RUTH 1:6 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) One day Naomi was in the countryside there in Moab when she heard someone telling about how Yahweh had helped his people in Yisrael and that now they had plenty of food, so she got ready to return to Beyt-Lehem with her two daughters-in-law.

Key: khaki:verbs, green:YHWH.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Καὶ ἀνεστη αὕτη καὶ αἱ δύο νύμφαι αὐτῆς, καὶ ἀπέστρεψαν ἐξ ἀγροῦ Μωὰβ, ὅτι ἤκουσεν ἐν ἀγρῷ Μωὰβ ὅτι ἐπέσκεπται Κύριος τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, δοῦναι αὐτοῖς ἄρτους.
(Kai anestaʸ hautaʸ kai hai duo numfai autaʸs, kai apestrepsan ex agrou Mōab, hoti aʸkousen en agrōi Mōab hoti epeskeptai Kurios ton laon autou, dounai autois artous. )

BrTr And she rose up and her two daughters-in-law, and they returned out of the country of Moab, for she heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had visited his people to give them bread.

ULT Then she arose, she and her daughters-in-law, and she returned from the fields of Moab, for she had heard in a field of Moab that Yahweh had visited his people, giving them bread.

UST One day while Naomi was in Moab, she heard someone say that Yahweh had helped his people in Israel and that now they had plenty of food. So she got ready to return to Bethlehem with her daughters-in-law.

OEB So she set out with her daughters-in-law to return from the land of Moab, for she had heard that the Lord had remembered his people and given them food.

WEBBE Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the country of Moab; for she had heard in the country of Moab how the LORD[fn] had visited his people in giving them bread.

1:6 When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name (Hebrew “יהוה”, usually pronounced Yahweh).

WMBB Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the country of Moab; for she had heard in the country of Moab how the LORD[fn] had visited his people in giving them bread.

1:6 When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name.

NET So she decided to return home from the region of Moab, accompanied by her daughters-in-law, because while she was living in Moab she had heard that the Lord had shown concern for his people, reversing the famine by providing abundant crops.

LSV And she rises, she and her daughters-in-law, and turns back from the fields of Moab, for she has heard in the fields of Moab that God has looked after His people—to give to them bread.

FBV So she and her daughters-in-law prepared to leave the country of Moab and return home because she had heard that the Lord had blessed his people there with food.

T4T One day while Naomi was in Moab, she heard someone say that Yahweh had helped his people in Israel and that now there was plenty of food to eat. So she prepared to return to Bethlehem.

LEB ¶ And she got up, she and her daughters-in-law, and returned from the countryside of Moab, because she had heard in the countryside of Moab that Yahweh had _⌊come to the aid of_⌋[fn] his people to give food to them.

1:6 Literally “had considered”

BBE So she and her daughters-in-law got ready to go back from the country of Moab, for news had come to her in the country of Moab that the Lord, in mercy for his people, had given them food.

Moff No Moff RUTH book available

JPS Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the field of Moab; for she had heard in the field of Moab how that the LORD had remembered His people in giving them bread.

ASV Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that Jehovah had visited his people in giving them bread.

DRA And she arose to go from the land of Moab to her own country with both her daughters in law: for she had heard that the Lord had looked upon his people, and had given them food.

YLT And she riseth, she and her daughters-in-law, and turneth back from the fields of Moab, for she hath heard in the fields of Moab that God hath looked after His people, — to give to them bread.

Drby And she arose, she and her daughters-in-law, and returned from the fields of Moab; for she had heard in the fields of Moab how that Jehovah had visited his people to give them bread.

RV Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.

SLT And she will arise and her daughters-in-law, and she will turn back from the field of Moab: for she heard in the field of Moab that Jehovah reviewed his people to give bread to them.

Wbstr Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.

KJB-1769 ¶ Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.

KJB-1611 ¶ Then shee arose with her daughters in law, that shee might returne from the countrey of Moab: for shee had heard in the countrey of Moab, how that the LORD had visited his people, in giuing them bread.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps Then she arose with her daughters in lawe, and returned from the countrey of Moab: for she had hearde say in the countrey of Moab, howe that the Lorde had visited his people, and geuen them bread.
(Then she arose with her daughters in law, and returned from the country of Moab: for she had heard say in the country of Moab, how that the Lord had visited his people, and given them bread.)

Gnva Then she arose with her daughters in law, and returned from the countrey of Moab: for she had heard say in the countrey of Moab, that the Lord had visited his people, and giuen them bread.
(Then she arose with her daughters in law, and returned from the country of Moab: for she had heard say in the country of Moab, that the Lord had visited his people, and given them bread. )

Cvdl Then gat she her vp wt both hir sonnes wyues, & wente agayne out of the lode of ye Moabites (for she had herde in the londe of the Moabites, yt the LORDE had visited his people & geuen them bred)
(Then gat she her up with both her sons wives, and went again out of the land of ye/you_all Moabites (for she had herd/heard in the land of the Moabites, it the LORD had visited his people and given them bred))

Wycl And sche roos to go with euer eithir wijf of hir sones in to hir cuntrey fro the cuntrey of Moab; for sche hadde herd, that the Lord hadde biholde his puple, and hadde youe `metis to hem.
(And she rose to go with ever either wife of her sons in to her country from the country of Moab; for she had herd, that the Lord had behold his people, and had given meats to hem.)

