A person who lived in Bethlehem. As Naomi's husband, when he became poor, he abandoned his home, and his entire family migrated to Moab.
Ruth 1:1In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah went to live for a while in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.Ruth 1:2The 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 went to Moab and lived there.Ruth 1:3Now Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons.