A study of Ruth 1:19-22
"So the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, all of the town was stirred because of them. And they said, "Is this Naomi?" And she said to them, "You should not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for Shaddai has caused me to be very bitter. I went away full, but Yahweh brought me back empty-handed! Why call me Naomi when Yahweh has testified against me and Shaddai has brought calamity upon me?" So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, returning from the countryside of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the harvest of barley."
Ruth 1:19-22 LEB
Definitions of the original language in the context of this passage:
-Bethlehem: "בֵּ֣ית לָ֑חֶם", "bêṯʹ lāʹ·ḥěm"; noun, proper, singular, absolute - Bethlehem = 'house of bread' or 'place of bread (food)'; a city in Judah or present day Palestine, the birthplace of David and Jesus.
-Was Stirred: "וַתֵּהֹ֤ם", "wa-tē·hōmʹ"; verb, Nifʿal, wayyiqtōl (waw-consecutive + imperfect), third person, feminine, singular - of a city: be in a stir.
-Naomi: "נָעֳמִֽי׃", "nǒ·ʿǒmîʹ"; noun, proper, feminine, singular, absolute - Naomi = 'my delight' or 'pleasant', wife of Elimelech, mother of Mahlon and Chilion, mother-in-law of Ruth and Orpah.
-Mara: "מָרָ֔א", "mā·rā(ʾ)ʹ"; adjective, feminine, singular, absolute - Mara = 'bitter' or 'bitterness,' a name that Naomi called herself due to her calamities; angry, chafed, discontented.
-Shaddai: "שַׁדַּ֛י", "šǎd·dǎyʹ"; noun, proper, masculine, singular, absolute - the Almighty, Almighty, Most Powerful.
-Has Caused (Dealt With Me) Me To Be Bitter: "הֵמַ֥ר", "hē·mǎrʹ"; verb, Hifʿîl, qātal (perfect), third person, masculine, singular - be bitter; be desperate, bewildered; make bitter.
-Full: "מְלֵאָ֣ה", "melē·ʾā(h)ʹ"; adjective, feminine, singular, absolute - full, full of.
-Yahweh: "יְהוָ֥ה", "YHWH"; noun, proper, masculine, singular, absolute - the Lord, the proper name of the one true God.
-Empty(-Handed): "רֵיקָ֖ם", "rê·qāmʹ"; adverb - emptily, in empty condition, with empty hands; without possessions.
-Has Testified: "עָ֣נָה", "āʹ·nā(h)"; verb, Qal, qātal (perfect), third person, masculine, singular - specifically: respond as a witness, testify; in Ruth 1:21: testify against.
-Has Brought Calamity (Has Afflicted): "הֵ֥רַֽע", "hē·rǎʿʹ"; verb, Hifʿîl, qātal (perfect), third person, masculine, singular - to do evil or bad; treat badly.
Observation/Summary (short explanation of what the passage says in your own words):
When Naomi and Ruth came to Bethlehem the entire town was stirred up, and the people of the town saw Naomi and asked if it was in fact her. They recognized her correctly, but Naomi told them to call her "Mara," which means bitter, because she "went away full" but the Lord, Yahweh, brought her back "empty-handed." Naomi also asked, "Why call me "Naomi..." which means pleasant, "...when Yahweh has testified against me, and Shaddai (the Almighty) has brought calamity upon me?"
Implication (what does this mean to us):
These verses take place after the long, sorrowful and drawn out farewell between Naomi, Orpah and Ruth. Faced with first, the death of her husband about a decade prior, and now the death of her two sons, Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem because she heard that Yahweh had brought an end to the famine. As a widow with no children, Naomi was in a very desperate economic situation in addition to grieving the loss of her husband and sons, and the break up of her family. And she urged Ruth and Orpah not to accompany her to Israel, but to instead return to their land, families and gods in Moab, where they would have a far higher chance at remarrying and enjoying a prosperous life in this world. But Naomi was not only concerned with their earthly well-being, she believed Yahweh was against her, and she was very bitter (v.13, 20-21). In addition to urging them to return to their families, in spite of their offers to go with her, Naomi also told them they shouldn't stay with her because Yahweh was against her. She simultaneously declared the absolute sovereignty of Yahweh, even in pagan lands, and also essentially told them, "You should stay away from me, and away from Israel, because Yahweh is against me. Return to your land, families and gods so that it might go better for you" (v.8-9, 13, 15).
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