Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Ruth 1:8
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
And Naomi said to her two daughters in law, etc.] When they were come, as it is very probable, to the utmost limits of the land of Moab, and to the borders of the land of Israel: go, return each unto her mother’s house: the mother’s house is mentioned, and not the father’s, not because they had no father living; for it is certain Ruth had a father as well as a mother, (<080211>Ruth 2:11) but because mothers are most affectionate to their daughters, and they most conversant together; and because women in those times had apartments to themselves, and who used to take their daughters to them when become widows; though such was the strong love of those young widows to their motherin-law, that they chose rather to dwell with her, while she lived in Moab, than with their own mothers: the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me; that is, with their husbands, who were dead; as the Targum is, that they refused to marry men after their death; or rather it respects their affectionate care of their husbands, and behaviour towards them when living, as well as the respect they showed to their memory, at and since their death; and also their filial duty to her, both before and since; and particularly, as the Targum expresses it, in that they had fed and supported her.
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