Ruth 1 · Verse 16

Ruth 1:16

And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
Ruth 1:16, King James Version

Ruth 1:16 in other translations

BSBBut Ruth replied: “Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.
WEBRuth said, “Don’t urge me to leave you, and to return from following you, for where you go, I will go; and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God.
ASVAnd Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, and to return from following after thee, for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God;
YLTAnd Ruth saith, ‘Urge me not to leave thee--to turn back from after thee; for whither thou goest I go, and where thou lodgest I lodge; thy people is my people, and thy God my God.
DARBYAnd Ruth said, Do not intreat me to leave thee, to return from following after thee; for whither thou goest I will go, and where thou lodgest I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God;
BBEBut Ruth said, Give up requesting me to go away from you, or to go back without you: for where you go I will go; and where you take your rest I will take my rest; your people will be my people, and your God my God.
WebsterAnd Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

What does Ruth 1:16 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 And Ruth said - A more perfect surrender was never made of friendly feelings to a friend: I will not leave thee - I will follow thee: I will lodge where thou lodgest - take the same fare with which thou meetest; thy people shall be my people - I most cheerfully abandon my own country, and determine to end my days in thine. I will also henceforth have no god but thy God, and be joined with thee in worship, as I am in affection and consanguinity. I will cleave unto thee even unto death; die where thou diest; and be buried, if possible, in the same grave. This was a most extraordinary attachment, and evidently without any secular motive. The Targum adds several things to this conversation between Naomi and Ruth. I shall subjoin them: "And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee," for I desire to become a proselyte. And Naomi said, We are commanded to keep the Sabbath and other holy days; and on it not to travel more than two thousand cubits. And Ruth said, "Whither thou goest, I will go." And Naomi said, We are commanded not to lodge with the Gentiles. Ruth answered, "Where thou lodgest, I will lodge." And Naomi said, We are commanded to observe the one hundred and thirteen precepts. Ruth answered, What thy people observe, that will I observe; as if they had been my people of old. And Naomi said, We are commanded not to worship with any strange worship. Ruth answered, "Thy God shall be my God." Naomi said, We have four kinds of capital punishment for criminals; stoning, burning, beheading, and hanging. Ruth answered, "In whatsoever manner thou diest, I will die." Naomi said, We have a house of burial. Ruth answered, "And there will I be buried." It is very likely that some such conversation as this took place between the elders and those who were becoming proselytes. This verse is famous among those who strive to divine by the Bible. I should relate the particulars, but am afraid they might lead to a continuance of the practice. In my youth I have seen it done, and was then terrified.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ruth 1:15-18

See Ruth's resolution, and her good affection to Naomi. Orpah was loth to part from her; yet she did not love her well enough to leave Moab for her sake. Thus, many have a value and affection for Christ, yet come short of salvation by him, because they will not forsake other things for him. They love him, yet leave him, because they do not love him enough, but love other things better. Ruth is an example of the…

Read the full comment on Ruth 1:15-18 →

Ruth 1:16 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַתֹּ֤אמֶרva.To.merand she saidH559
רוּת֙rutRuthH7327
אַל\־'al-may notH408
תִּפְגְּעִי\־tif.ge.'i-you entreatH6293
בִ֔יVi<on> <the> me
לְעָזְבֵ֖ךְle.'a.ze.Vekhto abandon youH5800
לָשׁ֣וּבla.Shuvto turn backH7725
מֵאַחֲרָ֑יִךְme.'a.cha.Ra.yikhfrom after youH310
כִּ֠יkiforH3588
אֶל\־'el-toH413
אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.SherwhereH834
תֵּלְכִ֜יte.le.Khiyou will goH1980
אֵלֵ֗ךְ'e.LekhI will goH1980
וּבַאֲשֶׁ֤רu.va.'a.Sherand at whereH834
תָּלִ֙ינִי֙ta.Li.niyou will lodgeH3885
אָלִ֔ין'a.LinI will lodgeH3885
עַמֵּ֣ךְ'a.Mekhpeople yourH5971
עַמִּ֔י'a.Mi[will be] people myH5971
וֵאלֹהַ֖יִךְve.lo.Ha.yikhand God yourH430
אֱלֹהָֽי\׃'e.lo.Hai[will be] God myH430

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ruth 1:16

  • 2 Samuel 15:21

    And Ittai answered the king, and said, As the Lord liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be.

  • Ruth 2:11-12

    And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

  • 2 Kings 2:2-6

    And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Beth–el. And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Beth–el. And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth–el came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho. And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. …

  • Psalms 45:10

    Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house;

  • Matthew 8:19

    And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

  • John 13:37

    Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.

  • 1 Thessalonians 1:9

    For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;

  • Isaiah 14:1

    For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.

  • Acts 21:13

    Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

  • 2 Corinthians 6:16-18

    And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

  • Hosea 13:4

    Yet I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.

  • Revelation 14:4

    These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Ruth.A more perfect surrender of friendly feelings to a friend was never made. This was a most extraordinary and disinterested attachment.
Intreat me not. or, Be not against me. to leave.
2Ki 2:2-6; Lu 24:28,29; Ac 21:13
whither.
2Sa 15:21; Mt 8:19; Joh 13:37; Re 14:4
thy people.
2:11,12; Ps 45:10; Isa 14:1
thy God.
Jos 24:18; Da 2:47; 3:29; 4:37; Ho 13:4; 2Co 6:16-18; 1Th 1:9

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Ruth 1:15

    And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.

  • Ruth 1:16

    And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

  • Ruth 1:17

    Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

Read all of Ruth 1

Ruth 1:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y Ruth respondió: No me ruegues que te deje, y me aparte de ti: porque donde quiera que tú fueres, iré yo; y donde quiera que vivieres, viviré. Tu pueblo será mi pueblo, y tu Dios mi Dios.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Ruth dit: Ne me prie pas de te laisser, pour que je m’en retourne d’avec toi; car où tu iras, j’irai, et où tu demeureras, je demeurerai: ton peuple sera mon peuple, et ton Dieu sera mon Dieu.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Aber Ruth sprach: Dringe nicht in mich, dich zu verlassen, hinter dir weg umzukehren; denn wohin du gehst, will ich gehen, und wo du weilst, will ich weilen; dein Volk ist mein Volk, und dein Gott ist mein Gott;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Quæ respondit: Ne adverseris mihi ut relinquam te et abeam: quocumque enim perrexeris, pergam, et ubi morata fueris, et ego pariter morabor. Populus tuus populus meus, et Deus tuus Deus meus.