Ruth 1:15 (KJV)

Passage

And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.

Nearby Context

Ruth 1:13 Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me.

Ruth 1:14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.

Ruth 1:15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.

Ruth 1:16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: 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 part thee and me.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "said", "behold", "sister", "gone", "back", "people", "gods", and "return". 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 voice and..." into verse 16's "And Ruth said Intreat me not to...", 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.