New American Standard Bible 1995

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Ruth

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2

The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. Now they entered the land of Moab and remained there.

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Hebrew: Transliteration:
The name a name Noun H8034 וְשֵׁ֣ם ve·shem
of the man man Noun H376 הָאִ֣ישׁ ha·'ish
[was] Elimelech, "God is king," the husband of Naomi Noun H458 אֱ‍ֽלִימֶ֡לֶךְ e·li·me·lech
and the name a name Noun H8034 וְשֵׁם֩ ve·shem
of his wife, woman, wife, female Noun H802 אִשְׁתֹּ֨ו ish·tov
Naomi; mother-in-law of Ruth Noun H5281 נָעֳמִ֜י na·'o·mi
and the names a name Noun H8034 וְשֵׁ֥ם ve·shem
of his two two (a card. number) Noun H8147 שְׁנֵֽי־ she·nei-
Analysis:

Two: Two divergent opinions

The classic example for the number "two" is found in Matthew chapter 26. There, Yeshua says to His disciples,

"You know that after two days comes the Passover, and the Son of Man will be given over for crucifixion."  Matthew 26:2

The phrase "after two days" is somewhat meaningless because after two days can mean three or more days. The period is unspecified. The reason for such ambiguous language is because the purpose of the number two in this passage is not solely numerical. This means that the text is not intending to provide the reader with some definite information concerning a time period. Rather, the purpose of the number two in this context is one of the numerological meanings of the number two.  Often the number two relates to two divergent opinions. In the aforementioned verse, the author wants to inform the reader that there are two very different understandings for this coming Passover. Yeshua wants to emphasize that He is going up to Jerusalem in order to die as the true Passover sacrifice. Even though Yeshua states this emphatically, the disciples did not receive this. In fact, the disciples did not perceive at all what was going to take place during Passover in regard to Yeshua. In other words, Yeshua and the disciples have two divergent opinions concerning the Passover.

This same principle is also found in the Hebrew Bible (Old Covenant). In the book of Amos one reads,

"Can two walk together without them having agreed" Amos 3:3

The word which was translated into English with the phrase "them having agreed" is נועדו. The root of this word is יעד, which relates to a specific destination. The word which precedes this word is בלתי and in this context the word implies a change to the condition. In other words, had there not been a change in the condition, then the two could not walk together, i.e. they could not have arrived at the common destination.

The concept of divergent or different is also seen in the book of Genesis. In speaking about the sun and moon one reads, "And God made two great lights…" (Genesis 1:16). Obviously the sun and moon are very different, as one is a source of light, while the latter just reflects light. Also in the book of Genesis, one encounters the account of the flood. Here Noah is commanded to bring onto the ark two sorts of each type of animal. In this passage, the two relates to two different (or divergent) kinds of the same sort, i.e. male and female. 

Likewise, two angels came to Sodom, demonstrating that the people of Sodom had a very different way of living from that of the Law of God. Once again, the reader should not assume that every occurrence of the number two in the Bible demands this interpretation. However, one will find in a great majority of Biblical passages, the reader will be assisted in arriving at the proper interpretation, when he considers this divergent quality for the number two. 

Loveisrael.org - Baruch Korman, Ph.D. - All Rights Reserved - Used with Permission 2016 

sons son Noun H1121 בָנָ֣יו va·nav
[were] Mahlon the first husband of Ruth Noun H4248 מַחְלֹ֤ון mach·lo·vn
Analysis:
Read more about: Mahlon
and Chilion, a son of Naomi Noun H3630 וְכִלְיֹון֙ ve·chil·yo·vn
Ephrathites a desc. of Ephraim, also an inhab. of Ephrath Adjective H673 אֶפְרָתִ֔ים ef·ra·tim,
of Bethlehem "place of bread," a city in Judah, also a city in Zebulun Noun H1035 לֶ֖חֶם le·chem
Analysis:
Read more about: Bethlehem
in Judah. probably "praised," a son of Jacob, also his desc., the S. kingdom, also four Isr. Noun H3063 יְהוּדָ֑ה ye·hu·dah;
Analysis:
Read more about: Judah
Now they entered to come in, come, go in, go Verb H935 וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ vai·ya·vo·'u
the land field, land Noun H7704 שְׂדֵי־ se·dei-
of Moab a son of Lot,also his desc. and the territory where they settled Noun H4124 מֹואָ֖ב mo·v·'av
Analysis:
Read more about: Moab
and remained to fall out, come to pass, become, be Verb H1961 וַיִּֽהְיוּ־ vai·yih·yu-
there. there, thither Adverb H8033 שָֽׁם׃ sham.

Locations

Moab

MOAB; MOABITESmo'-ab, mo'-ab-its (Moab, mo'abh, Moabite Stone, M-'-B; Greek (Septuagint) Moab, he Moabeitis, Moabitis; Moabite, mo'abhi; Moabites, bene mo'abh):1. The Land:Moab was the district East of the Dead Sea, extending from a point some distance North of it to its southern end. The eastern boundary was indefinite, being the border of the desert which... View Details

People

Mahlon

Mahlon [N] [S] sickly, the elder of Elimelech the Bethlehemite's two sons by Naomi. He married Ruth and died childless ( Ruth 1:2Ruth 1:5 ;  Ruth 4:9  Ruth 4:10 ), in the land of Moab.    These dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy freely.

Parallel Verses

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New American Standard Bible 1995 The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. Now they entered the land of Moab and remained there.
King James Bible The And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; wife Naomi, and the names name of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. Now Bethlehemjudah. And they entered came into the land country of Moab Moab, and remained continued there.
Hebrew Greek English The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. Now they entered the land of Moab and remained there.