Luth Da machte sie sich auf mit ihren zwo Schnüren und zog wieder aus der Moabiter Lande; denn sie hatte erfahren im Moabiter Lande, daß der HErr sein Volk hatte heimgesucht und ihnen Brot gegeben.
(So made/did they/she/them itself/yourself/themselves on/in/to with your(pl) two Schnüren and pulled again out_of the/of_the Moabites land; because/than they/she/them had experience in_the Moabites land, that the/of_the LORD be people had visited/haunted and to_them bread given.)

ClVg Et surrexit ut in patriam pergeret cum utraque nuru sua de regione Moabitide: audierat enim quod respexisset Dominus populum suum, et dedisset eis escas.
(And rose/got_up as in/into/on homeland pergeret when/with both nuru his_own from/about region Moabitide: had_heard because that respexisset Master the_people his_own, and dedisset to_them food. )

SOTN SIL Open Translation Notes:

Section 1:6–22: Naomi returned to Bethlehem with Ruth

This section talks about the next main event of the story, which is Naomi’s return to Bethlehem, accompanied by her daughter-in-law, Ruth.

Many scholars agree that verses 1:7–21 describe this event in detail, and that verse 1:22 is the closing verse of this section, which summarizes the event.

However, scholars do not agree about the function of verse 1:6. Some scholars believe that verse 1:6 is a summary introduction. It says that Naomi arose (she and her daughters-in-law) and returned from the region of Moab. Thus, this section begins and ends with a summary description of the main event.NICOT (pages 99–100 ): The common Hebrew idiom qûm plus a verb of motion (šûḇ) also signals the start of the story’s main action: Then she…returned. Structurally, the idiom is a summary-introduction to the following events (vv. 7–21) and forms an inclusio with the chapter’s summary-conclusion (cf. wattāšāḇ, v. 22). Further, it sounds the chapter’s main theme, namely, the return of Naomi.

Some other scholars do not believe that verse 1:6 is a summary introduction. Rather 1:6 describes the first part of the action. It says that she arose (she and her daughters-in-law) and prepared to return from the region of Moab.

The majority of versions follow the second suggestion. However, the first suggestion follows a pattern that is also in some other Hebrew narratives. An event is introduced by a summary statement, and the verses after it describe that event in detail.For example: Genesis 1:1 introduces the creation account of 1:2–31. Genesis 6:7 introduces the flood account of Genesis 6–9. Ruth 1:1–2 introduces the first section in Ruth 1:3–5. See the Note on 1:6b for more information.

Here are some other examples of section headings:

Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem (NIV)

Naomi and Ruth Return (NLT)

Departure from Moab (GW)

1:6

1:6a

When Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had attended to His people by providing them with food,

¶ Some time later in Moab, Naomi heard news that Yahweh was assisting his people by giving them food.
¶ While Naomi was still living in Moab, she heard news from Israel. Yahweh had helped his people by causing their food crops to grow well.

When Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had attended to His people by providing them with food: This verse part gives the reason why Naomi returned to Bethlehem. She heard that the LORD had provided food for his people. The famine had ended, so she no longer needed to remain in Moab.

When Naomi heard: The verse does not indicate when Naomi heard the news from Israel. However, it was some time after her sons died.

Here are some other ways to indicate when Naomi heard the news:

Then Naomi heard (NLT)

While Naomi was in Moab, she heard (NCV)

Some time later Naomi heard (GNT)

The verse leaves implicit that the news came from Israel. If this information is not clear to your readers, it may be helpful to make it explicit. For example:

When Naomi in Moab heard news from Israel

that the LORD had attended to His people: The Hebrew verb that the BSB translates as attended to is literally “visited.” The word means “pay attention to” or “observe with care.”KEL (page 600), and ES (page 45).

Here are some other ways to translate this verse part:

that the LORD had shown his care for his people (REB)

that the LORD had shown concern for his people (NET)

that the LORD had blessed his people (NLT)

by providing them with food: This line explains the way that the LORD came to the aid of his people. The verse does not say how he provided food. However, this statement implies that the LORD had sent rain to Israel, so that grain and other crops were able to grow again. It may be helpful to your readers to make some of this information explicit. Your translation should not give the impression that the LORD gave them food directly and miraculously.

Here are some ways to make more explicit how the LORD provided food for his people:

reversing the famine by providing abundant crops (NET)

by giving them good crops again (NLT)

1:6a–b

(combined/reordered)

¶ Naomi prepared to return from Moab with her daughters-in-law, because she had heard in Moab that Yahweh had helped his people by giving them food.

1:6b

she and her daughters-in-law prepared to leave the land of Moab.

