Ruth 1:16–17: Ruth's Vow to Naomi Explained
Ruth's vow in 1:16–17 is a specific, costly pledge by a Moabite widow to a destitute older woman, sealed before Yahweh. It is the hinge of the book, not a formula for how love usually arrives.
Ruth 1:15–18: Ruth's Pledge to Naomi
Ruth's words to Naomi name the direction of her life rather than the rewards of it. The narrator records no divine promise here, only her resolve and Naomi's silence.