‘ And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people, and to her god. Return you after your sister-in-law.'
Naomi pointed out to Ruth that her sister-in-law had taken her advice and had gone back to her people ‘and to her god' (the Moabite god Chemosh). And she urges Ruth to do the same. Naomi recognised that she had sent Orpah back to the worship of Chemosh, and it is clear that the writer wants us to see that Naomi was in a poor spiritual condition. Her concern was for the physical needs of her daughters-in-law not their spiritual needs. Both Orpah and Ruth might have been lost to Yahwism.