Tafsiran Rut 1:9: Tze'enah Ure'enah, Malbim & Ibn Ezra

“May the Lord give you” [1:9]. God should give you and you should find security as a wife in your husband’s house. One can ask, why does it write “umzena,” meaning she, that one, that she should find? Why does it not write “umazenah”? This translates as: they should find, that is to say, both daughters-inlaw. However, the sages say that Naomi saw prophetically that only one daughter- in-law would find security, that is to say, Ruth and not Orpah. The same night that Orpah left Naomi, one hundred gentiles slept with her and Goliath the Philistine, who was a king, was born from her. From the merit that Orpah was worthy because of the forty steps that she took with Naomi, she had the merit that Goliath remained standing for forty days before Israel and King Saul, before he was killed.²⁹Yalkut Shimoni, I Samuel, Remez 126. However, his kingdom did not last long and soon fell into the hands of King David, who was a descendant of Ruth. They ask further: why does it have to promise that a woman should find security in the house of her husband? Why doesn’t it say, God should give you security wherever He wants? However, Rabbi Johanan says that we learn from this that a woman has no security except in the house of her husband.³⁰Yalkut Shimoni, Ruth, Remez 601. Some sages also say that Orpah slept that night with one hundred gentiles and a dog.³¹Ruth Rabbah, 2.20.

May He grant: And beyond that which He shall do kindness to you that you have coming, He should grant you a gift (even if it is not payment from the angle of a previous deed), "that you find security in the house of a husband." This is parallel to that which she said (in the previous verse), "return each of you to her mother’s house." As widows that do not want to remarry will make their own homes, like a woman who is the master of her own domain. But a widow who wants to marry will return to her father's house. However with idolaters who do not have pedigree from the father, she returns to her mother's house until she goes and marries a man. About this, she blessed them that they should find security, each woman in the house of her husband; that they should know no more bereavement and widowhood. Rather they should dwell with peaceful security; and that would be a gift from God. And she kissed them: A kiss of parting.

May God give to you. [May God give what to you?] A husband.