Topical Encyclopedia
Naomi is a significant figure in the Old Testament, primarily known from the Book of Ruth. Her account is a profound narrative of loss, loyalty, and divine providence, set during the time of the judges in Israel.
Background and FamilyNaomi was married to Elimelech, a man from Bethlehem in Judah. Due to a severe famine in their homeland, Naomi and her family relocated to the country of Moab. Naomi's name, which means "pleasant" or "delightful," stands in stark contrast to the hardships she would later endure.
Tragedy and LossWhile in Moab, Naomi faced a series of devastating losses. Her husband, Elimelech, died, leaving her a widow in a foreign land. Her two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth, but after about ten years, both sons also died. This left Naomi bereft of her immediate family and in a vulnerable position, as widows in ancient times often faced significant economic and social challenges.
Return to BethlehemHearing that the LORD had provided food for His people, Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem. She urged her daughters-in-law to remain in Moab and remarry, as she had no more sons to offer them. Orpah eventually agreed, but Ruth famously refused, expressing her steadfast loyalty to Naomi with the words: "Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following you. For where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God" (
Ruth 1:16).
Naomi's Bitterness and FaithUpon returning to Bethlehem, Naomi expressed her deep sorrow and bitterness, asking to be called "Mara," meaning "bitter," because "the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me" (
Ruth 1:20). Despite her grief, Naomi's faith in God remained, as she continued to seek His provision and guidance.
Role in Ruth's LifeNaomi played a crucial role in the life of her daughter-in-law, Ruth. She guided Ruth in her interactions with Boaz, a relative of Elimelech and a potential kinsman-redeemer. Naomi's wisdom and understanding of the customs and laws of Israel were instrumental in securing a future for Ruth and herself. She instructed Ruth to approach Boaz at the threshing floor, which eventually led to Boaz taking Ruth as his wife.
LegacyNaomi's account concludes with a note of redemption and restoration. Through Ruth's marriage to Boaz, Naomi became the grandmother of Obed, who would be the grandfather of King David. This lineage is significant in the biblical narrative, as it ultimately leads to the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, as recorded in the genealogy in the Gospel of Matthew.
Naomi's life is a testament to the themes of loyalty, redemption, and God's providential care. Her account highlights the importance of faith and perseverance amidst trials and the unexpected ways in which God can restore and bless His people.
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary
Naomibeautiful; agreeable
Smith's Bible Dictionary
NaomiorNaomi (my delight), the wife of Elimelech and mother-in-law of Ruth. (Ruth 1:2) etc.; Ruth 2:1 etc.; Ruth 3:1; 4:3 etc. (B.C. 1363.) The name is derived from a root signifying sweetness or pleasantness. Naomi left Judea with her husband and two sons, in a time of famine and went to the land of Moab. Here her husband and sons died; and on her return to Bethlehem she wished to be known asMara, bitterness , instead of Naomi, sweetness.
ATS Bible Dictionary
NaomiWife of Elimelech, and mother-in-law of Ruth. SeeRUTH.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
The lovable; my delight, the wife of Elimelech, and mother of Mahlon and Chilion, and mother-in-law of Ruth (
1:2, 20, 21;
2:1). Elimelech and his wife left the district of Bethlehem-Judah, and found a new home in the uplands of Moab. In course of time he died, as also his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, who had married women of Moab, and three widows were left mourning the loss of their husbands. Naomi longs to return now to her own land, to Bethlehem. One of her widowed daughters-in-law, Ruth, accompanies her, and is at length married to Boaz (q.v.).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
NAOMIna'-o-mi, na-o'-mi, na-o'-mi (no`omi, probably equals "pleasantness"; Septuagint. Codex Vaticanus Noemein; Codex Alexandrinus Noemmei(n)): Wife of Elimelech and mother-in-law of Ruth (Ruth 1:2-4:17). She went with her husband to the land of Moab, and after his death returned to Bethlehem. When greeted on her return, she told the women of the town to call her, not no`omi ("pleasantness"), but marah ("bitterness"), "for," she said, "the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me." She advised Ruth in her dealings with Boaz, and afterward nursed their child.ith Anaitis (equalsAnahita), the Asian Artemis. She was the Venus, but sometimes the Diana, of the Romans. There are many variants of the name: Anaea (Strabo xvi.738), Aneitis (Plut. Artax. xxvii), Tanais (Clement of Alexandria, loc. cit.), also Tanath, sometimes in Phoenician inscriptions, Tanata, Anta (Egyptian). In 2 Maccabees 1:13;, a fictitious account is given of the death of Antiochus Epiphanes, in a temple of Nanaea in Persia, by the treachery of Nanaea's priests. The public treasury was often placed in Nanaea's temple; this, Epiphanes was anxious to secure under the pretext of marrying the goddess and receiving the money as dowry. The priests threw down great stones "like thunderbolts" from above, killed the king and his state and then cut off their heads. But 1 Maccabees 1;, which is more reliable, gives a different account of the death of Epiphanes after an attempt to rob a rich temple in Elymais. The account of 2 Maccabees 1:13; must be mere legend, as far as Epiphanes is concerned, but may have been suggested or colored by the story of the death of Antiochus the Great, who met his death while plundering a temple of Belus near Elymais (Strabo xvi.l0.18; Diod. Sic. 573; Justin, xxxii.2). The temple of Nanaea referred to in 2 Maccabees 1:13; may be identified with that of Artemis (Polyb. xxxi0.11; Josephus, Ant, XII, ix, 1) or Aphrodite (Appian, Syriac. 66; Rawlinson, Speaker's Comm.).
