Ruth 1:1 (DRB)

Passage

In the days of the judges, when the judges ruled, there came a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem Juda, went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons.

Nearby Context

Ruth 1:1 In the days of the judges, when the judges ruled, there came a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem Juda, went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons.

Ruth 1:2 He was named Elimelech, and his wife Noemi: and his two sons, the one Mahalon, and the other Chelion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem Juda. And entering into the country of Moab, they abode there.

Ruth 1:3 And Elimelech the husband of Noemi died: and she remained with her sons.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "days", "judges", "ruled", "came", "famine", "land", and "certain". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "days" and "judges", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The next verse adds "He was named Elimelech and his wife...", so "days" and "judges" should be read forward into that movement. In Ruth context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

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