Several commentators see the deaths of Elimelech and his sons as a direct consequence of their decision to leave Judah and intermarry with Moabites. John Gill cites an ancient Jewish interpretation (the Targum) stating their days were cut off for transgressing God's law. Matthew Henry frames the entire tragedy as the result of the initial, unjustified move to Moab, a warning about the potential ruin that follows compromising choices.