Bible Word Study
אֱלִימֶלֶךְ
ʼĔlîymelek · Elimelek, an Israelite
אֱלִימֶלֶךְ
Elimelek, an Israelite
Definition
Elimelek is a proper name meaning 'My God is King' or 'God of the King.' He is a significant figure in the Book of Ruth as the husband of Naomi and father of Mahlon and Kilion. As a man from Bethlehem in Judah, his decision to move his family to Moab during a famine (Ruth 1:1-2) sets the entire narrative in motion. His death in Moab (Ruth 1:3) leaves his family vulnerable, creating the circumstances that lead to Ruth's loyalty and Boaz's role as kinsman-redeemer.
Biblical Usage
The name Elimelek is used exclusively in the Book of Ruth, appearing six times. It is used to identify him as Naomi's husband (Ruth 1:2, 1:3), to establish the family connection for Ruth (Ruth 2:1, 2:3), and as a legal reference in the property transaction between Boaz and the nearer kinsman (Ruth 4:3, 4:9). Its usage is strictly as a personal identifier within this family narrative.
Etymology
The name is a compound of two Hebrew words: 'El' (H410, אֵל), meaning 'God,' and 'melek' (H4428, מֶלֶךְ), meaning 'king.' It is a theophoric name, common in Israelite culture, which declares a theological truth about God's sovereignty. The construction can be read as a declarative sentence: 'My God is King.'
Semantic Range
Elimelek's name, 'My God is King,' presents a poignant irony within the story. His family leaves the 'house of bread' (Bethlehem) under God's kingship due to famine, seeking provision in a foreign land. This sets up a central theme of the book: God's faithful kingship and providence operating through seemingly tragic circumstances and human faithfulness (like Ruth's and Boaz's) to bring about redemption. Understanding his name deepens the contrast between human desperation and divine sovereignty. As an Israelite from Bethlehem of Judah, Elimelek was part of the tribe of Judah during the period of the judges. His decision to sojourn in Moab was culturally and religiously significant, as Moabites were often in conflict with Israel and worshipped other gods. This move, while perhaps pragmatic for survival, placed his family outside their covenant community, heightening the risk of cultural and religious assimilation, which makes the faithful actions of Ruth (a Moabitess) and Boaz all more remarkable. There are no direct synonyms for this proper name. Theologically, it relates to other theophoric names combining 'El' (God), such as Eliab (H446, אֱלִיאָב) — 'My God is Father,' or Ezekiel (H3168, יְחֶזְקֵאל) — 'God strengthens.'
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]