Ruth 1:1 · Bible study
Ruth 1:1 Commentary: Famine in the 'House of Bread'
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the opening verse of Ruth: the judges period, famine in Bethlehem, and the family's move to Moab. Discover God's hidden providence.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The verse sets the historical stage for the story of Ruth, highlighting the judges' era, a famine, and a family's migration to Moab.
- Key words: judges (shaphat, H8199), famine (ra'av, H7458), sojourn (gur, H1481), Bethlehem (house of bread).
- Main debate: Whether the famine was natural or divine judgment, and whether Elimelech's move was a lack of faith or a practical necessity.
- Theological theme: God's hidden providence working through ordinary hardships to bring about redemption.
- Best use: As an introduction to a narrative of loyalty, conversion, and the lineage of David and Christ; a reminder that God is at work in difficult times.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a certain man from Bethlehem in Judah, with his wife and two sons, went to reside in the land of Moab.
WEB World English Bible 2000
In the days when the judges judged, there was a famine in the land. A certain man of Bethlehem Judah went to live in the country of Moab with his wife and his two sons.
KJV King James Version 1769
Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Beth–lehem–judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And it came to pass in the days when the judges judged, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Beth-lehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And it cometh to pass, in the days of the judging of the judges, that there is a famine in the land, and there goeth a man from Beth-Lehem-Judah to sojourn in the fields of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man went from Bethlehem-Judah, to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
In the days of the judges, when the judges ruled, there came a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem Juda, went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y ACONTECIÓ en los días que gobernaban los jueces, que hubo hambre en la tierra. Y un varón de Beth-lehem de Judá, fué á peregrinar en los campos de Moab, él y su mujer, y dos hijos suyos.
E aconteceu nos dias que governavam os juízes, que houve fome na terra. E um homem de Belém de Judá, foi a peregrinar nos campos de Moabe, ele e sua mulher, e dois filhos seus.
Du temps des juges, il y eut une famine dans le pays. Un homme de Bethléhem de Juda partit, avec sa femme et ses deux fils, pour faire un séjour dans le pays de Moab.
Zu der Zeit, da die Richter regierten, ward eine Teuerung im Lande. Und ein Mann von Bethlehem- Juda zog wallen in der Moabiter Land mit seinem Weibe und seinen zwei Söhnen.
In de dagen, als de richters richtten, zo geschiedde het, dat er honger in het land was; daarom toog een man van Bethlehem-Juda, om als vreemdeling te verkeren in de velden Moabs, hij, en zijn huisvrouw, en zijn twee zonen.
Al tempo dei giudici ci fu nel paese una carestia, e un uomo di Bethlehem di Giuda andò a stare nelle campagne di Moab con la moglie e i suoi due figliuoli.
I stało się za onych czasów, kiedy sędziowie sądzili, był głód w ziemi; i poszedł niektóry mąż z Betlehem Juda na mieszkanie do ziemi Moabskiej z żoną swoją i z dwoma synami swymi.
В те дни, когда управляли судьи, случился голод на земле. И пошел один человек из Вифлеема Иудейского со своею женою и двумя сыновьями своими жить на полях Моавитских.
當 士師 秉政 的時候，國中 遭遇 饑荒。在猶大的 伯利恆，有一個人 帶著妻子 和兩個 兒子 往摩押 地 去 寄居。
Now there came a time, in the days of the judges, when there was no food in the land. And a certain man went from Beth-lehem-judah, he and his wife and his two sons, to make a living-place in the country of Moab.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Ruth 1:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Ruth 1:1 places the story in the turbulent period of the judges, a time of spiritual anarchy and foreign oppression. The famine that strikes Bethlehem, literally 'house of bread', creates an immediate irony. Matthew Henry sees this as an arena for God's providence. The Cambridge Bible notes that leaving home for a foreign country meant risking foreign religion. Keil and Delitzsch suggest the famine may have been caused by Midianite invasions (Judges 6). The verse sets the tone: a godly family under pressure, yet God is quietly at work.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The book begins by locating the story in the period of the judges, during a famine that forces Elimelech’s family from Bethlehem to Moab.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Date of the judges period | The story is set sometime during the period of the judges, before the monarchy. | Which specific judge was active? Jewish tradition suggests Ibzan (Jdg 12:8); others connect it to the Midianite oppression in Gideon's time (Jdg 6). No firm consensus. |
| Cause of the famine | Famine struck the land of Israel, including Bethlehem. | Was it a natural disaster or a divine judgment for covenant breaking (cf. Lev 26, Deut 28)? Some commentators associate it with enemy invasions (Midianites, Jdg 6). |
| The move to Moab | Elimelech took his family to sojourn in Moab because of the famine. | Is this a failure of faith (leaving the promised land) or a wise survival strategy? Keil and Delitzsch treat it neutrally; others see it as a risky step into a pagan environment. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The period of the judges, as described in the book that bears that name, was marked by cycles of sin, oppression, repentance, and deliverance. There was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in their own eyes (Judges 17:6). Into this moral chaos, a famine struck the land of Israel, a land promised to flow with milk and honey. Famine was understood as a covenant curse (Deuteronomy 28:23-24), a sign that the Lord was withholding blessing because of unfaithfulness.
Bethlehem Judah means 'house of bread' in the tribe of Judah. The irony is sharp: the house of bread has no bread. The man, later named Elimelech, chooses to go to sojourn (Hebrew gur, H1481) in the country of Moab. To sojourn meant to live as a protected alien, not a permanent settler. Moab was a nation descended from Lot (Genesis 19:37) and historically hostile to Israel; the law excluded Moabites from the assembly of the Lord (Deuteronomy 23:3-6). The move was risky. The Cambridge Bible comments that in ancient times only strong necessity pushed people to leave their homes, for a foreign country meant a foreign religion.
