Ruth 1:4 (DBY)

Passage

And they took them Moabitish wives; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the second Ruth: and they abode there about ten years.

Nearby Context

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 Moabitish wives; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the second Ruth: and they abode there about ten years.

Ruth 1:5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also, both of them; and the woman was left of her two children and of her husband.

Ruth 1:6 And she arose, she and her daughters-in-law, and returned from the fields of Moab; for she had heard in the fields of Moab how that Jehovah had visited his people to give them bread.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "took", "moabitish", "wives", "name", "orpah", "second", and "ruth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "took" and "moabitish", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "And Elimelech Naomi's husband died and she..." into verse 5's "And Mahlon and Chilion died also both...", so "took" and "moabitish" 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 "took" and "moabitish" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.