Study it in the app“And all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, “Witnesses. May YHWH make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and like Leah, the two who built the house of Israel. Act with worth in Ephrathah and have renown in Bethlehem.”
And allוַ כָּלthe peopleהָעָםwhoאֲשֶׁרwereat the gateבַּשַּׁעַרand the eldersוְהַזְּקֵנִיםsaid,יֹּאמְרוּ“Witnesses.עֵדִיםMay YHWHיְהוָהmakeיִתֵּןthe womanאֶת הָאִשָּׁהwho is comingהַבָּאָהintoאֶלyour houseבֵּיתֶךָlike Rachelכְּרָחֵלand like Leah,וּכְלֵאָהthe twoשְׁתֵּיהֶםwhoאֲשֶׁרbuiltבָּנוּthe houseאֶת בֵּיתof Israel.יִשְׂרָאֵלActוַעֲשֵׂהwith worthחַיִלin Ephrathahבְּאֶפְרָתָהand have renownוּקְרָא שֵׁםin Bethlehem.בְּבֵית לָחֶם
crowd
The people gathered in a place: the crowd, or the troops that go out to war.
Where else “am” appearsgate
The entrance of a city or house, with doors that close.
Where else “shaar” appearselder
The senior men who led a city or the people.
Where else “zekenim” appearssay
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomru” appearswitness
Someone who vouches for what he saw; YHWH is one too.
Where else “edim” appearsYHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yehva” appearsmake
To make someone something: "I have made you a father".
Where else “yiten” appearswife
Literally "his woman": the one married to him.
Where else “isha” appearsenter
To go into a place.
Where else “baa” appearshousehold
The family, everyone living under one roof.
Where else “bete” appearsRachel
Rachel, younger daughter of Laban, Jacob's beloved wife; mother of Joseph and Benjamin. Her name means "ewe".
Where else “rachel” appearsLeah
Leah, elder daughter of Laban and Jacob's first wife; mother of six of his sons and of Dinah.
Where else “lea” appearsboth
The two together, both of them.
Where else “shete” appearsbuild
To raise a house, a city or an altar, setting stone on stone.
Where else “banu” appearsIsrael
Israel, the new name Jacob received from God, explained as "you have striven with God" (Genesis 32:28); then the name of the people that came from him and, after the division, of the northern kingdom.
Where else “yisrael” appearsdo
To carry out an act or to deal with someone in a certain way, for good or ill.
Where else “ase” appearsvalor
Strength and ability: the brave man in war, the capable and worthy person.
Where else “chayil” appearsEphrath
Ephrath, an old name of Bethlehem and its district.
Where else “efrata” appearsname
To give someone a name.
Where else “kera” appearsrenown
Fame, good name.
Where else “shem” appearsBethlehem
See it on the mapWhere else “vet” appearsBethlehem
Today: Bethlehem (Bayt Lahm), West Bank
A town in Judea, about 5.5 miles (9 km) south of Jerusalem.
Rachel died near it (Gen 35:19), Naomi and Ruth lived there (Ruth 1:1), and David was born there. Micah said a ruler would come from it, and Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Mic 5:2; Matt 2:1).
10And also Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, I have acquired for myself as wife, to raise up the name of the dead man on his inheritance, so that the name of the dead man may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses today.”
11 · This verse (above)
12And may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring that YHWH will give you from this young woman.”
