‘ And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother's house YHWH deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead, and with me. May YHWH grant you that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voice, and wept.'
When they had reach a certain point, possibly at the crossing of the Arnon which divided Moab from the territory of Reuben, Naomi encouraged her two daughters-in-law to return to their family homes. She prayed that in view of the loyalty they had shown to her and her dead sons, YHWH would deal kindly with them. But she was well aware that in returning to their homes they would also be returning to their national god, Chemosh (Ruth 1:15). There would now be no one to lead them in the way of YHWH. Nevertheless she prayed that YHWH may provide them with good husbands, so that they would find contentment in their new homes.
“Return each of you to her mother” s house.' Normally we would expect reference to be made to ‘her father's house'. The emphasis may be on the fact that they are again to take shelter in the women's quarters, which would be presided over by their mothers, thereby demonstrating that they were once more available. This would often be where marriages were initially arranged and where the future bridegroom came to discuss the wedding, which may by tradition have been mainly the responsibility of the mother (compare Genesis 24:28; Song of Solomon 3:4; Song of Solomon 8:2).