The Meaning of Ruth 1:21 Explained

Ruth 1:21

KJV: I went out full, 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?

YLT: I went out full, and empty hath Jehovah brought me back, why do ye call me Naomi, and Jehovah hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath done evil to me?'

Darby: I went out full, and Jehovah has brought me home again empty. Why do ye call me Naomi, seeing Jehovah has brought me low, and the Almighty has afflicted me?

ASV: I went out full, and Jehovah hath brought me home again empty; why call ye me Naomi, seeing Jehovah hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I went out  full,  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 1:21 Mean?

Context Summary

Ruth 1:15-22 - Love's Steadfast Choice
This young woman was to be an ancestor of David and in the line of our Lord's descent. Moabite though she was by birth, Ruth was designated for the high honor of introducing a new strain into the Hebrew race, that was to enrich it and through it the world. Indeed, we may almost detect in her noble and beautiful words some anticipation of the Psalms, which have gone singing down the ages. But how stern is the discipline through which those must pass who are called to the highest tasks! The death of her husband in their early married life, the anguish of Naomi, the separation from her own people, the loneliness of a foreign land-these were part of the great price that Ruth paid.
May not something also be said for the mother? It was because of her that Ruth was led to her supreme self-giving. She had never seen a suffering soul bear itself so heroically. She felt that, in the Hebrew faith, there was something which Chemosh had never imparted, to her people; she craved for herself some of the holy radiance that lingered on the worn face of Naomi. More people watch our bearing than we think. Let us attract them to Jesus! [source]

Chapter Summary: Ruth 1

1  Elimelech, driven by famine into Moab, dies there
4  Mahlon and Chilion, having married wives of Moab, die also
6  Naomi, returning homeward
8  dissuades her two daughters-in-law from going with her
14  Orpah leaves her, but Ruth with great constancy accompanies her
19  The two come to Bethlehem, where they are gladly received

What do the individual words in Ruth 1:21 mean?

I full went out and empty Has brought me home again Yahweh why do you call me Naomi since Yahweh has testified against me and the Almighty has afflicted me
אֲנִי֙ מְלֵאָ֣ה הָלַ֔כְתִּי וְרֵיקָ֖ם הֱשִׁיבַ֣נִי יְהוָ֑ה לָ֣מָּה תִקְרֶ֤אנָה לִי֙ נָעֳמִ֔י וַֽיהוָה֙ עָ֣נָה בִ֔י וְשַׁדַּ֖י הֵ֥רַֽע לִֽי

מְלֵאָ֣ה  full 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: מָלֵא 
Sense: to fill, be full.
הָלַ֔כְתִּי  went  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וְרֵיקָ֖ם  and  empty 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: רֵיקָם  
Sense: vainly, emptily.
הֱשִׁיבַ֣נִי  Has  brought  me  home  again 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
יְהוָ֑ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לָ֣מָּה  why 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
תִקְרֶ֤אנָה  do  you  call 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person feminine plural
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
לִי֙  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
נָעֳמִ֔י  Naomi 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: נָעֳמִי  
Sense: wife of Elimelech, mother of Mahlon and Chilion, and mother-in-law of Ruth and Orpah.
וַֽיהוָה֙  since  Yahweh 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
עָ֣נָה  has  testified 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
בִ֔י  against  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
וְשַׁדַּ֖י  and  the  Almighty 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׁדַּי  
Sense: almighty, most powerful.
הֵ֥רַֽע  has  afflicted 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מֵרֵעַ 
Sense: to be bad, be evil.
לִֽי  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular

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