MPV Commentary

1. During the time of the judges, a severe famine struck the land.

2. Elimelech, whose name means "My God is king," was from Bethlehem in Judah. His wife Naomi and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, are believed to be the same individuals mentioned in 1 Chronicles 4:22. The family's ancestral roots were in Ephrath, an ancient name for Bethlehem (Genesis 35:19; 48:7), which was still used by Micah during his prophetic ministry (Micah 5:2).

To distinguish it from another town with the same name in Zebulun, their hometown was referred to as Bethlehem-Judah. Due to the famine, they were forced to leave and settle in Moab for several years. After Elimelech's death, his sons married women from Moab, a decision that would later have significant consequences. This union was contrary to Mosaic law (Deuteronomy 7:3; 23:3; Ezra 9:2; Nehemiah 13:23), and Jewish writers attributed the early deaths of both young men to divine judgment for their actions.