Orpah

Orpah appears in the opening of the book of Ruth as one of Naomi's two Moabite daughters-in-law. She has a marriage, a parting kiss, and then exits the narrative; her brief presence functions chiefly as the foil that throws Ruth's choice into relief.

The Marriage in Moab

When the famine drives Naomi's family to Moab, the two sons take Moabite wives: "And they took themselves wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelt there about ten years" (Ru 1:4). Orpah is named first. The pairing of the two women, side by side in a single verse, sets up the comparison the chapter will later draw out.

The Parting Kiss

After the deaths of Naomi's husband and sons, Naomi turns toward Judah and urges both daughters-in-law to return to their mothers' houses. The decisive moment splits them: "And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth stuck to her" (Ru 1:14). The two responses are placed in immediate contrast in the same verse. Orpah's kiss is a farewell; Ruth's clinging is a refusal to leave. After this verse, Orpah does not return to the narrative — she has done what Naomi told both women to do, and the rest of the book follows the daughter-in-law who would not.