2 Now followed the names of the immigrants (cf. the similar syntax, 1 Sam. 25:3). The husband was Elimelech, to Israelite ears probably “my God (Yahweh) is king” or “God is king.”23 Linguistically, the name was typical of the pre-monarchical era and not necessarily an invention of the narrator.24 It is possible that “my God is king” sounds the story’s theme—i.e., God the king will guide the events which follow—or simply derives from the firm religious convictions of the parents who bestowed it.25