Ruth 1:16 (GNV)

Passage

And Ruth answered, Intreate mee not to leaue thee, nor to depart from thee: for whither thou goest, I will goe: and where thou dwellest, I will dwell: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.

Nearby Context

Ruth 1:14 Then they lift vp their voyce and wept againe, and Orpah kissed her mother in lawe, but Ruth abode still with her.

Ruth 1:15 And Naomi said, Beholde, thy sister in law is gone backe vnto her people and vnto her gods: returne thou after thy sister in lawe.

Ruth 1:16 And Ruth answered, Intreate mee not to leaue thee, nor to depart from thee: for whither thou goest, I will goe: and where thou dwellest, I will dwell: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.

Ruth 1:17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried. the Lord do so to me and more also, if ought but death depart thee and me.

Ruth 1:18 Whe she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, she left speaking vnto her.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "ruth", "answered", "intreate", "leaue", "thee", "depart", and "whither". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "ruth" and "answered", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "And Naomi said Beholde thy sister in..." into verse 17's "Where thou diest will I die and...", so "ruth" and "answered" 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 "ruth" and "answered" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.