Rut 1:19

1:19 So the two of them ¹  journeyed together until they arrived in Bethlehem. ² 

Naomi and Ruth Arrive in Bethlehem

When they entered ³  Bethlehem, ⁴  the whole village was excited about their arrival. ⁵  The women of the village said, ⁶  “Can this be Naomi?” ⁷ 

Rut 2:21

2:21 Ruth the Moabite replied, “He even ⁸  told me, ‘You may go along beside my servants ⁹  until they have finished gathering all my harvest!’” ¹⁰ 

[1:19]  ¹ tn The suffix “them” appears to be masculine, but it is probably an archaic dual form (E. F. Campbell, Ruth [AB], 65; F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 75-76).

[1:19]  ² map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.

[1:19]  ³ tn The temporal indicator וַיְהִי (vayÿhi, “and it was”) here introduces a new scene.

[1:19]  ⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.

[1:19]  ⁵ tn Heb “because of them” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “excited to see them.”

[1:19]  ⁶ tn Heb “they said,” but the verb form is third person feminine plural, indicating that the women of the village are the subject.

[1:19]  ⁷ tn Heb “Is this Naomi?” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV). The question here expresses surprise and delight because of the way Naomi reacts to it (F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 92).

[2:21]  ⁸ tn On the force of the phrase גָּם כִּי (gam ki) here, see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 138-39.

[2:21]  ⁹ tn Heb “with the servants who are mine you may stay close.” The imperfect has a permissive nuance here. The word “servants” is masculine plural.

[2:21]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “until they have finished all the harvest which is mine”; NIV “until they finish harvesting all my grain.”