Ruth 1:22 (LSB)

Passage

So Naomi returned, and with her Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, who returned from the fields of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.

Nearby Context

Ruth 1:20 She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.

Ruth 1:21 I went out full, but Yahweh has caused me to return empty. Why do you call me Naomi? Yahweh has answered against me, and the Almighty has brought calamity against me.”

Ruth 1:22 So Naomi returned, and with her Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, who returned from the fields of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "naomi", "returned", "ruth", "moabitess", "daughter-in-law", and "fields". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "naomi" and "returned", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "I went out full but Yahweh has...", giving immediate footing for "naomi" and "returned". In Ruth context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

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