Orpah served as a literary foil to Ruth

[tonychanyt]

Oxford, foil:

a person or thing that contrasts with, and therefore emphasizes, the qualities of another person or thing

After Naomi's husband and sons died in Moab, she decided to return to the promised land. Her two daughters-in-law accompanied her. Ruth 1:

8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The Lord grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 10 And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.”

Initially, both wanted to join Naomi on her journey. However, Naomi wanted to test their resolve:

11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. … 14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

Naomi explained to them that their prospects of getting a husband were not good. Orpah gave up the journey, but Ruth insisted on following her mother-in-law tightly. That's the contrast.

15 And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”

Naomi tested Ruth again using the foil this time, but Ruth declared:

16b “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” 18 And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.

Ruth passed the tests.

Orpah’s departure amplifies Ruth’s steadfastness. Orpah represents a path of pragmatism and convenience. Ruth, by contrast, embodies unwavering loyalty and a willingness to embrace the unknown. Orpah’s character in the story serves not only as a literary device but also as a reflection of human choices. Vertically, this dynamic sets the stage for Ruth’s pivotal role in the story, where her faithfulness leads to her inclusion in the lineage of King David and, ultimately, the Messiah in the NT. Orpah, in her absence, becomes the shadow that makes Ruth’s light shine brighter. Don't be like Orpah, but be like Ruth