Ruth 1:20 Meaning
And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
Context Explained
18When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.
19So they two went until they came to Beth-lehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beth-lehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?
20And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
21I 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?
22So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Beth-lehem in the beginning of barley harvest.
Key Themes
Related Cross References
Genesis 41:51
Joseph names his son Manasseh, reflecting on his suffering, similar to Naomi's bitterness.
Psalm 42:9
The psalmist expresses feelings of abandonment, akin to Naomi's lament.
Ecclesiastes 7:3
Both verses reflect on the value of sorrow in shaping identity.
Source: Ruth 1:20