Elimelech

Elimelech (meaning God his king or my God is king) was a man of the tribe of Judah from Bethlehem-judah, the husband of Naomi and father of Mahlon and Chilion (Ruth 1:2–3). During a famine in Canaan, Elimelech led his family to sojourn in Moab — a decision whose consequences form the opening tragedy of the book of Ruth. Shortly after arriving in Moab, Elimelech died, leaving Naomi a widow in a foreign land. His two sons then married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth, and both sons also died within ten years, leaving the three women widowed and childless.

Elimelech's death sets in motion the chain of events through which Ruth, following Naomi back to Bethlehem, met Boaz — a wealthy kinsman of Elimelech. Boaz acted as kinsman-redeemer (goel), purchasing Elimelech's land and marrying Ruth to preserve the family name and inheritance, producing a son through whom the line continued to David and ultimately to Jesus Christ (Ruth 4:17–22; Matthew 1:5). Elimelech's brief appearance in the narrative thus stands at the origin of the providential chain that runs from Bethlehem to the Davidic covenant.