Ruth 1:20
New International Version
“Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.

New Living Translation
“Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me.

English Standard Version
She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.

Berean Standard Bible
“Do not call me Naomi,” she replied. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has dealt quite bitterly with me.

King James Bible
And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

New King James Version
But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.

New American Standard Bible
But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.

NASB 1995
She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.

NASB 1977
And she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.

Legacy Standard Bible
She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.

Amplified Bible
She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi (sweetness); call me Mara (bitter), for the Almighty has caused me great grief and bitterness.

Christian Standard Bible
“Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara,” she answered, “for the Almighty has made me very bitter.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara,” she answered, “for the Almighty has made me very bitter.

American Standard Version
And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara; for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

Contemporary English Version
Then she told them, "Don't call me Naomi any longer! Call me Mara, because God has made my life bitter.

English Revised Version
And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
She answered them, "Don't call me Naomi [Sweet]. Call me Mara [Bitter] because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.

Good News Translation
"Don't call me Naomi," she answered; "call me Marah, because Almighty God has made my life bitter.

International Standard Version
But Naomi replied, "Don't call me 'Naomi'! Call me 'Mara'! That's because the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me.

Majority Standard Bible
“Do not call me Naomi,” she replied. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has dealt quite bitterly with me.

NET Bible
But she replied to them, "Don't call me 'Naomi'! Call me 'Mara' because the Sovereign One has treated me very harshly.

New Heart English Bible
She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi. Call me Marah; for Shaddai has dealt very bitterly with me.

Webster's Bible Translation
And she said to them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

World English Bible
She said to them, “Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And she says to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly to me,

Young's Literal Translation
And she saith unto them, 'Call me not Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly to me,

Smith's Literal Translation
And she will say to them, Ye shall not call to me Naomi; call to me, Mara: for the Almighty made bitter to me greatly.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But she said to them: Call me not Noemi, (that is, beautiful,) but call me Mara, (that is, bitter,) for the Almighty hath quite filled me with bitterness.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi (that is, beautiful), but call me Mara (that is, bitter). For the Almighty has greatly filled me with bitterness.

New American Bible
But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi [‘Sweet’]. Call me Mara [‘Bitter’], for the Almighty has made my life very bitter.

New Revised Standard Version
She said to them, “Call me no longer Naomi, call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And she said to them, Do not call me Naomi, but call me Bitter of Soul; for the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And she said to them: “You should not call me Namei, but call me ‘Marirath Naphsha’ Bitter of Soul, because The Almighty has made me very bitter!”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And she said unto them: 'Call me not Naomi, call me Marah; for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And she said to them, Nay, do not call me Noemin; call me ?Bitter,' for the Mighty One has dealt very bitterly with me.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Return to Bethlehem
19So Naomi and Ruth traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole city was stirred because of them, and the women of the city exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” 20“Do not call me Naomi,” she replied. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has dealt quite bitterly with me. 21I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? After all, the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me.”…

Cross References
Job 30:20-23
I cry out to You for help, but You do not answer; when I stand up, You merely look at me. / You have ruthlessly turned on me; You oppose me with Your strong hand. / You snatch me up into the wind and drive me before it; You toss me about in the storm. ...

Lamentations 3:19-24
Remember my affliction and wandering, the wormwood and the gall. / Surely my soul remembers and is humbled within me. / Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope: ...

Exodus 15:23-25
And when they came to Marah, they could not drink the water there because it was bitter. (That is why it was named Marah.) / So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” / And Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log. And when he cast it into the waters, they were sweetened. There the LORD made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He tested them,

1 Samuel 1:10-11
In her bitter distress, Hannah prayed to the LORD and wept with many tears. / And she made a vow, saying, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever touch his head.”

2 Kings 4:27
When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she clung to his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for her soul is in deep distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me.”

Psalm 34:18-19
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit. / Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him from them all.

Psalm 88:3-9
For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol. / I am counted among those descending to the Pit. I am like a man without strength. / I am forsaken among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom You remember no more, who are cut off from Your care. ...

Isaiah 49:14-16
But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; the Lord has forgotten me!” / “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the son of her womb? Even if she could forget, I will not forget you! / Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are ever before Me.

Jeremiah 20:14-18
Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me never be blessed. / Cursed be the man who brought my father the news, saying, “A son is born to you,” bringing him great joy. / May that man be like the cities that the LORD overthrew without compassion. May he hear an outcry in the morning and a battle cry at noon, ...

James 1:2-4
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, / because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. / Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Romans 8:28
And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

2 Corinthians 4:8-10
We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; / persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. / We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. / That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Hebrews 12:11
No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who have been trained by it.

1 Peter 1:6-7
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials / so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.


Treasury of Scripture

And she said to them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.

Naomi.

Genesis 17:1
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

Genesis 43:14
And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.

Job 5:17
Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:

dealt

Job 6:4
For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.

