In many patriarchal societies, parents favour sons over daughters. This favouritism also runs deep in Jewish culture. Sons perpetuate the family line, while daughters marry out to carry on the line of their husbands' families. Patriarchal societies are also patrilineal-family property and titles are inherited only by the male line. The Old Testament allows daughters to inherit family property, only if there are no male heirs. These daughters must then marry within the tribal clan of their fathers to keep the property within the tribe (see Numbers 27:1-11; 36:5-9).

Levirate marriage is an arrangement prescribed by Mosaic Law in which a man is required to marry the widow of his brother who dies with no male heir (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). The term ″levirate″, from the Latin word levir, means ″husband's brother″. The intent of this law is to provide an heir for the dead brother to continue his family line. The law is also designed to take care of the widow. Levirate marriage forms the backdrop of the story of Judah, his son Onan, and his daughter-in-law Tamar (Genesis 38:6-30). It is also the backdrop of the book of Ruth. And it is on the mind of Naomi: she tries to persuade her daughters-in-law to return to Moab because levirate marriage is no longer an option for them.

Naomi is not exactly thrilled by their renewed resolve to follow her to Bethlehem (Ruth 1:10). She is too old to provide them with new husbands to replace her dead sons, and therefore they have no future if they remain with her. Twice more she pushes them away: ″Return home . . . return home″ (1:11-12). However, instead of acknowledging that her dire situation is the result of her family's poor decision to leave the Promised Land, Naomi blames God, saying, ″the Lord's hand has turned against me!″ Far from being broken and repentant before God, Naomi is bitter towards Him (1:13).

One would expect Naomi to want to bring her two pagan daughters-in-law to the Promised Land, to know Yahweh, the true God. Instead, she is bent on sending them back to their idolatrous way of life (1:15). She succeeds with one: convinced, and tearfully parting ways with Naomi, Orpah takes the road back to Moab, to worship ″Chemosh the detestable god of Moab″ (1:15; 1 Kings 11:7). Sadly, Orpah returns to a lost destiny! But Ruth, undeterred, ″clung to [Naomi]″ (Ruth 1:14).

Why would Naomi, who knows the true God, hinder two pagan women from coming to follow Him? Theories abound. Bible commentator Warren Wiersbe suggests that ″Naomi didn't want to take Orpah and Ruth to Bethlehem because they were living proof that she and her husband had permitted their two sons to marry women from outside the covenant nation. In other words, Naomi was trying to cover up her disobedience.″⁸

⁸Wiersbe, Be Committed, 19.