Who was Naomi in the Bible?

Last updated Jul 15, 2026

Published by Bible Direct Answers · Licensed under Citation License 1.0

Naomi was an Israelite woman from Bethlehem who moved to Moab during a famine, lost her husband and two sons there, and returned home with her daughter-in-law Ruth.

Ruth 1:2 in the King James Version reads:

And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.

The verse names Naomi and her family at the opening of the book of Ruth. Read it in context at Ruth 1:2, or the full chapter at Ruth 1. Encyclopedia entry: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naomi_(biblical_figure).

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