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
This verse comes from Naomi's desperate plea to Ruth and Orpah after losing her husband and two sons in Moab. In ancient times, it was customary for a widow to marry her deceased husband's brother (levirate marriage), but Naomi's remaining sons were too young. Naomi felt that God had brought calamity upon her family and didn't want her daughters-in-law to suffer the same fate.
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