Rut 1:1 Now it came about in the days when the Softim (judges) governed, that there was a famine in the land. And a man of Beit Lechem in Yehudah went to reside in the land of Mo'av with his wife and his two sons. Q: What happen cost famine before than that lead them look for greenery pastures. So the two sons was once in Israel before reside in land of Mo'av
The spiritual climate of corporate disobedience during the era of the shof’tim (judges) directly caused the famine.
In the Messianic Jewish perspective, physical realities in the Land of Israel (Eretz Yisrael) are deeply linked to spiritual conditions. According to the Torah in Devarim (Deuteronomy) 11:13–17, Adonai explicitly warned that if Israel turned away from His mitzvot (commandments) to worship other gods, He would shut up the heavens, withhold the rain, and cause the land to yield no fruit. The book of Rut opens "back in the days when the judges were judging"—a tumultuous era defined by the cyclical pattern of national apostasy, divine judgment, and temporary deliverance. The famine was not merely a natural disaster; it was an act of divine discipline intended to bring Israel to teshuvah (repentance).
The Roots of the Two Sons: Life in Israel
Before they ever set foot in the plains of Mo’av, the two sons—Machlon and Kilyon—lived a life of relative privilege and covenant identity within Israel.
- The House of Bread: They were raised as Efratim from Beit-Lechem in the territory of Y’hudah (Judah). Beit-Lechem literally means "House of Bread." Growing up there meant living in the agricultural heartland of the promised inheritance.
- Covetous Separation: Their father, Elimelekh (whose name means "My God is King"), was a wealthy and influential man of the community. The family experienced the fullness of life under the Mosaic Covenant, participating in the seasonal feasts and the communal life of Israel. However, when the pressure of the famine struck, instead of standing in solidarity with their community and enduring Adonai’s refining fire, they chose a path of self-preservation.
Expounding the Lifestyle and Choice that Cost Their Lives
From a Messianic viewpoint, the progression of their journey into Mo’av outlines a tragic trajectory of spiritual compromise:
[ Compromise 1 ] Leaving the Covenant Land (To Sojourn)
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[ Compromise 2 ] Settling Down Permanently (Assimilation)
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[ Compromise 3 ] Intermarrying Outside the Covenant
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[ Divine Judgment ] Ultimate Loss of Legacy and Life
1. The Decision to Leave the Covenant Land
The family chose to abandon Eretz Yisrael for the "territory of Mo’av". Mo’av was a pagan nation born out of incest (Bereshit / Genesis 19:37), whose people had historically hired Balaam to curse Israel and enticed Israel into sexual immorality and idolatry at Baal-Peor. By crossing the Jordan River, Elimelekh, Machlon, and Kilyon physically walked away from the boundaries of the divine inheritance to seek comfort in a land under an active spiritual cloud.
2. Shifting from "Sojourning" to "Settling"
The text in the Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) reveals a critical shift in lifestyle:
- They initially went "to live" (sojourn temporarily) due to the immediate crisis.
- However, verse 2 notes that "they arrived in the plain of Mo’av and settled there."
What was meant to be a temporary escape from hardship became a permanent lifestyle change. They chose economic security among idolaters over spiritual purity under Adonai.
3. Intermarriage and Assimilation
Following the death of Elimelekh, the choices of the two sons solidified their assimilation. They "took wives for themselves from the women of Mo’av"—'Orpah and Rut. The Torah explicitly forbids intermarriage with pagan nations (Devarim / Deuteronomy 7:3-4) because it turns the hearts of the children away from Adonai toward false gods. The text notes that they lived there for about ten years in this compromised state.
4. The Prophetic Cost of Their Names
In Hebrew thought, a person's name carries prophetic weight regarding their destiny. The names Elimelekh gave his sons eerily foreshadowed the consequences of his choices:
Machlon (מַחְלוֹן): Derived from a root meaning "sickness" or "infirmity."
Kilyon (כִּלְיוֹן): Derived from a root meaning "pining," "wasting away," or "destruction."
By choosing a lifestyle of assimilation and comfort in a spiritually toxic land, the sons lived out the very meaning of their names. The ultimate price of choosing the green pastures of Mo'av over the refining wilderness of Israel was the complete eradication of their names and lineage from the earth. Both Machlon and Kilyon died young in a foreign land, leaving no heirs, illustrating the sobering spiritual reality that trying to save one's physical life outside of Adonai's will ultimately results in losing it.
Yet, out of this ashes of disobedience, Adonai would sovereignly orchestrate the return of Na'omi with Rut, paving the way for the line of King David and ultimately the Messiah Yeshua.
Your connection to the generation in Egypt is spot on. Just like the Israelites who grew accustomed to the leeks, onions, and security of Egypt rather than trusting Adonai in the wilderness, Elimelekh’s family chose the predictable, fertile plains of Mo’av over the barren but sanctified Soil of Promise. It is the classic struggle between physical comfort and covenantal calling.
OIC they are some what old day generation Israel grow too comfortable in Egypt settle down n assimilate the culture and life style. I presume in previous study that Machlon although name as sickly disease has spark of HaShem of Yisrael, he must have gleam of days in Yisrael. But Kilyon name not good sign wasting away and ungodly wife Oprah chose to back idolatry
Your insight into the spiritual contrast between Machlon and Kilyon aligns beautifully with rabbinic traditions and a Messianic understanding of character and destiny.
Machlon: The Spark of HaShem and the Legacy of Rut
There is a powerful reason to believe that **Machlon possessed a spark of HaShem ** and a lingering love for his days in Israel:
- The Marriage to Rut: According to the text (specifically reinforced later in Rut 4:10), Machlon was the one who married Rut. While he was living in compromise, the spiritual spark within him attracted a woman who was capable of the greatest declaration of faith in the Hebrew Scriptures: "Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God" (Rut 1:16).
- The Eternal Name: Even though Machlon died due to the consequences of the family's choices, his name was not completely blotted out. Through the mechanism of the Yibbum (Levirate marriage / redemption), Bo’az redeemed Machlon’s estate "to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance" (Rut 4:10). Because of Machlon's spark and Rut's devotion, his legal lineage directly birthed King David and, ultimately, the Messiah Yeshua.
Kilyon and 'Orpah: The Total Wasting Away
Conversely, Kilyon lived out a name that truly signified a complete spiritual and physical wasting away.
- The Ungodly Match: Kilyon married 'Orpah. The name 'Orpah (עָרְפָּה) comes from the Hebrew word oref (עֹרֶף), which means "back of the neck" or "stiff-necked." Prophetically, her very name dictated her ultimate choice.
- The Return to Idolatry: When Na'omi urged her daughters-in-law to go back, 'Orpah wept, kissed Na'omi, turned her back, and "went back to her people and to her gods" (Rut 1:15).
The Sages note that while Rut looked forward toward the God of Israel, 'Orpah looked backward toward the idols of Mo'av (specifically Kemosh). Kilyon’s branch of the family tree completely dried up. He married a woman who ultimately chose idolatry over the HaShem of Avraham, and unlike Machlon, Kilyon’s memory vanished into the sands of Mo'av.
It stands as a sobering Messianic lesson: even in the midst of backsliding, those who retain a faint glimmer of HaShem’s truth (like Machlon) can be woven into ultimate redemption, while those who completely surrender to the spirit of assimilation (like Kilyon and 'Orpah) waste away into spiritual obscurity.
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