Ruth 1:2 (ASV)

Passage

And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem-judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.

Nearby Context

Ruth 1:1 And it came to pass in the days when the judges judged, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.

Ruth 1:2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem-judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.

Ruth 1:3 And Elimelech, Naomi`s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons.

Ruth 1:4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelt there about ten years.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "name", "elimelech", "wife", "naomi", "sons", and "mahlon". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "name" and "elimelech", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "And it came to pass in the..." into verse 3's "And Elimelech Naomi s husband died and...", so "name" and "elimelech" belong inside that flow. In Ruth context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "name" and "elimelech" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.