In the biblical context, daughters-in-law hold a significant place within the family structure, often reflecting the dynamics of marriage, kinship, and faith. The role and relationships of daughters-in-law are illustrated through various narratives and laws in the Scriptures, providing insight into their importance in biblical times.

Old Testament References

One of the most notable daughters-in-law in the Bible is Ruth, a Moabite woman who married Mahlon, the son of Naomi and Elimelech. After the death of her husband, Ruth's loyalty to her mother-in-law, Naomi, is profoundly demonstrated in Ruth 1:16-17 : "But Ruth replied: 'Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.'" Ruth's commitment to Naomi and her subsequent marriage to Boaz highlight the potential for strong, faith-driven relationships between daughters-in-law and their in-laws.

Another significant mention is Tamar, the daughter-in-law of Judah. Her account, found in Genesis 38, reveals the complexities of levirate marriage, a practice where a brother-in-law marries the widow of his deceased brother to produce offspring in the brother's name. Tamar's determination to secure her rights and lineage through Judah underscores the legal and familial expectations placed upon daughters-in-law in ancient Israelite society.

New Testament References

In the New Testament, Jesus acknowledges the potential for tension within family relationships, including those involving daughters-in-law. In Matthew 10:35-36 , He states, "For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’" This passage reflects the reality that following Christ may lead to familial divisions, including those between daughters-in-law and their in-laws.

Cultural and Legal Context

The role of daughters-in-law in biblical times was often shaped by cultural and legal norms. The levirate marriage law, as seen in Deuteronomy 25:5-10, was one such regulation that directly impacted daughters-in-law, ensuring the continuation of a family line and the protection of widows. Additionally, daughters-in-law were expected to integrate into their husband's family, adopting their customs and religious practices, as exemplified by Ruth's acceptance of Naomi's people and God.

Spiritual Implications

The accounts of daughters-in-law in the Bible often carry spiritual implications, emphasizing themes of loyalty, faith, and redemption. Ruth's account, in particular, is a testament to God's providence and the inclusion of Gentiles into the covenant community, as she becomes the great-grandmother of King David and an ancestor of Jesus Christ. Her narrative illustrates how God can work through familial relationships to fulfill His divine purposes.

Overall, daughters-in-law in the Bible are portrayed in various lights, from loyal and faithful companions to figures involved in complex legal and familial situations. Their accounts contribute to the broader biblical themes of family, faith, and God's redemptive plan.(n.) Plural of Daughter-in-law.3618. kallah -- daughter-in-law, bride
... Word Origin from an unused word Definition daughter-in-law, bride NASB Word Usage
bride (15), brides (2), daughter-in-law (14), daughters-in-law (3). ...
/hebrew/3618.htm - 6k

Naomi is an Instance of a Widow Receiving Back from Her Daughter ...
... [3345] It is a great benefit both for the support and for the advantage of widows,
that they so train their daughters-in-law as to have in them a support in ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter vi naomi is an.htm

The Devotion of Ruth
... So she set out with her daughters-in-law to return from the land of Moab, for she
had heard that Jehovah had remembered his people and given them food. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/the devotion of ruth.htm

Ruth, the Gleaner
... Her thoughts went back to the time when she was as young and fair as the two
daughters-in-law who walked at her side"when with her husband and her two boys ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/steedman/the babe in the bulrushes/ruth the gleaner.htm

How under Eli's Government of the Israelites Booz Married Ruth ...
... However, her daughters-in-law were not able to think of parting with her; and when
they had a mind to go out of the country with her, she could not dissuade ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 9 how under elis.htm

The Story of Ruth, the Gleaner
... Ruth. But the two young men also died in the land of Moab; so that Naomi
and her two daughters-in-law were all left widows. Naomi ...
/.../marshall/the wonder book of bible stories/the story of ruth the.htm

Ruth and Naomi.
... So Naomi told her daughters-in-law to return to their own homes, because she could
not expect them to be willing to leave everything for her sake. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/anonymous/wee ones bible stories/ruth and naomi.htm

What Cain's Reason was for Building a City So Early in the History ...
... it was swept away by the deluge, with the exception of one just man, whose name
was Noah, and his wife and three sons and three daughters-in-law, which eight ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 8 what cains reason was.htm

Ruth
... Ruth, one of her daughters-in-law, accompanies her, in spite of Naomi's
earnest entreaty that she should remain in her own land. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/ruth.htm

But as to those who Think that not Here...
... [8283] But ye are bound to produce in the same place both our brothers, fathers,
children, mothers-in-law, daughters-in-law and those of our household, through ...
/.../tertullian/scorpiace antidote for the scorpions sting/chapter x but as to.htm

That the Ark which Noah was Ordered to Make Figures in Every ...
... say, to make an ark, in which he might be rescued from the destruction of the flood,
along with his family, ie, his wife, sons, and daughters-in-law, and along ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 26 that the ark which.htm

Daughters-in-law (5 Occurrences)
Daughters-in-law. Daughter's, Daughters-in-law. Daughter-towns . Noah Webster's
Dictionary ... Multi-Version Concordance Daughters-in-law (5 Occurrences). ...
/d/daughters-in-law.htm - 8k

Naomi (25 Occurrences)
... Naomi longs to return now to her own land, to Bethlehem. One of her widowed
daughters-in-law, Ruth, accompanies her, and is at length married to Boaz (qv). ...
/n/naomi.htm - 17k

Daughter-towns (17 Occurrences)
Daughter-towns. Daughters-in-law, Daughter-towns. Daunted . Multi-Version
Concordance ... (BBE). Daughters-in-law, Daughter-towns. Daunted . Reference Bible
/d/daughter-towns.htm - 12k

Daughter's (6 Occurrences)

/d/daughter's.htm - 8k

Kiss (39 Occurrences)
... Joseph and his father); Exodus 4:27 (Aaron and Moses); 18:7 (Moses and Jethro, united
with obeisance); Ruth 1:9, 14 (Naomi and her daughters-in-law-a farewell ...
/k/kiss.htm - 25k

Na'omi (21 Occurrences)
... Ruth 1:8 Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each of you to her
mother's house: Yahweh deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead ...
/n/na'omi.htm - 11k

Noah (55 Occurrences)
... to the command of the Lord, the living creatures that were to be preserved entered
into it; and then Noah and his wife and sons and daughters-in-law entered it ...
/n/noah.htm - 66k

Ruth (19 Occurrences)
... further ten years also died, and left Orpah and Ruth widows (Ruth 1:5). Naomi then
decided to return to Palestine, and her two daughters-in-law accompanied her ...
/r/ruth.htm - 26k

Mothers (27 Occurrences)
... Ruth 1:8 And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, Go back to your mothers' houses:
may the Lord be good to you as you have been good to the dead and to me ...
/m/mothers.htm - 14k

Providing (9 Occurrences)
... Ruth 1:6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the
country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that Yahweh had ...
/p/providing.htm - 9k

Does the Bible say anything about a pre-Adamic race? | GotQuestions.org

What can we learn from Ruth's loyalty to Naomi? | GotQuestions.org

Who / what were the Nephilim? | GotQuestions.org

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