ôr´pa ( ערפּה , ‛orpāh ; for meaning see below): A M oabitess, wife of Mahlon, son of Elimelech and Naomi. Unlike her sister Ruth she returned to her own people after escorting Naomi on her way to Judah (Rth 1:4 ff). Her name is supposed to be derived from the Hebrew word for "neck" (ערף , ‛ōreph ), and so to mean "stiff-necked" because of her turning-back from following her mother-in-law; others take it to mean "gazelle."
Source
- part_of
source-manifest/isbe— ISBE (PD)