The opening phrase 'in the days when the judges judged' indicates the writer looks back from a later period, likely the monarchy. The book of Ruth, then, is a story of hope set against a dark backdrop. The family’s journey to Moab sets in motion events that will lead to Ruth, a Moabitess, entering the lineage of David and ultimately of Christ.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Ruth 1:1. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts.
Reception History
Matthew Henry (1710) saw this opening as showcasing divine providence in family affairs. Jewish tradition, as recorded by Barnes and Gill, speculated on the exact judge, linking to Ibzan or the Midianite oppression. The early church read the move to Moab as a type of Gentile inclusion, a Moabitess, Ruth, would enter the lineage of David and Christ. The verse's setting of darkness before dawn has comforted believers facing hard times.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Moral darkness: The judges period is a time of spiritual anarchy. God’s people are out of step with Him. Yet even in such times, personal faithfulness matters.
- Irony in Bethlehem: The 'house of bread' faces famine. Hardship can come to the most promising places. Our expectations of blessing do not always match reality.
- A risky move: Elimelech takes his family to Moab, a place of pagan worship. Desperate times can drive us toward unwise decisions. But God uses even this.
Five-point outline
- The setting: judges, a time of chaos.
- The crisis: famine in the land.
- The response: a family leaves Bethlehem.
- The risk: sojourning in Moab.
- The hidden hand: though not mentioned, God is directing events toward redemption.
Illustration hooks
- A family forced to relocate due to a plant closing, uprooting everything in hope of work elsewhere.
- A Christian couple moving to a city with few believers, feeling like aliens, yet trusting God for provision.
- A time in church history when the visible church seemed to fail, but God preserved a faithful remnant, similar to the judges period.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does God allow famines, literally or spiritually, in our lives?
- When do practical decisions (like a move) become a lack of faith?
- How can I believe that God is at work when the world around me seems chaotic and evil?
Leading a Discussion
This opening verse drops us into a dark and uncertain time. The period of the judges was marked by repeated failure, yet the story of Ruth shows that God never abandons His people. As we begin this study, consider how your own story might be set against a backdrop of difficulty, and how God is still writing it.
Discussion questions
- What do you already know about the period of the judges? Read Judges 2:16 and 21:25. How does that background affect your reading of Ruth 1:1?
- Why do you think the writer mentions both the judges and the famine? What does each element contribute to the story’s mood?
- The name Bethlehem means 'house of bread.' What is the effect of having a famine there? Have you experienced something that seemed good but turned barren?
- Elimelech moves his family to Moab. Read Deuteronomy 23:3-6. What made this a surprising or dangerous choice? What might he have been thinking?
- The word 'sojourn' suggests a temporary stay. How does that influence your view of his intentions? Was he fleeing or trusting?
- Can you think of a time when a difficult circumstance forced you into an uncertain situation? In retrospect, how was God involved?
- What does this opening tell you about God's sovereignty? Does it feel comforting or unsettling? Why?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 12:10 | There was a famine in the land. Abram went down into Egypt to live as a foreigner there, for the famine was severe in the land. |
| Genesis 26:1 | There was a famine in the land, in addition to the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, to Gerar. |
| Genesis 43:1 | The famine was severe in the land. |
| Leviticus 26:19 | I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your sky like iron, and your soil like bronze. |
| Deuteronomy 28:23 | Your sky that is over your head will be bronze, and the earth that is under you will be iron. |
| Deuteronomy 28:24 | Yahweh will make the rain of your land powder and dust. It will come down on you from the sky, until you are destroyed. |
| Deuteronomy 28:38 | You will carry much seed out into the field, and will gather little in, for the locust will consume it. |
| Judges 2:16 | Yahweh raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the opening phrase indicates the book was written after the judges' rule had ended, with David's time being the earliest possible date. He also observes that the term "field of Moab" is used pointedly for foreign territory, not the writer's own land.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The writer places the scene in a distant, idyllic past, drawing on the Deuteronomistic editor's framework from Judges. The famine forced the family to Moab, a step taken only under grave necessity, since leaving Israel meant entering a land of foreign religion.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
In the time that the Iudges ruled, there was a dearth in the lande, and a man of Beth-lehem Iudah went for to soiourne in the countrey of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sonnes.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill focuses on the historical uncertainty surrounding when the story of Ruth took place. He weighs various Jewish and scholarly opinions and leans toward placing it during the time of Ehud or Shamgar, around the period of Midianite oppression, rather than during the later judges like Eli or Ibzan.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the events of this book belong to the early period of the judges, though the exact date cannot be fixed. The commentator is careful not to specify a precise year, simply locating the story within the general timeframe of the judges' rule.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argues that the famine driving Elimelech to Moab likely coincided with the Midianite oppression in Judges 6, since that invasion lasted seven years and destroyed crops. They defend this timing against objections by showing genealogical gaps allow Boaz to be Gideon's contemporary, making the emigration plausible during that period of widespread devastation.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange criticizes Elimelech's decision to leave Bethlehem during the famine as a selfish act of unbelief. Unlike Abraham, who trusted God, Elimelech abandoned his neighbors to evade divine discipline in a heathen land. His attempt to escape hardship only brought heavier judgment: the men died in Moab.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry sees two overarching purposes in the book of Ruth: it demonstrates God's providence in ordinary family affairs and leads to Christ by including a Gentile convert
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that Boaz was born of Rahab, a Gentile, and that this maternal line places two Gentile mothers in Christ’s ancestry. For him this detail, occurring early in the genealogy, shows God’s plan already making room for the nations.