Elimelech
A man of Bethlehem who, when famine struck, took his wife Naomi and their two sons to live in the country of Moab. He died there, and so in time did both sons, leaving Naomi with her two Moabite daughters-in-law and no one to provide for her. His name and his family's land are what set the book of Ruth in motion: it is Elimelech's field that Naomi sells and Boaz redeems, together with Ruth, so that the dead man's name should not be cut off.
What we know — and how we know it
Where in scripture
RuthThe name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem Judah. They came into the country of Moab, and lived there.
Ruth 1:2 — Goes to Moab
Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left with her two sons.
Ruth 1:3
Naomi had a relative of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz.
Ruth 2:1
She went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.
Ruth 2:3
He said to the near kinsman, “Naomi, who has come back out of the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s.
Ruth 4:3
Boaz said to the elders, and to all the people, “You are witnesses today, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi.
Ruth 4:9
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.
Family
Places in their life
Photo: Neil Ward — CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)