Orpah עׇרְפָּה
Naomi's daughter-in-law, stayed in Moab
Biography
Orpah was the daughter-in-law of Naomi and the wife of Chilion, one of Naomi's sons (Rut.1.4). She was a Moabite woman who married into a Hebrew family that had settled in Moab due to a famine in Judah (Rut.1.1-2). After the deaths of Naomi's husband and sons, Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem (Rut.1.6-7). Initially, both Orpah and Ruth, Naomi's other daughter-in-law, insisted on accompanying her (Rut.1.10). However, Naomi urged them to return to their own families in Moab (Rut.1.11-13). Orpah eventually agreed to stay in Moab, but Ruth remained steadfast in her commitment to Naomi (Rut.1.14). Orpah's decision to stay in Moab is contrasted with Ruth's loyalty and devotion to Naomi and her God (Rut.1.16-17). While Orpah is not mentioned again in the Bible, her brief appearance in the story of Ruth highlights the significant choice that Ruth made in following Naomi and embracing the God of Israel.
Family
In Scripture
1 biblical bookRuth 2 verses
- Ruth 1:4
"They took for themselves wives of the women of Moab. The name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other was Ruth. They lived there about ten years."
- Ruth 1:14
"They lifted up their voices and wept again; then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth stayed with her."
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | עׇרְפָּה | H6204 |
Orpah
4">Ru 1:4). Her name is supposed to be derived from the Hebrew word for "neck" (`oreph), and so to mean "stiff-necked" because of her turning-back from following her mother-in-law; others take it to mean "gazelle."
or'-fan: This word occurs once only in the Old Testament (La 5:3, where it stands for yathom, elsewhere rendered "fatherless," and in the Septuagint always orphanos); in the Apocrypha