Person
Elimelech
husband of Naomi
Bethlehemite husband of Naomi who led his family to Moab during a famine and died there, setting in motion the story of Ruth.
Who or what is this?
Elimelech was a man of in , husband of and father of and , whose story opens the book of . When famine struck Judah, he led his family to sojourn in the land of . There Elimelech died, leaving Naomi a widow in a foreign land. After his death his two sons married women, Orpah and Ruth, but the sons also died childless. Elimelech's death and the extinction of his male line set in motion the central drama of Ruth, as Naomi returns to Bethlehem and Ruth's faithfulness ultimately provides an heir through , a kinsman-redeemer of Elimelech's family.
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Where this appears in Scripture
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