Chapter 1

Ruth was drafted by Grok 4.7 on 8 October 2026. First draft. Not independently reviewed. No published English Bible, commentary, or study note was open while this book was drafted. The wording source was the ancient-language witnesses named in the notes. A lexicon or grammar may be used for a source word. Greek, Syriac, and Latin, when they appear, witness the source wording. They are not models for the English.

The continuous copy is the Leningrad Codex, read in the Open Scriptures diplomatic text of the Westminster Leningrad Codex. Dead Sea copies of Ruth exist and are fragmentary. Where they can be read, they do not give a second continuous book that replaces Leningrad for this draft. No earlier reading is guessed into the English.

The Hebrew here says “her children,” after earlier verses said “sons.” The English keeps “children.”

Yahweh prints the divine name. The consonants in the Hebrew are YHWH. The vowels in “Yahweh” are a later convention, not a record of how the oldest copies said the name. See the glossary.

The verb paqad is “turn attention to,” “take up the case of,” or “visit.” “Turned his attention to” is the sense printed. “Visited” is the live alternative, and it is not printed, because in current English it sounds like a social call.

Hesed is printed “loyalty.” See the glossary. The written consonants of the verb are the ordinary “he will do.” The Masoretic reading is the short wish-form, “may he do.” The speech is a blessing either way. The next verse is a wish, and this line is printed as a statement of what Yahweh will do, following the written spelling.

Menuhah is a resting place, a settled home, not a nap. “A settled home with a husband” is the sense printed.

The verb in “hold yourselves back” is agan, to be tied up, kept from being free to marry. That is the sense printed.

Dabeqah is “clung,” “stuck,” “held on.” “Held on” is the English printed.

The word for sister-in-law is yevamah, the wife of a husband’s brother, the woman named in the levirate custom. “Her gods” is eloheha. The same word is used for God. Printed as “gods,” because Naomi is talking about Orpah’s Moabite worship. “Her god” is the live alternative and is not printed.

The verb lin means to stay the night, to lodge, not simply to take up residence. The English keeps the night. “Don’t push me” is paga, the same verb Naomi uses later for men who might lay hands on Ruth in another field.

“Do this to me, and pile more on” is the oath formula koh ya‘aseh Yahweh li wekhoh yosif. It is a self-curse. The content of “this” is not spelled out. The Hebrew then says death will be what separates them. The printed line keeps that force without inventing a penalty the sentence does not name.

Naomi means “pleasant.” Mara means “bitter.” Shaddai is printed as a name. See the glossary. A gloss such as “Almighty” is not the line.

Anah bi can be “answered against me,” “testified against me,” or “afflicted me.” “Answered against me” is printed. “Afflicted me” is the live alternative and is not printed.