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Portrait of NaomiPortrait · Naomi

Judges · Old Testament

Naomi

Faithful Mother-in-Law Restored to Joy

Name meaning
Pleasant or sweet
Name origin
Hebrew: נָעֳמִי (Naomi), meaning "pleasant"

Quick facts

Occupation
  • Matriarch
  • Household leader
Birthplace
Bethlehem
Modern-day location
Bethlehem, in the present-day West Bank.
Family
  • Wife of Elimelech
  • Mother of Mahlon and Chilion
  • Mother-in-law of Ruth and Orpah
First mention
Ruth 1:2
Last mention
Ruth 4:14-17
Key artifacts
  • Bitter and sweet (Mara/Naomi names)
  • Empty and full return to Bethlehem
  • Grandson Obed on her lap

Key verses

  • “Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.”

    Ruth 1:20

  • “Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee.”

    Ruth 1:16

  • “And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age.”

    Ruth 4:15

Biography

Early Life

Naomi lived in Bethlehem, left for Moab during famine with her husband and sons, and there lost her husband and both sons.

Defining Biblical Moments

Naomi urged her daughters-in-law to stay in Moab, was accompanied by Ruth to Bethlehem, guided Ruth toward Boaz, and was restored when Ruth bore Obed, whom Naomi nursed as grandmother.

Strengths

Naomi shows resilience, honest lament, and wise guidance for the next generation.

Weaknesses & Lessons

Her request to be called Mara (bitter) expresses real grief without pretending; the story honors lament while moving toward restoration.

Life Lessons for Today

Grief and faith can coexist; community, guidance and small steps of initiative can lead from emptiness toward renewed hope.

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Naomi appears in Women of the Bible: Profiles in Courage & Faith, alongside more profiles like this one.

Page #23 in Women of the Bible: Profiles in Courage & Faith

Women of the Bible: Profiles in Courage & Faith front cover

Women whose courage shaped Scripture

Vivid profiles of the women of the Bible whose faith, wisdom, and quiet courage carried them through extraordinary moments.

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