Bible Figure
Elimelech
human biblical character (Ruth)
Elimelech was Naomi's husband, a Bethlehemite who moved his family to Moab during a famine and died there before the events that brought Ruth into Israel.
Biography
Ruth 1 introduces Elimelech, Naomi, and their sons Mahlon and Kilion leaving Bethlehem in Judah because of famine and settling in Moab. Elimelech died there, and the sons married Ruth and Orpah before they too died. Naomi eventually returned to Bethlehem with Ruth. Elimelech's family property and lineage later became central to Boaz's role as kinsman-redeemer, culminating in the birth of Obed, grandfather of David.
Biblical Significance
Though Elimelech dies at the beginning of Ruth, his family line and property frame the book's themes of loss, redemption, covenant kindness, and the ancestry of David.