Ruth 1:3 (DRB)

Passage

And Elimelech the husband of Noemi died: and she remained with her 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.

Ruth 1:4 And they took wives of the women of Moab, of which one was called Orpha, and the other Ruth. And they dwelt their ten years,

Ruth 1:5 And they both died, to wit, Mahalon and Chelion: and the woman was left alone, having lost both her sons and her husband.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "elimelech", "husband", "noemi", "died", "remained", and "sons". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "elimelech" and "husband", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "He was named Elimelech and his wife..." into verse 4's "And they took wives of the women...", so "elimelech" and "husband" 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 "elimelech" and "husband" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.