You may never have heard about Orpah but I’m sure that you have heard about Ruth, the Moabite daughter-in-law of Naomi who eventually married a rich landowner named Boaz.
Well, Orpah was also Naomi’s daughter-in-law. She, a Moabite
like Ruth, was married to one of Naomi’s sons but now both sons were dead and Naomi,
also widowed and without her sons, thought it best that if they were to have
any chance of survival, they should all return to their own people, she to the
Israelites and her daughters-in-law to their mothers.
Naomi told her
daughters-in-law, “Each of you should go back home to your mother. You have
been very kind to me and my sons who are now dead. So I pray that
the Lord will be just as kind to you. I pray that
the Lord will help each of you find a husband and a good home.” Naomi
kissed her daughters-in-law, and they all started crying. (Ruth
1:8-9 ERV)
Ruth clung to Naomi, but Orpah chose to go back home to her
mother.
Then Orpah kissed Naomi
goodbye, but Ruth hugged her and stayed. Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law
has gone back to her own people and her own gods. You should do the same.” (Ruth
1: 14-15 ERV)
We are not told anything more about Orpah after she went
back to her mother, all we can do is speculate about what may have become of
her.
In choosing to go back to what she’d left behind so long ago,
and the fact that she has faded into obscurity, we can only deduce that Orpah may
have gone back to living an idolatrous way of life.
Long story not too long…
The Moabites were descendants of Moab who was born of the incestuous
union between Lot and his eldest daughter (see Genesis 19:30-38) making the Israelites
and the Moabites relatives. Throughout the years, these two peoples experienced
much interaction through altercation, so there was much history between them.
In Numbers 22-24 we read about Moab as it plays a role in the
story of Balaam and the talking donkey and in the time of the judges there was a
considerable amount of travel between Judah and Moab.
It was in the days of the judges that Naomi’s husband,
Elimelech, had taken her and their two sons to Moab from Judah in an effort to
escape a famine; it was there that their sons met and married Ruth and Orpah.
Throughout the years there were many prophesies of
destruction levied against Moab because of their sin against God and His chosen
people. Isaiah 16:6 points out Moab’s prevailing sin aside from idolatry.
We have heard of
Moab’s pride how great is her arrogance! of her conceit, her pride and her
insolence; but her boasts are empty. (NIV)
And this is what Orpah chose to go back to despite having
lived with a family of Israelites, despite her exposure to Israel’s God.
Now, Orpah had every intention to go with Naomi to Judah as
she had initially left with her but with her mother-in-law entreating both she
and Ruth to return to Moab, she obviously had a change of heart, accepted Naomi’s
argument and turned back.
Naomi must have been very concerned not only about her own welfare
but that of both her daughters-in-law, as Judah would have held great uncertainty
for three widowed women, two of whom were young foreigners.
We can only imagine that her decision to return to her
mother, her own people and her gods would not have been made lightly, and we
can see from the text that she was indeed heartbroken to leave the people whom
she obviously loved deeply.
Orpah’s return to Moab signified her return to the Moabite culture
and customs and the estrangement from everything she may have learnt being in an
Israelite household – a return to the gods of Moab was a rejection of the God
of Israel.
Orpah must have known of the challenges she would face upon
her return to Moab but perhaps the thought of the ridicule she would be
subjected to as a young widow in a foreign land far outweighed the challenges
in her own homeland, making her choose what she considered the easy road, unwilling
to take that leap of faith.
It is not easy to step into uncertainty; it requires strong
faith to take a leap of faith and perhaps Orpah did not possess such faith.
What about you; are you willing to step into uncertainty, to
take a leap of faith into what is unfamiliar?
When faced with a difficult decision, do you choose to trust God and move forward on a new but seemingly bumpy road, or do you return to the road you’ve been on before?
On this Christian journey, challenges will arise, as Jesus
said,
“…in Me you may
have [perfect] peace. In the world you have
tribulation and distress and suffering, but be
courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have
overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.] (John
16:33 AMP)
It isn’t easy when you attempt to traverse this spiritual road
on your own but clinging to Jesus and following His lead in faith makes for a
much easier journey.
Trust in and rely
confidently on the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your
own insight or understanding. In all your ways
know and acknowledge and recognize Him, and He will make
your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your
way]. (Proverbs 3:5-6 AMP)
Beloved, we cannot afford to be Orpahs, we cannot afford to turn back to where we’ve come from because it seems easier, convenient, or familiar.
Orpah did not have the privilege of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection,
but you and I do so, we, by the power of His Spirit in us, need to master the
art of walking by faith and not by sight (ref. 2 Corinthians 5:7), trusting in
and relying confidently in our Lord to direct and establish our every step along
the way.
Amen †
Shelley Johnson “What about Orpah?” ©2026 June 8, 2026
