Ruth 4:16
New International Version
Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him.

New Living Translation
Naomi took the baby and cuddled him to her breast. And she cared for him as if he were her own.

English Standard Version
Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse.

Berean Standard Bible
And Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and became a nurse to him.

King James Bible
And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.

New King James Version
Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him.

New American Standard Bible
Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse.

NASB 1995
Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse.

NASB 1977
Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Naomi took the child and put him on her bosom and became his nurse.

Amplified Bible
Then Naomi took the child and placed him in her lap, and she became his nurse.

Christian Standard Bible
Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and became a mother to him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and took care of him.

American Standard Version
And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.

Contemporary English Version
Naomi loved the boy and took good care of him.

English Revised Version
And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Naomi took the child, held him on her lap, and became his guardian.

Good News Translation
Naomi took the child, held him close, and took care of him.

International Standard Version
Naomi took care of the child, taking him to her breast and becoming his nurse.

Majority Standard Bible
And Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and became a nurse to him.

NET Bible
Naomi took the child and placed him on her lap; she became his caregiver.

New Heart English Bible
Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and looked after him.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became its nurse.

World English Bible
Naomi took the child, laid him in her bosom, and became nurse to him.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Naomi takes the boy, and lays him in her bosom, and is to him for a nurse;

Young's Literal Translation
And Naomi taketh the lad, and layeth him in her bosom, and is to him for a nurse;

Smith's Literal Translation
And Naomi will take the child and put him in her bosom, and she will be to him for nurse.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Noemi taking the child laid it in her bosom, and she carried it, and was a nurse unto it.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And taking up the boy, Naomi placed him on her bosom, and she took on the duties of carrying him and nursing him.

New American Bible
Naomi took the boy, cradled him against her breast, and cared for him.

New Revised Standard Version
Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Naomi took the child, and laid him in her bosom, and became nurse to him.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Namei carried the boy and she laid him in her lap and she was a nursemaid to him
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Noemin took the child and laid it in her bosom, and became a nurse to it.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Boaz Marries Ruth
15He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.” 16And Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and became a nurse to him. 17The neighbor women said, “A son has been born to Naomi,” and they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse, the father of David.…

Cross References
Genesis 21:1-7
Now the LORD attended to Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised. / So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised. / And Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore to him. ...

1 Samuel 1:20-28
So in the course of time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the LORD.” / Then Elkanah and all his house went up to make the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow, / but Hannah did not go. “After the boy is weaned,” she said to her husband, “I will take him to appear before the LORD and to stay there permanently.” ...

2 Kings 4:17-37
But the woman did conceive, and at that time the next year she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her. / And the child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the harvesters. / “My head! My head!” he complained to his father. So his father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” ...

Genesis 30:22-24
Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb, / and she conceived and gave birth to a son. “God has taken away my shame,” she said. / She named him Joseph, and said, “May the LORD add to me another son.”

Exodus 2:1-10
Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, / and she conceived and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him for three months. / But when she could no longer hide him, she got him a papyrus basket and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in the basket and set it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. ...

1 Kings 17:17-24
Later, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill, and his sickness grew worse and worse, until no breath remained in him. / “O man of God,” said the woman to Elijah, “what have you done to me? Have you come to remind me of my iniquity and cause the death of my son?” / But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. ...

2 Samuel 4:4
And Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the report about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she was hurrying to escape, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.

Isaiah 49:15
“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!

Genesis 48:9-20
Joseph said to his father, “They are the sons God has given me in this place.” So Jacob said, “Please bring them to me, that I may bless them.” / Now Israel’s eyesight was poor because of old age; he could hardly see. Joseph brought his sons to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them. / “I never expected to see your face again,” Israel said to Joseph, “but now God has let me see your children as well.” ...

2 Timothy 1:5
I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am convinced is in you as well.

Luke 2:25-38
Now there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. / The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. / Led by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for Him what was customary under the Law, ...

Matthew 1:5-6
Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, / and Jesse the father of David the king. Next: David was the father of Solomon by Uriah’s wife,

Luke 1:57-66
When the time came for Elizabeth to have her child, she gave birth to a son. / Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they rejoiced with her. / On the eighth day, when they came to circumcise the child, they were going to name him after his father Zechariah. ...

1 Timothy 5:10
and well known for good deeds such as bringing up children, entertaining strangers, washing the feet of the saints, imparting relief to the afflicted, and devoting herself to every good work.

Acts 16:1-3
Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where he found a disciple named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman and a Greek father. / The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. / Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, so he took him and circumcised him on account of the Jews in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.


Treasury of Scripture

And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse to it.

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Ruth 4
1. Boaz calls into judgment the next kinsman
6. He refuses the redemption according to the manner in Israel
9. Boaz buys the inheritance
11. He marries Ruth
13. She bears Obed, the grandfather of David
18. The generations of Pharez unto David














And Naomi took the child
This phrase marks a significant moment in Naomi's life, symbolizing restoration and hope. The Hebrew word for "took" (לָקַח, laqach) often implies receiving or accepting something with purpose. Naomi, who had experienced profound loss, now embraces a new beginning through this child, Obed. This act signifies God's providence and the fulfillment of His promises, as Naomi's family line is renewed. Historically, this moment is pivotal, as Obed becomes the grandfather of King David, linking Naomi's account to the lineage of Christ.

placed him on her lap
The act of placing the child on her lap is deeply symbolic, representing acceptance and the nurturing role Naomi assumes. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, this gesture could signify adoption or claiming a child as one's own. The Hebrew culture placed great importance on family and lineage, and this act underscores Naomi's integral role in the continuation of her family line. It also reflects the communal nature of family in Israelite society, where extended family members often played vital roles in child-rearing.

and became a nurse to him
The phrase "became a nurse" indicates Naomi's commitment to care for and nurture the child. The Hebrew word for "nurse" (אָמַן, aman) can also mean to support or uphold, suggesting a deeper level of responsibility and love. This role is not merely physical but also spiritual and emotional, as Naomi imparts her faith and values to Obed. In the broader biblical narrative, this nurturing role highlights the importance of godly influence and mentorship in raising future generations. Naomi's transformation from a woman in despair to a joyful caregiver exemplifies God's redemptive power and the blessings that come from faithfulness and obedience.

(16) Nurse.--The verb (aman) here is that used in Isaiah 49:23, "and kings shall be thy nursing fathers." That ordinarily used for the natural nursing of a woman is different.

Verse 16. - And Naomi took the boy, and placed him in her bosom, and she became his foster-mother. She became his nurse in chief.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And Naomi
נָעֳמִ֤י (nā·‘o·mî)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 5281: Naomi -- mother-in-law of Ruth

took
וַתִּקַּ֨ח (wat·tiq·qaḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

the child,
הַיֶּ֙לֶד֙ (hay·ye·leḏ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3206: Something born, a lad, offspring

placed
וַתְּשִׁתֵ֣הוּ (wat·tə·ši·ṯê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7896: To put, set

him on her lap,
בְחֵיקָ֔הּ (ḇə·ḥê·qāh)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 2436: The bosom

and became
וַתְּהִי־ (wat·tə·hî-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

a nurse
לְאֹמֶֽנֶת׃ (lə·’ō·me·neṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 539: To confirm, support

to him.
ל֖וֹ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew


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OT History: Ruth 4:16 Naomi took the child and laid it (Ru Rut.)
Ruth 4:15
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