Job 19:6
Know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath compassed me with his net.

Psalm 73:14
For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.

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Ruth 1
1. Elimelech, driven by famine into Moab, dies there
4. Mahlon and Chilion, having married wives of Moab, die also
6. Naomi, returning homeward
8. dissuades her two daughters-in-law from going with her
14. Orpah leaves her, but Ruth with great constancy accompanies her
19. The two come to Bethlehem, where they are gladly received














Do not call me Naomi
The name "Naomi" means "pleasant" or "delightful" in Hebrew. Naomi's request to no longer be called by this name reflects her deep sense of loss and bitterness. In the ancient Near Eastern culture, names were often reflective of one's identity or circumstances. Naomi's insistence on changing her name indicates a profound transformation in her self-perception due to the hardships she has endured.

she replied. Call me Mara
"Mara" means "bitter" in Hebrew. By choosing this name, Naomi is expressing the depth of her sorrow and the bitterness she feels over the tragedies that have befallen her. This change of name is symbolic of her current state of mind and heart. It is a poignant reminder of how personal suffering can alter one's identity and outlook on life.

for the Almighty
The term "Almighty" is translated from the Hebrew word "Shaddai," which is often used to denote God's power and sovereignty. Naomi acknowledges God's supreme authority over her life, even in her suffering. This reflects a common biblical theme where individuals recognize God's control over both blessings and trials. It is a testament to her faith, even amidst her lament.

has dealt very bitterly with me
The phrase "dealt very bitterly" suggests a sense of divine chastisement or severe treatment. Naomi attributes her misfortunes to God's will, which was a common understanding in the ancient world where divine providence was seen in every aspect of life. This acknowledgment does not necessarily imply a loss of faith but rather an honest expression of her pain and struggle to understand God's purposes.

(20) Call me not Naomi, call me Mara.--Here we have one of the constant plays on words and names found in the Hebrew Bible. Naomi, we have already said, means pleasant, or, perhaps, strictly, my pleasantness. Mara is bitter, as in Exodus 15:23. The latter word has no connection with Miriam or Mary, which is from a different root.

The Almighty.--Heb., Shaddai. According to one derivation of the word, "He who is All Sufficient," all sufficing; the God who gives all things in abundance is He who takes back (see Note on Genesis 17:1).

Hath dealt very bitterly.--Heb., hemar, referring to the preceding Mara. The pleasantness and joys of life are at an end for me, my dear ones passed away, bitterness and sadness are now my lot.

Verse 20. - And she said to them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. Salutations were respectfully addressed to her as she walked along in quest of some humble abode. And when thus spoken to by the sympathetic townspeople, she was called, of course, by her old sweet name. But as it fell in its own rich music on her ears, its original import flashed vividly upon her mind. Her heart "filled" at the contrast which her circumstances represented, and she said, "Address me not as Naomi, call not to me (לֵי) Naomi: address me as Mara," - that is, bitter, - "for the Almighty has caused bitterness to me exceedingly" (see on ver. 2). The Almighty, or שַׁדַּי, an ancient polytheistic name that had at length - like ךליהִים and אֲדֹנָי ? been reclaimed in all its fullness for the one living and true God. It had become a thorough proper name, and hence it is used without the article. In the Septuagint it is sometimes rendered, as here, ὁ ἱκανός, the Sufficient; in Job, where it frequently occurs, ὁ παντοκράτωρ, the Omnipotent. But it is one of those peculiar nouns that never can be fully reproduced in any Aryan language, Naomi's theology as indicated in the expression, "the Almighty hath caused bitterness to me exceedingly," need not be to its minutest jot endorsed. God was not the only agent with whom she had had to do. Much of the bitterness of her lot may have been attributable to her husband or to herself, and perhaps to forefathers and foremothers. It is not fair to ascribe all the embittering element of things to God. Much rather might the sweetness, which had so often relieved the bitterness, be traced to the band of him who is "the Lord God, merciful and gracious, abundant in goodness."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Do not
אַל־ (’al-)
Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

call
תִּקְרֶ֥אנָה (tiq·re·nāh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person feminine plural
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

me Naomi,”
נָעֳמִ֑י (nā·‘o·mî)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 5281: Naomi -- mother-in-law of Ruth

she replied.
וַתֹּ֣אמֶר (wat·tō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Call
קְרֶ֤אןָ (qə·re·nā)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine plural
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

me Mara,
מָרָ֔א (mā·rā)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 4755: Mara -- 'bitter', symbolic name of Naomi

because
כִּי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the Almighty
שַׁדַּ֛י (šad·day)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7706: The Almighty

has dealt quite bitterly
הֵמַ֥ר (hê·mar)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4843: To be, bitter

with me.
לִ֖י (lî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew


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OT History: Ruth 1:20 She said to them Don't call me (Ru Rut.)
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