Orpah as Mother of Giants

The book of Ruth contrasts the behavior of Ruth and Orpah, Naomi’s two daughters-in-law. When Naomi’s sons die, their Moabite wives are left widowed and childless, as is Naomi. When Naomi entreats her daughters-in-law to return to their fathers’ houses, Orpah takes leave of Naomi, while Ruth clings to her (Ruth 1:14). Eventually, Ruth returns to the land of Judah and bears a son, who is the grandfather of King David (Ruth 4:17–21). Although the biblical text presents Orpah’s decision to return to her father’s house neutrally, her legacy as preserved in later retellings is largely negative. According to traditions found in Pseudo-Philo’s Biblical Antiquities and rabbinic midrash, Orpah’s progeny include the Philistine giant Goliath, against whom David fights in 1 Samuel 17.