Orpah as Mother of Giants

b. Sotah 42b

220–600

About This Entry

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.

And they fell into the hands of David and his servants (2 Samuel 21:22). [Why? It is because of the acts of their forebears,] as it is written: And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, and Ruth cleaved to her (Ruth 1:14). R. Isaac says: The Holy One said: The children of the one who kissed [i.e., the four giants descended from Orpah] will come and fall into the hand of the children of the one who cleaved [i.e., David, who was descended from Ruth]. Rava taught: As a reward for the four tears that Orpah shed over her mother-in-law, she merited four mighty warriors descended from her, as it is stated: And they lifted up their voice and wept again (Ruth 1:14).

Translation adapted from the Noé Edition of the Koren Talmud Bavli.

Notes

Words in brackets appear in the original translation.

Credits

From Koren Talmud Bavli, Noé Edition, trans. Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz (Jerusalem: Koren Publishers Jerusalem, 2019). Accessed via the William Davidson digital edition, sefaria.org. Adapted with permission of Koren Publishers Ltd.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 2: Emerging Judaism.