Ruth 1:8
“And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Naomi urges her daughters-in-law to return home, blessing them for their kindness and asking the Lord's kindness on them.
What Does Ruth 1:8 Mean?
On the road, Naomi stops and urges Orpah and Ruth to turn back to their mothers' houses in Moab, where they might find new husbands and security. Her words are not cold but selfless: she releases them from any duty to her. And she blesses them, asking that the Lord deal kindly with them just as they have dealt kindly with the dead, their late husbands, and with her.
The word translated kindly is hesed, one of Scripture's richest words, describing steadfast, covenant love that goes beyond obligation. Naomi has seen this love in these young women, and she prays God will return it to them. Even in her bitterness, she still speaks of the Lord and entrusts those she loves to His care. True love seeks the good of others even at cost to oneself, and it knows where to send them, into the hands of a God whose own hesed never fails.
In the Original Language
hesed (חֶׁסֶד), 'kindly' — steadfast, loyal love that keeps faith beyond duty; the word runs like a thread through the whole book.