Ruth 1:1

"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."

Key Reflection

The verse sets a backdrop of spiritual and physical barrenness during a time when Israel lacked strong leadership, symbolizing both moral and material scarcity. The migration to Moab represents the human tendency to seek relief in foreign lands, mirroring the broader narrative of exile and eventual redemption that unfolds throughout the book of Ruth.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

In the days when the Judges ruled - “Judged.” This note of time, like that inRuth 4:7;Judges 18:1;Judges 17:6, indicates that this Book was written after the rule of the judges had ceased. The genealogyRuth 4:17-22points to the time of David as the earliest when the Book of Ruth could have been written. A famine -Caused probably by one of the hostile invasions recorded in the Book of Judges. Most of the Jewish commentators, from the mention of Bethlehem, and the resemblance of the names Boaz and Ibzan, refer this history to the judge IbzanJudges 12:8, but without probability.

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