Ruth 1:3 (YLT)

Passage

And Elimelech husband of Naomi dieth, and she is left, she and her two sons;

Nearby Context

Ruth 1:1 And it cometh to pass, in the days of the judging of the judges, that there is a famine in the land, and there goeth a man from Beth-Lehem-Judah to sojourn in the fields of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.

Ruth 1:2 And the name of the man <FI>is<Fi> Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites from Beth-Lehem-Judah; and they come into the fields of Moab, and are there.

Ruth 1:3 And Elimelech husband of Naomi dieth, and she is left, she and her two sons;

Ruth 1:4 and they take to them wives, Moabitesses: the name of the one <FI>is<Fi> Orpah, and the name of the second Ruth; and they dwell there about ten years.

Ruth 1:5 And they die also, both of them--Mahlon and Chilion--and the woman is left of her two children and of her husband.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "elimelech", "husband", "naomi", "dieth", "left", and "sons". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "elimelech" and "husband", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "And the name of the man FI..." into verse 4's "and they take to them wives Moabitesses...", so "elimelech" and "husband" 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 "elimelech" and "husband" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.