Ruth 1:22 (WEB)

Passage

So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned out of the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

Nearby Context

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

Ruth 1:21 I went out full, and Yahweh has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since Yahweh has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”

Ruth 1:22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned out of the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "naomi", "returned", "ruth", "moabitess", "daughter-in-law", and "country". 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 and 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.