Judges · around 1100 BC
Naomi in the Bible
The bitter widow who finds joy again in Bethlehem. Name meaning: “My pleasant one,” “my sweetness” (probable meaning); she asks to be called Mara, “bitter” (Ruth 1:20)
Naomi leaves Bethlehem with her husband Elimelech and their two sons to escape famine in the land of Moab. There she loses everyone she loves and returns to Bethlehem a widow, accompanied by her Moabite daughter-in-law Ruth: “Call me not Naomi, call me Mara” (Ruth 1:20). But the LORD is preparing her restoration: through Boaz, a kinsman-redeemer, Ruth bears Obed, whom Naomi takes to her bosom and who will become the grandfather of King David.
Key moments
- Famine takes her to Moab with her family Ruth 1:1–2
- She loses her husband and then both sons Ruth 1:3–5
- She returns to Bethlehem with Ruth Ruth 1:22
- “Call me Mara” Ruth 1:20
- She recognizes Boaz as a kinsman-redeemer Ruth 2:20
- She advises Ruth for the night at the threshing floor Ruth 3:1–4
- She takes Obed to her bosom Ruth 4:16–17
Strengths
- Honesty in pain
- Practical sense
- Kindness
- Perseverance
Weaknesses
Worn down by grief, Naomi lets bitterness take over: she says the Almighty has afflicted her and the LORD has brought her home “empty” (Ruth 1:20-21), while Ruth, her faithful daughter-in-law, walks at her side (1:16-19). She cannot yet see God’s plan.
Lessons for today
- We can bring God our pain without sugarcoating it: Naomi complains openly, and God does not reject her, he lifts her up (Ruth 1:20-21; 4:14-15).
- God is at work even in the years of mourning: what looks “empty” is preparing a line that leads to David (Ruth 1:21; 4:17).
- A mature faith walks alongside the young: Naomi blesses her daughters-in-law instead of holding on to them, then guides Ruth wisely (Ruth 1:8-9; 3:1-4).
- God “visits” his people and gives bread: Naomi’s return coincides with the end of the famine (Ruth 1:6, 22).
And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?
And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.
And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.
People around Naomi
- Ruth — Moabite daughter-in-law, widow of Mahlon
- Boaz — Relative of Elimelech, a kinsman-redeemer; he marries Ruth
- Elimelech — Her husband, who died in the land of Moab
- Mahlon and Chilion — Her two sons, who died in Moab
- Orpah — Her other daughter-in-law, who went back to her people
- Obed — The little boy she takes to her bosom
Quiz: how well do you know Naomi?
To which country does the famine lead Elimelech and Naomi to move?
A certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went “to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons,” because of the famine. Ruth 1:1
What name does Naomi ask to be called when she returns to Bethlehem?
Naomi tells the women of Bethlehem, “Call me not Naomi, call me Mara.” The name evokes the bitterness she feels filling her. Ruth 1:20
What is Naomi’s relationship to Ruth?
Ruth the Moabitess is the widow of one of Naomi’s sons. The text speaks of “Naomi… and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law,” who returned together from Moab. Ruth 1:22
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