Naomi’s Strategy: Naomi is Ruth’s mother-in-law (khamot, 2:23). This feminine form of kham (“father-in-law”) is widely perceived by lexicographers to be a nominal derivative of the unattested verb *khamah. Cognates of this word appear in extrabiblical literature (Arabic khamay, “to protect, defend”; OSA ?mh, “sacred precinct, protective association”), and the root idea seems to be protection, shelter, or refuge. An Arabic attorney, for example, is a mu?amin (“protector”), while an Egyptian “protector” is a ?my. Hebrew khamot stands in this same semantic field, as does the term khomah (“wall”). Naomi sees herself as Ruth’s wall of defense.

3:1 Naomi returns to her earlier concern (see 1:9), My daughter, should I not try to find [lit. seek] a home for you? assuming the responsibility of “seek…