Ruth 1:17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Noammiah, in her escape from famine to the land of Moab, faced the tragic loss of both her husband and her children. When her family abandoned her in her time of need, the Moabitess Ruth did not forsake her. Consider the commendation Ruth receives for her compassion towards the woman who was left alone. It is through Ruth's lineage that Christ ultimately comes into the world.

She expressed this more than once when her mother-in-law urged her to go back to her family. Noemmin told her daughters-in-law, “Return, my daughters-in-law. Why do you go with me? Can I still have sons in my womb for you to marry? Return, my sisters-in-law, for I am too old to bear a husband. Even if I were to have hope and were to bear sons, would you wait for them to grow up? Would you refrain from seeking another husband? Indeed, my daughters, it is more bitter for me than for you, for the hand of the Lord has gone out against me” (Ruth 1:11-13).

Let us examine Ruth, who serves as a representation of the Church. Firstly, she is a Gentile outsider who left her homeland and everything associated with it. She journeyed to the land of the Israelites. When her mother-in-law urged her not to accompany her, Ruth remained steadfast, declaring, “But where thou goest, there will I go; and where thou lodgest, there will I lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God; and where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried.” This declaration unmistakably reflects the essence of the Church.

When you observe formidable courage in a husband, it often leads to a sense of fulfillment, as it aligns with your expectations of his role. However, encountering the same strength in the seemingly delicate character of a wife goes beyond what you anticipated, resulting in both satisfaction and astonishment. Take Jacob, for instance; he willingly sentences himself to exile from his father’s home to quell his brother’s unjust hostility, leaving behind his father's wealth with nothing but a staff for his journey to a far-off land, likely with a sense of joy. One might proclaim this to be noble, fitting for the son of Isaac, the grandson of Abraham.