We continue today with our review of the Old Testament discovering the names of the biblical heroines, telling their meaning and remembering their lives full of emotions and teachings. We also hope that these precious female names inspire you if you are deciding who will have your baby.
I must tell you that I am enjoying this series of articles very much. I had read the Bible for years but I did not remember all the stories well and rediscovering them to tell you is bringing me back to this fascinating book, sometimes terrible and full of knowledge. In addition, by the way, my son is also learning a lot.
We stayed in the Book of Judges, although we jumped to tell you about the mother of the prophet Samuel. Now we go back, because we cannot fail to name one of those women of bad reputation and powerful will that also appear in the Bible: Delilah.
Then we will continue with the Book of Ruth, one of the oldest in the Bible and possibly one of the most tender. We will tell you about Ruth and Naomi.
Delilah
Samson was a hero of Herculean strength and indomitable will that had faced the Philistines, enemies of Israel, and on numerous occasions always beating them. His power came from God, whom his mother had consecrated by having him in his womb and, therefore, he had to fulfill a series of precepts throughout his life: not to cut his hair, not to drink wine and be faithful to the divine mandates.
But Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah and she was tempted by the Philistines who offered her a lot of money if she seduced and betrayed him. She agreed and became his partner.
As proof of love night after night Delilah he demanded Samson to trust her and tell her where the secret of her superhuman strength lay. Finally he gave up and told him: he couldn't cut his hair. While he was sleeping Delilah laid him on his knees and cut off his seven braids, tying him tightly and, when he woke up and his enemies fell on him he could not face them and was defeated. We do not know what would become of Delilah after his betrayal.
The name of Delilah it comes from the Hebrew DELILAH, which can mean weak and / or longing, it depends on the vowels, which in principle in Hebrew are "hidden" when writing. It is usually translated as "debilitating," history and meaning may not be suggestive, but of course the name is precious.
Naomi and Ruth
Naomi She was a Hebrew married to a man named Elimélech, from the tribe of Judah. With her husband and two sons, she emigrated to Moab due to a famine in her place of origin. There he lived many years and his children ended up marrying women from the region who were not Hebrews. But, after the time, both the husband and the children died, leaving Naomi without a direct family to take care of her in her old age.
Naomi he changed his name, which means "worthy of being loved" or "nice" and wanted to be known as Mara, due to his misfortune, because that word means "bitter."
Naomi decided to return to her village, Bethlehem, and said goodbye to her daughters-in-law, whom she loved very much, advising them to return to their parents' house and continue with their lives, marry again and have their own children. One of them, Orpa, whose name means "rigid" or "turning its back" agreed and left, but left sad. But the other daughter-in-law, RuthHe refused to leave her and promised to stay by her side as her daughter was, taking care of her and worrying that she would not lack livelihood even though they were completely poor.
It is then when in Ruth's book we can find one of the most cited passages in the Bible and, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful. This is what Ruth tells her mother-in-law when she tries to convince her to move away from her side.
Do not beg me to leave you, and to separate myself from you: because wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.
Arrivals in Bethlehem, Naomi he told Ruth to go to the fields of a rich landowner with whom her late husband was related. This relative was Boaz, son of Salmon and Rahab, the one who had been the prostitute who helped in the taking of Jericho of which I already told you.
Ruth gleaned the fields of Boaz, that is, walked behind the workers who gathered the grain harvest, picking up what they dropped. Boaz, aware of his sad story and his virtuous behavior with his mother-in-law, made her be treated well, not bothered and fed.
Finally Naomi he advised Ruth that he went to the era at night, when the men slept there after hard work and curled up at Boaz's feet, as a sign of being under his protection.
Boaz finally fell in love with the simplicity and strength of the young woman Ruth and decided to marry her, even though she was not a Hebrew by birth, being Obed's parents, to whom Naomi He took care as if he were her true grandmother since she would not have grandchildren of her own. In addition, this Obed will be the great-grandfather of King David and, through Solomon, ancestor according to the genealogies offered to us in the New Testament, of Jesus, for whom, as we have seen, the grandmothers' past did not matter.
Ruth's name it translates as "friendship" or "companion" and, the truth, in addition to being a beautiful name has behind a woman worthy of admiration.
We will continue reading the Old Testament and offering the most beautiful stories of his heroines, telling the meaning of those lovely female names so you can value them if you are looking for one for your babies.
In Babies and more | Female names for babies: Old Testament characters (I), (II) and (III), (IV), (V)
