Naomi’s husband was Elimelech, and their two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. Their names and origin are given in Ruth 1:2.
Ruth opens during the era of the judges, when a famine hits the land and pushes a family from Bethlehem in Judah to relocate temporarily in Moab (Ruth 1:1). The man, Elimelech, travels with his wife Naomi and their two sons. After settling in Moab, Elimelech dies, leaving Naomi with her sons. These verses function as the story’s setup, quickly establishing time period, location, and the central problem that will drive the rest of the narrative: Naomi’s family line and security collapse through repeated deaths.
Ruth opens by placing its story “in the days when the judges judged,” signaling a hard, unstable era for Israel (explicit claim). A famine then drives a family from Bethlehem in Judah to seek food by living for a time in Moab (explicit claim).
A common mistake is to treat this as trivia. Names, places, numbers, and sequence details often carry memory, covenant identity, or narrative movement in the biblical story.
Start with Ruth 1:2, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
2The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem-judah. They came into the country of Moab, and continued there.