Illustration created for this project.
Chilion
A son of Elimelech and Naomi who married Orpah in Moab and died there.
What we know — and how we know it
Bible — stated in scripture (with verse) · 3
Scholarly — supported scholarly belief · 2
Origin & birthplace
Family & lineage
Death & legacy
ScholarlyRabbinic tradition reads the names of Mahlon and Chilion as omens of their fate, glossing Chilion as one who 'perished' from the world. This is midrashic wordplay, not independent historical attestation.
Tradition: Babylonian Talmud, Bava Batra 91b (etymological midrash on the brothers' names).
Name & titles
ScholarlyThe Hebrew name Kilyon derives from a root (k-l-h) connoting 'failing,' 'pining,' or 'wasting away,' fittingly ominous for a figure who dies young in Moab.
Onomastic point: Hebrew כִּלְיוֹן from k-l-h, 'to fail/come to an end.'
Where in scripture
RuthFamily
Places in their life
Photo: Neil Ward — CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)