Orpah

Orpah is a minor yet memorable figure from the Book of Ruth in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). The name is of Hebrew origin, meaning "back of the neck" or simply "neck", also sometimes interpreted as "fawn". Orpah was a Moabite woman who married Chilion, a son of Naomi and her husband Elimelech. After the deaths of both her husband and his brother, Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem from Moab and urged her two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, to remain in their homeland among their own people and gods. While Ruth famously clung to Naomi, Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye and returned to Moab (Ruth 1:14). This act of parting is depicted not as malice but as a natural choice, yet later Jewish tradition largely cast Orpah in a negative light.

Etymology and Biblical Context

The name Orpah (עָרְפָּה ʿOrpā in Hebrew) appears only twice in the Bible. Its meaning ties to physical anatomy (the nape) or possibly to the swift movement of a gazelle. The narrative emphasizes her familial loyalty initially: both Orpah and Ruth wept when Naomi urged them to stay. Only when Naomi insisted, pointing out she could provide no more sons for them to marry, did Orpah relent. Her choice contrasts with Ruth's famous declaration of allegiance: "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay" (Ruth 1:16).

Notable Bearers in Tradition

Although Orpah disappears from the biblical account after her return to Moab, rabbinic literature expanded her story dramatically. The Talmud (Sotah 42b) identifies Orpah with Harapha, the mother of four Philistine giants, including Goliath (based on 2 Samuel 21:16). According to this tradition, her four tears shed upon parting from Naomi were repaid with four formidable sons. Other midrashim portray her as immoral before her marriage, linking her name's connotation of embarrassment—turning the neck (i.e., being stiff-necked)—to wickedness. This largely negative assessment may stem from her willingness to return to the idolatrous customs of Moab.

Cultural and Historical Use

As a given name, Orpah has never been widespread. In English, the Latinized spelling Orpha appears rarely. The biblical rarity and the character's less-than-heroic portrayal have limited the name's popularity, though it has occasionally been used in modern times, especially in literary or religious contexts. Variants include 'Orpa in Biblical Hebrew and the English form Orpha.

• Meaning: "Back of the neck" or "fawn"
• Origin: Hebrew
• Type: Biblical female name
• Usage: English (Bible translation), rare