1:13a
would you wait for them to grow up?: This is a rhetorical question. It is used for emphasis. Naomi’s daughters-in-law would certainly not wait for any sons she might have to grow up. Her new sons would be too young to marry Ruth and Orpah.
There are two ways to translate this rhetorical question:
• Use a rhetorical question. For example:
Would you wait for them until they become old enough to marry? (Contemporary English Version)
• Use a statement. For example:
Surely you would not want to wait until they were old enough to marry! (NET Bible)
1:13b
Would you refrain from having husbands?: This is another rhetorical question. It emphasizes again that Orpah and Ruth had no reason to go with Naomi. They would not turn down other opportunities to get married, and to wait until Naomi’s sons became old enough to marry.
There are two ways to translate this rhetorical question:
• Use a rhetorical question. For example:
Would you…and stay single just for them? (God’s Word)
-or-
Would you…refuse to marry someone else? (New Living Translation (2004))
• Use a statement. For example:
Surely you would not remain unmarried all that time! (NET Bible)
1:13c
No, my daughters: There are two ways to interpret the word No :
(1) Naomi said No to the idea that Ruth and Orpah could expect her to have more sons. For example:
No, my daughters, you know that’s impossible. (Good News Translation)
(2) Naomi said No to Ruth and Orpah’s proposal to accompany her. For example:
No, my daughters, you must not return with me. (NET Bible)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). This is supported by some commentaries and some English versions. Most versions, including the Berean Standard Bible, are ambiguous.
it grieves me very much for your sakes: There are three ways to interpret the phrase it grieves me very much :
(1) It means that the situation grieves Naomi more than her daughters-in-law. For example:
My bitterness is much worse than yours (God’s Word)
(2) It means that the situation grieves Naomi on account of her daughters-in-law. She felt sorry for them. For example:
For your sakes I feel bitter that the Lord has inflicted such misfortune on me (Revised English Bible)
(3) It means that the situation grieves Naomi too much to share her grief with her daughters-in-law. For example:
For my intense suffering is too much for you to bear. (NET Bible)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). This interpretation is followed by many English versions and fits the context well.
grieves me: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as grieves me is more literally “bitter to me.” The word “bitter” refers to an irritating, pungent taste. It is used figuratively to refer to an unpleasant experience.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
My bitterness is much worse than yours (God’s Word)
-or-
Life is harder for me than it is for you (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Your situations are bad…my situation is much worse (Translation for Translators)
1:13d
the hand of the LORD has gone out against me: The phrase the hand of the LORD is a figure of speech. It indicates the power or ability of Yahweh to perform some action. Naomi was accusing the LORD of taking action against her, or at least using others to cause her difficulty.
Here are some ways to translate this clause:
• Keep the figure of speech. For example:
because the Lord himself has raised his fist against me (New Living Translation (2004))
• Translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:
The Lord has turned against me (Good News Translation)
-or-
because the Lord has been against me (New Century Version)
-or-
because the Lord has sent me so much trouble (God’s Word)
General Comment on 1:13c–d
In some languages, it may be best to reverse the order of 1:13c and 1:13d. Here is one way to do this:
The LORD ⌊himself⌋ has turned against me, so what has happened to me is even worse than what has happened to you.
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