Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me.
Would you wait for them until they grow up? Would you refuse to marry anyone else while waiting for them? No, my daughters, this grieves me deeply for your sake, because the Lord's hand has turned against me.
Naomi is telling her daughters-in-law that it would be unreasonable for them to wait for her young sons to grow up and marry them, and she's heartbroken that God seems to be working against her.
📚 Historical Context
In the time of the Judges, Israel experienced frequent famines and social instability, prompting Naomi and her family to relocate to Moab for survival. There, Naomi lost her husband and two sons, leaving her widowed and childless with her Moabite daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah. As Naomi prepares to return to her homeland of Bethlehem, she urges them to stay behind and rebuild their lives, expressing her deep sorrow over what she sees as God's judgment against her.
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