Ruth 1:19-21

Ruth 1:19-21

[19] So they two  until they came  to Bethlehem.  And it came to pass, when they were come  to Bethlehem,  that all the city  was moved  about them, and they said,  Is this Naomi?  [20] And she said  unto them, Call  me not Naomi,  call  me Mara:  for the Almighty  hath dealt very  bitterly  with me. [21] I went out  and the LORD  hath brought me home again  empty:  why then call  ye me Naomi,  seeing the LORD  hath testified  against me, and the Almighty  hath afflicted  me?

What does Ruth 1:19-21 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Naomi had experienced both blessing and loss since she had left Bethlehem. When she returned home she chose to emphasize her hardships. She had forgotten God"s faithfulness and His promises to bless all Israel ( Genesis 12:1-3; Genesis 12:7), her tribe in particular ( Genesis 49:8-12), and all the godly in Israel ( Deuteronomy 5:7-10). But her emptiness ( Ruth 1:21) was only temporary. Her pessimism at this point contrasts with Ruth"s optimism ( Ruth 1:16-18).
"In Israel, names were not just labels of individuality but descriptions of inner character which in turn were presumed to influence the person"s conduct. ... Recall Jacob ("schemer"; Genesis 27:36); Nabal ("fool"; 1 Samuel 25:25); Jesus ("savior"; Matthew 1:21). Similarly, to receive a new name signified a change in character and destiny (i.e, Abram to Abraham, Genesis 17:5-8; Jacob to Israel, Genesis 32:29 [1]; Simon to Peter, Matthew 16:17-18; Saul to Paul, Acts 19 [2]:9)." [3]
"Naomi" means "my pleasantness." Her parents must have given her this character trait name hoping that she would become a pleasant person in God"s sight. "Mara" means "bitterness." Naomi regarded herself no longer as pleasant but bitter as a result of what had happened to her. One of the unique features of the Book of Ruth is that every person"s name that appears in it, and even the lack of a proper name ( Ruth 4:1), is significant.
Frederic Bush viewed Naomi"s faith differently.
"Naomi here does not evidence little faith; rather, with the freedom of a faith that ascribes full sovereignty to God, she takes God so seriously that, with Job and Jeremiah (and even Abraham, Genesis 15:2), she resolutely and openly voices her complaint. With this robust example of the honesty and forthrightness of the OT"s "theology of complaint," our author depicts in somber and expressive hues the desolation, despair, and emptiness of the life of a woman "left alone without her two boys and without her husband" ( Ruth 1:5) in a world where life depends upon men." [4]
The biblical writer highlighted Naomi and Ruth"s vulnerability by featuring women prominently in chapter1. There are no men to provide for and protect them in view. Women are the main characters throughout this chapter, including the women of Bethlehem who speak for the town ( Ruth 1:19). Naomi failed to see that Yahweh had not brought her back home empty ( Ruth 1:21). Ruth , who had pledged herself to care for Naomi as long as she lived, had returned with her ( Ruth 1:22). This was a tremendous blessing from the Lord. At this time Naomi considered Ruth insignificant, but the women of Bethlehem later corrected her faulty view of Ruth"s worth ( Ruth 4:15).