Mahlon

Biblical Account

Mahlon appears only in the Book of Ruth. According to Ruth 1:1-2, when a famine struck during the period of the judges, Elimelech, an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, moved to the country of Moab with his wife Naomi and his two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. After Elimelech died, the two sons married Moabite women. After they had lived there about ten years, Mahlon and Chilion also died (Ruth 1:3-5). The text does not explain why they died.

Ruth 1 does not say which daughter-in-law was married to which son. Only in Ruth 4:10, when Boaz declares that he has purchased "Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon" to be his wife, does it become clear that Ruth had been Mahlon's wife. For this reason, Orpah is understood to have been Chilion's wife. Because Mahlon is named first in Ruth 1:2, he is commonly regarded as the elder brother; however, Chilion is named first in Ruth 4:9, and the text never states directly which of the two was older.

Significance Within Scripture

Mahlon neither speaks nor acts in any scene. His death marks the beginning of the story in which Naomi loses both her husband and her two sons. He thus serves as part of the background that leads Ruth to follow her mother-in-law to Bethlehem.

In Ruth 4:9-10, Boaz buys from Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion, and takes Ruth as his wife. The stated purpose is "to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance." This scene is closely tied to the institution of the kinsman-redeemer. The New Testament does not mention Mahlon. The genealogy in Matthew 1:5 includes Boaz, Ruth, and Obed, but not Mahlon.

Interpretation and Issues

• Meaning of the name: "Mahlon" is commonly interpreted to mean "sickliness." Scholars, however, differ on its etymology.
• Cause of death: The text does not give a cause. Some works of Jewish tradition, such as the Targum of Ruth, are said to explain that the two sons died because they left the land of Israel and married foreign women. Some Christian preachers likewise read the move to Moab as a faithless choice. Other commentators, by contrast, treat such interpretations with caution, noting that the text itself passes no judgment.
• Whose son was Obed?: Ruth 4:10 presents the preservation of Mahlon's name as the purpose of the marriage. Yet the genealogies in Ruth 4:21 and Matthew 1:5 record Obed as the son of Boaz. Interpreters disagree on whether Obed should be regarded as Mahlon's legal heir.
• Later traditions: The Talmud is reported to contain an interpretation identifying Mahlon and Chilion with Joash and Saraph of 1 Chronicles 4:22. This tradition lies outside the biblical text.

In the Korean Church

Mahlon is mentioned chiefly as a background figure when the story of Ruth and Naomi is introduced in sermons on Ruth or in Sunday school lessons. Some sermons cite the meaning of his name ("sickliness") to illustrate the family's suffering. Sermons or hymns centered on Mahlon himself are rare.