In brief
Elimelech is a man of Bethlehem in Judah, an Ephrathite, in the time of the judges. During a famine, he leaves with his wife Naomi and his sons Mahlon and Chilion to stay in the land of Moab, and the family settles there. He dies there, and then his two sons as well. His name reappears at the end of the book: Boaz, of his family, acquires everything that belonged to him and raises up the name of the dead man.
What does the name Elimelech mean?
Elimelech is generally understood as my God is king. This name contrasts with the era in which he lives, that of the judges, when there was no king in Israel. The Bible does not itself comment on this name.
The story of Elimelech
A famine in Bethlehem
Ruth 1:1-2In the time of the judges, a famine strikes the land. Elimelech, of Bethlehem in Judah, leaves with his wife Naomi and his two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, to stay for a while in the country of Moab. Once there, they settle: the planned stay becomes a permanent move.
Dead in a foreign land
Ruth 1:3-5Elimelech dies in Moab, leaving Naomi with her two sons. They marry Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth, and the family stays there about ten years. Then Mahlon and Chilion die in their turn. Naomi is left alone, deprived of her husband and of her two sons.
Empty-handed
Ruth 1:19-22Naomi returns to Bethlehem with Ruth the Moabitess, at the beginning of the barley harvest. She asks not to be called Naomi any longer but Mara, because she went out full and the Lord has brought her home again empty. Elimelech's departure ends in mourning.
Elimelech's family
Ruth 2:1-3Naomi has a relative on her husband's side, Boaz, a mighty and wealthy man of the family of Elimelech. Ruth goes to glean and happens to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz. Through this family tie with Elimelech, God prepares the restoration of the family.
The dead man's name raised up
Ruth 4:3-10At the city gate, Boaz points out that Naomi is selling the piece of land that belonged to Elimelech. The nearer relative declines to redeem it. Boaz then acquires everything that belonged to Elimelech, Chilion and Mahlon, and marries Ruth to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance.
What Elimelech teaches us
- In hardship, it is better to seek God's direction than to rely only on what seems good in our own eyes.
- A temporary stay can become a lasting settlement far from what God had promised.
- Even when a family seems lost, God can restore its name and inheritance through a redeemer.
- The redemption Boaz carries out foreshadows the one Jesus Christ accomplishes, born of the same line.
Key verses
The book of Ruth sets Elimelech's departure in the time of the judges, during a famine. He leaves Bethlehem, whose name evokes bread, to look elsewhere for a living.
“I went out full, and Yahweh has brought me home again empty.” Naomi sums up what the family lost in Moab after the death of Elimelech and his sons.
Boaz calls the elders and all the people to witness that he has acquired everything that belonged to Elimelech. The name of this man who died in Moab is not erased: God has provided a redeemer.
Trusting in the Lord with all one's heart and acknowledging him in all one's ways: several preachers draw this lesson from Elimelech's departure for Moab.
Bible verses to meditate on
Sermons about Elimelech
- Three Women, Three Destinies Linked to Christ: Leah, Rahab, and RuthThe message notes the meaning of the names: Elimelech, my God is king, flees the famine of Bethlehem, the house of bread, to go to Moab, where he dies. Fear of circumstances silenced these prophetic names.
- God Is Good to All, at All TimesThe preacher sees in Elimelech's departure a choice made without consulting God: a stay that becomes a lasting settlement, and a family that loses everything in Moab.
- Boaz Pictures Christ: The Redeemer the Law Could Never BeThe sermon cites Ruth 4:9-10, where Boaz acquires everything that belonged to Elimelech, Chilion and Mahlon: he carries the redemption through to the end, like Christ the Redeemer.
- From Mara to Joy: Glean by Faith, God Repays You DoubleThe message opens the book of Ruth on Elimelech's departure, who leaves Bethlehem because of the famine and dies in Moab: in a few verses, Naomi loses her husband and her two children.
Frequently asked questions
Was Elimelech wrong to go to Moab?
The book of Ruth passes no explicit judgment on this departure. It reports that a stay planned during the famine becomes a settlement, then that three men of the family die. Many preachers see a choice made without seeking God, but the text emphasizes above all the faithfulness of a God who restores.
What does the name Elimelech mean?
The name Elimelech is generally understood as my God is king. It thus expresses a confession of faith, in an era when there was no king in Israel and everyone did what seemed right to them. The Bible itself does not comment on this name.
Where can I find Elimelech's story in the Bible?
Elimelech appears at the beginning of the book of Ruth, in Ruth 1:1-3, which tells of his departure and his death in Moab. His name returns in Ruth 2:1-3, to introduce Boaz as a member of his family, and in Ruth 4:3-9, when Boaz acquires his property.