There are three human issues in the narration of the prologue that transcend time: aloneness, hopelessness in suffering,86 and the plight of old age. Not only does Naomi suffer loneliness, but that loneliness is intensified in this short background narrative. Such loneliness is not unique to Naomi’s situation in ancient Moab, nor is the double bereavement of husband and children. These, unfortunately, find modern analogues.
