ELIMELECH ĭ lĭm’ ə lĕk (אֱֽלִימֶ֡לֶכְ, God is King). A Bethlehemite, the husband of Naomi (Ruth 1:2), a head among the families of Judah. He went to Moab to sojourn because of a famine in his homeland. Two sons were born to him, Mahlon and Chilion, who after their father’s death married daughters of Moab. Mahlon married Ruth, but died shortly thereafter. Boaz, being of the same family with Elimelech (Ruth 2:1, 3), and by right of kinship, purchased from Naomi the land formerly belonging to Elimelech. He also married Ruth, the daughter-in-law of Elimelech (Ruth 4:3, 9). From this marriage came David, a great-grandson of Ruth and Boaz. By marriage, Ruth the Gentile was brought eventually into the line of promise from Abraham to Christ.