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Ruth 1:16 KJV
Ruth · chapter 1 · verse 16
And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:Ruth 1:16 · King James Version
What Ruth 1:16 means
This gets read at weddings, but Ruth said it to her mother-in-law, with nothing to gain. She was a Moabitess leaving her own country for a widow with no prospects. Thy God my God is the line that costs the most — she's changing who she worships, not just where she lives.
Study note provided by TheWay Bible App, separate from the KJV text. Read the full chapter in context and compare interpretations. Report a correction.
Ruth 1:16 in context
14And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.
15And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.
16And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
17Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
18When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.
Commentary
Cross references
- 2 Samuel 15:21
- Ruth 2:11-12
- 2 Kings 2:2-6
- Psalms 45:10
- Matthew 8:19
- John 13:37
- 1 Thessalonians 1:9
- Isaiah 14:1
Key words (Strong's)
- Intreatpâgaʻto impinge, by accident or violence, or by importunityH6293 →
- lodgestlûwnto stopH3885 →
- returnshûwbto turn back transitively or intransitively, literally or figurativelyH7725 →
- peopleʻama peopleH5971 →
- leaveʻâzabto loosenH5800 →
- afterʼacharproperly, the hind partH310 →
Topics
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See here, I. The good affection Naomi bore to the land of Israel, Rut 1:6. Though she could not stay in it while the famine lasted, she would not stay out of it when the famine ceased.
— Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on verses 6-18