Because of that news, Naomi decided to return from the land of Moab, with the wives of her two sons.
So Naomi, accompanied by her daughters-in-law, got ready to leave Moab and go back home to Israel.

she and her daughters-in-law prepared to leave the land of Moab: This verse part is more literally “and she arose she and her daughters-in-law and she returned from the region of Moab.” The Hebrew phrase “she arose…and she returned” is a Hebrew idiom that introduces the event of Naomi’s return that follows in 1:7–21. In Hebrew the verbs “arose” and “returned” are singular, with Naomi as the subject.WBC (page 66) notes that Naomi is the singular subject of the verbs in 1:6 and the start of 1:7. She arose, she returned, she heard, and she set forth. This syntax is unusual. Plural verbs are expected here, with Naomi and the daughters-in-law as a compound subject. WBC suggests that the effect of the singular forms is that the true subject of all the clauses is Naomi alone. This effect can be reflected with a translation such as “she set out with her daughters-in-law” rather than “she and her daughters-in-law set out.” This unusual syntax is also noted by AYB (page 85), KD (page 344), and NICOT (pages 99–100).

There are two possible functions of this idiom:

The function of the idiom is to introduce the first part of Naomi’s return to Bethlehem from Moab.This function of the idiom is supported by UBS (page 9). It refers to her decision or preparation to return. For example:
So she decided to return home from the region of Moab, accompanied by her daughters-in-law (NET)
So Naomi land her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland. (NLT)
The function of the idiom is to introduce a summary of Naomi’s return to Bethlehem from Moab. It refers to the entire event. For example:
Then she arose with her daughters-in-law and she returned from the region of Moab.

The Display will follow the first option, since it is followed by a majority of versions. However, both options have merit. You will need to decide which option to follow for your translation. For more information, see the comments for section 1:6–22.

General Comment on 1:6a–b

The BSB and some other versions have reordered the verse parts. In some languages, it may be more natural to follow the Hebrew order, which first gives Naomi’s action, and then the reason for her action. For example:

Naomi prepared to return from Moab with her daughters-in-law, because she had heard in Moab that the LORD had helped his people by giving them food.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-newevent

וַ⁠תָּ֤קָם הִיא֙ וְ⁠כַלֹּתֶ֔י⁠הָ וַ⁠תָּ֖שָׁב

and=she/it_arose she/it and,her_of,daughters-in-law and,she_returned

This part of the sentence forms an introductory summary of what will happen in the following section. It does not relate events in the timeline of the story. If your language does not use introductory summaries like this, you can translate these actions as events. Alternate translation: [Then she, along with her daughters-in-law, prepared to return]

Note 2 topic: writing-participants

וַ⁠תָּ֤קָם הִיא֙ וְ⁠כַלֹּתֶ֔י⁠הָ וַ⁠תָּ֖שָׁב

and=she/it_arose she/it and,her_of,daughters-in-law and,she_returned

The verbs arose and returned are singular, and refer to Naomi. This shows that Naomi is the main character who takes the initiative in these actions. However, her daughters-in-law are included. If your language requires plural verbs when more than one person is included in an action, you can use them here. Alternate translation: [Then she and her daughters-in-law arose and returned]

וְ⁠כַלֹּתֶ֔י⁠הָ

and,her_of,daughters-in-law

Alternate translation: [and the women who had married her sons]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

כִּ֤י שָֽׁמְעָה֙ בִּ⁠שְׂדֵ֣ה מוֹאָ֔ב כִּֽי־פָקַ֤ד יְהוָה֙ אֶת־עַמּ֔⁠וֹ לָ⁠תֵ֥ת לָ⁠הֶ֖ם לָֽחֶם

that/for/because/then/when heard in,the_region_of Mōʼāⱱ that/for/because/then/when visited YHWH DOM people_of,his by,giving to/for=them food

Naomi first heard about Yahweh visiting his people and then decided to return to Bethlehem, so it might be more natural to put this information first, as in the UST.

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

שָֽׁמְעָה֙ בִּ⁠שְׂדֵ֣ה מוֹאָ֔ב

heard in,the_region_of Mōʼāⱱ

It is implied that the news came from Israel. Alternate translation: [while she was in the region of Moab, she had heard from someone who came from Israel]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

פָקַ֤ד & אֶת־עַמּ֔⁠וֹ

visited & DOM people_of,his

Here, visited is an idiom that means “taken care of.” If this phrase does not have that meaning in your language, you could use an idiom from your language that does have this meaning or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [had relieved the hunger of his people] or [had come through for his people]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

לָ⁠תֵ֥ת לָ⁠הֶ֖ם לָֽחֶם

by,giving to/for=them food

Here, bread refers to food in general. Alternate translation: [giving them abundant harvests, so that they had plenty of food.]

Parallel RUTH 1:6

Section 1:6–22: Naomi returned to Bethlehem with Ruth

1:6

1:6a

1:6a–b

1:6b

General Comment on 1:6a–b

The Setting of Ruth