Husband of Naomi and father-in-law of Ruth the Moabitess. He was the father of Mahlon and Chilion.
About Elimelech
Man from Bethlehem who took his wife, Naomi, and his sons, Mahlon and Chilion, to sojourn in Moab because of famine in Judah (Ru 1:2–3). While in Moab, he died; then his sons also died; and Naomi decided to return to Judah. One daughter-in-law, Orpah, preferred to remain in Moab; the other, Ruth, chose to accompany Naomi. Boaz, a kinsman of Elimelech, bought Elimelech’s land and married Ruth (4:9–10). From this union came a great-grandson, David, and the royal line in which the Messiah would eventually be born. See Ruth, Book of.
Family Relationships
- Parents
- Caleb, Ephrathah
- Partner
- Naomi
- Children 2
- Mahlon, Chilion
- Uncles 4
- Ram, Jerahmeel, Segub (1 Chronicles 2:21), Ashhur
- Cousins 16
- Amminadab, Ram (1 Chronicles 2:25), Bunah, Oren, Ozem (1 Chronicles 2:25), Ahijah (1 Chronicles 2:25), Onam (1 Chronicles 2:26), Jair, Ahuzzam, Hepher (1 Chronicles 4:6), Temeni, Haahashtari, Zereth, Izhar (1 Chronicles 4:7), Ethnan, Koz
Key References
In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a certain man from Bethlehem in Judah, with his wife and two sons, went to reside in the land of Moab.
All Scripture References (6)
Ruth (6)
The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah, and they entered the land of Moab and settled there.
Then Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons,
Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, a prominent man of noble character from the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.
So Ruth departed and went out into the field and gleaned after the harvesters. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.
And he said to the kinsman-redeemer, “Naomi, who has returned from the land of Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech.
At this, Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I am buying from Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech, Chilion, and Mahlon.