the tabernacle (Numbers 1:7). According to Jewish doctors, a noble and potent person. All names ending with “melech” (_king_) borne by distinguish... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES.— Ruth 1:3. AND ELIMELECH … DIED. The conjunction seems to intimate shortly after his arrival. Certainly before the marriage of his sons. Josephus thinks, however, towards the end of the ten years’ sojourn. Ruth 1:4. AND THEY TOOK THEM WIVES. The verb, though not Chald... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES.— _Ruth 1:6_. THEN [and] SHE AROSE. She arose in order to return. Et surrexit ut in patriam pergeret (_Vulgate_). WITH HER DAUGHTERS-IN-LAW. Both the young women set out with the intention of going to Bethlehem (_Bertheau and others_). THAT SHE MIGHT RETURN. לָשׁוּב (to... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES.—_Ruth 1:8; Ruth 1:10_. AND NAOMI SAID [Then said Naomi] UNTO. The first recorded utterance of Naomi. Cox imagines them having reached the ford of the Arnon [N. boundary of Moab], or perhaps the fords of the Jordan [E. boundary of Judah]. GO, RETURN EACH. Shews that the... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES.—ARE THERE YET SONS? etc. In allusion to the custom of a man raising posterity to his deceased brother by taking his widow (_Adam Clarke, Jarci, Wright, Keil_). Probably this custom obtained among other nations (_Patrick, Scott_). Known among the Gentiles before it was... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES.—AND THEY LIFTED UP THEIR VOICE AND WEPT AGAIN “exceedingly” (_Dr. Cassel_), “still more” (_Luther_). As in E.V. (_Lange_). (See on Ruth 1:9.) Much affected with the tender things Naomi had said (_M. Henry_) (cf. Genesis 29:11). AND ORPAH KISSED HER MOTHER-IN-LAW (και ε... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES.—AND SHE [Naomi] SAID, BEHOLD THY SISTER-IN-LAW, _i.e._, wife of a husband’s brother; no English word exactly answering to the original Hebrew. The same word is rendered brother’s wife (Deuteronomy 25:7; Deuteronomy 25:9), being the feminine of that rendered (_ib._ 7) h... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES.—ENTREAT ME NOT—Urge me not (_Lange_), Force me not (_Wordsworth_), Be not against me (_Trem. Junius, Montan. Bernard, Fuller, Wright; Vulg., Wycliffe, and, Douay Ver._). THY PEOPLE SHALL BE [is] MY PEOPLE. I will be a Jewess both in country and religion (_Wright_). Thi... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES.—SO THEY TWO. Types of the Jewish and Gentile Churches (_Macgowan_). Amicitia sit inter binos qui sunt veri, et bonos qui sunt pauci (_Trapp_). WENT. They were obliged to travel on foot (_Patrick, Gill_). If the more southern route was chosen, they would descend from th... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES.—WHICH RETURNED OUT OF THE COUNTRY [territories or fields] of MOAB. The description by which Ruth was commonly designated [cf. Ruth 2:6]. (_Speaker’s Com._). As the same expression occurs at Ruth 4:3, in connexion with Naomi, it may be supposed that it became customary... [ Continue Reading ]