The name may mean "my joy," "my bliss," but is perhaps better explained according to the traditional interpretation as "the pleasant one."
David Francis Roberts
Strong's Hebrew
4755. Mara -- "bitter," symbolic name ofNaomi... 4754, 4755. Mara. 4756 . "bitter," symbolic name of
Naomi. Transliteration:
Mara Phonetic Spelling: (maw-raw') Short Definition: Mara.
...3630. Kilyon -- a son ofNaomi
... 3629, 3630. Kilyon. 3631 . a son ofNaomi. Transliteration: Kilyon Phonetic
Spelling: (kil-yone') Short Definition: Chilion. Word...
458. Elimelek -- "God is king," the husband ofNaomi
... 457, 458. Elimelek. 459 . "God is king," the husband ofNaomi. Transliteration:
Elimelek Phonetic Spelling: (el-ee-meh'-lek) Short Definition: Elimelech....
5281. Noomi -- mother-in-law of Ruth
... 5280, 5281. Noomi. 5282 . mother-in-law of Ruth. Transliteration: Noomi
Phonetic Spelling: (no-om-ee') Short Definition:Naomi....Naomi....
Library
Ruth andNaomi.
... RUTH ANDNAOMI.Naomi... Canaan. Some time afterwards he died, leavingNaomi
a widow with two sons, all dwellers in a strange land....
Naomi is an Instance of a Widow Receiving Back from Her Daughter...
... Concerning Widows. Chapter VI.Naomi is an instance of a widow receiving
back from her daughter-in-law the fruits of?Naomi is...
Naomi. CM
... 365Naomi. CM. Resignation. (841) Father! whate'er of earthly bliss Thy sovereign
hand denies, Accepted at thy throne of grace, Let this petition rise:"....
Ruth andNaomi.
... RUTH ANDNAOMI. The story of Ruth andNaomi is one of the sweetest and most
touching of all the Bible stories. It shows the beauty...
Ruth.
... After two years the sons died also, and their mother,Naomi, longed for her
home in Bethlehem, for there was no longer a famine there....
The Story of Ruth, the Gleaner
... His wife's name wasNaomi, and his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion....Naomi said
to them: "Go back, my daughters, to your own mothers' homes....
Ruth the Gleaner.
... In the days before there was a king in Israel a woman calledNaomi, whose name means
"the pleasant," lived in the little village of Bethlehem; and when at one...
Ruth, the Gleaner
... best.Naomi, the eldest, was perhaps the most desolate. Her... return. "Turn
again, my daughters," saidNaomi, "and go your way.". Their...
Ruth
... The love"stronger than country"of Ruth forNaomi, the gracious figure of Boaz as
he moves about the fields with a word of blessing for the reapers, the...
The Devotion of Ruth
... His name was Elimelech and his wife'sNaomi, and his two sons were Mahlon
and Chilion. After they had been living in Moab for some...
Thesaurus
Naomi (25 Occurrences)...Naomi longs to return now to her own land, to Bethlehem.
...NAOMI. na'-o-mi, na-o'-mi,
na-o'-mi (no`omi, probably equals "pleasantness"; Septuagint.
...Naomi's (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version ConcordanceNaomi's (1 Occurrence). Ruth 1:3 Elimelech,Naomi's
husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons....
Na'omi (21 Occurrences)
Na'omi.Naomi, Na'omi.Naomi's . Multi-Version Concordance... (See RSV). Ruth
1:3 Elimelech,Naomi's husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. (See RSV...
Elimelech (6 Occurrences)
... the judges. In consequence of a great dearth he, with his wifeNaomi and
his two sons, went to dwell in the land of Moab. There...
Chilion (3 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary The pining one, the younger son of Elimelech andNaomi,
and husband of Orpah, Ruth's sister (Ruth 1:2; 4:9). Int....
Elim'elech (6 Occurrences)
... Ruth 1:2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wifeNaomi,
and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Beth-lehem in...
Mara (1 Occurrence)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Bitter; sad, a symbolical name whichNaomi gave to herself
because of her misfortunes (Ruth 1:20). Noah Webster's Dictionary....
Daughter-in-law (16 Occurrences)
... Ruth 1:22 SoNaomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her,
who returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the...
Moabitess (7 Occurrences)
... Ruth 1:22 SoNaomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her,
who returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the...
Kin (18 Occurrences)
... Ruth 2:20Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "Blessed be he of Yahweh, who has not
left off his kindness to the living and to the dead."Naomi said to her...
Resources
What can we learn from Ruth's loyalty to Naomi? | GotQuestions.orgWho was Naomi in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWho was Ruth in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgBible Concordance •
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