Ruth 1:15 (LSB)

Passage

Then she said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has returned to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”

Nearby Context

Ruth 1:13 would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; for it is more bitter for me than for you, for the hand of Yahweh has gone forth against me.”

Ruth 1:14 And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

Ruth 1:15 Then she said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has returned to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”

Ruth 1:16 But Ruth said, “Do not press me to forsake you in turning back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.

Ruth 1:17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may Yahweh do to me, and more, if anything but death separates you and me.”

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "said", "behold", "sister-in-law", "returned", "people", "gods", and "after". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "said" and "behold", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "And they lifted up their voices and..." into verse 16's "But Ruth said Do not press me...", so "said" and "behold" 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 "said" and "behold" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.