2545. chamoth
Lexical Summary
chamoth: Mother-in-law

Original Word: חֲמוֹת
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: chamowth
Pronunciation: khaw-moth'
Phonetic Spelling: (kham-oth')
KJV: mother in law
NASB: mother-in-law
Word Origin: [feminine of H2524 (חָם - father-in-law)]

1. a mother-in-law

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
mother in law

Or (shortened) chamoth {kham-oth'}; feminine of cham; a mother-in-law -- mother in law.

see HEBREW cham

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
fem. of cham
Definition
husband's mother
NASB Translation
mother-in-law (11).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[חָמוֺת] noun feminine husband's mother (Late Hebrew חָמוֺת, Aramaic חֲמָתָא; Arabic husband's mother; Assyrian êmêtu, ZimBP 48; Ethiopic ) — only suffix חֲמוֺתֵךְ Ruth 2:11; Ruth 3:17; חֲמוֺתָהּ Ruth 1:14 7t.; חֲמֹתָהּ Micah 7:6; — of Naomi Ruth 1:14; Ruth 2:11,18,19 (twice in verse); Ruth 2:23; Ruth 3:1,6,16,17; בַּת קָמָ֫ה בְאִמָּ֔הּ כַּלָּה בַּחֲמֹתָהּ Micah 7:6.

Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Range

חֲמוֹת identifies the mother of one’s spouse. Scripture employs the term exclusively for the older woman who stands in authority, need, and covenant relationship to her daughter- or son-in-law.

Occurrences in Scripture

Ruth 1:14 – Ruth cleaves to Naomi, her חֲמוֹת, in a pledge of lifelong covenant.
Ruth 2:11, 18-19 (twice), 23 – Naomi’s welfare is the motive for Ruth’s labor; “She brought out and gave her what she had saved after she was satisfied” (Ruth 2:18).
Ruth 3:1, 6, 16-17 – Naomi directs Ruth toward redemption: “My daughter, should I not seek a resting place for you, that it may be well with you?” (Ruth 3:1).
Micah 7:6 – A society under judgment is portrayed where “a daughter-in-law rises against her mother-in-law.”

Ten occurrences in Ruth celebrate familial loyalty; the solitary use in Micah warns of relational breakdown.

Cultural Background

Israelite households were multigenerational. Upon marriage a woman left her natal family and came under the oversight of her חֲמוֹת. The mother-in-law taught household skills, covenant customs, and corporate worship. In return she received labor, honor, and eventual support in widowhood (Ruth 2:18; 4:15). The Levirate context (Deuteronomy 25:5-10) left the mother-in-law’s lineage and property dependent on a faithful daughter-in-law and a willing kinsman-redeemer.

Theological Themes

1. Covenant Loyalty (ḥesed)

Ruth’s devotion to Naomi exemplifies God-like steadfast love. Her famous confession, “Your people will be my people and your God will be my God” (Ruth 1:16), is addressed to a mother-in-law, showing that covenant extends beyond bloodlines.

2. Redemption and Legacy

Through Naomi’s guidance, Ruth meets Boaz, ensuring Naomi an heir and securing the Davidic line. The mother-in-law becomes a channel of messianic promise.

3. Blessing versus Curse

Micah contrasts Ruth’s harmony with end-times strife: family roles, including that of חֲמוֹת, disintegrate under sin. Jesus cites the passage in Matthew 10:35, preparing disciples for divisions the Gospel will expose.

Messianic and New Testament Connections

Naomi and Ruth sit within the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5). Their account anticipates the Gentile inclusion and the sacrificial love that marks Christ’s community. When Jesus quotes Micah 7:6 He affirms both the reality of familial tension for His followers and the ultimate loyalty owed to Him above even cherished in-law bonds.

Pastoral Implications

• Family Ministry: Encourage couples to honor and care for aging in-laws, reflecting Ruth 4:15, “He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age.”
• Women’s Discipleship: Older women, like Naomi, can guide younger women toward righteous living (cf. Titus 2:3-5) and trust God’s provision.
• Cross-Cultural Fellowship: The Moabite-Israelite union models how faith transcends ethnicity and past hostilities.
• Perseverance Amid Division: Micah 7:6 arms believers with realistic expectations, while Ruth offers hope that God can turn familial sorrow into redemptive joy.

Conclusion

חֲמוֹת crystallizes both the beauty and the potential strain of extended family life. In Ruth it shines as a vessel of covenant mercy and redemptive history; in Micah it warns of the relational chaos birthed by rebellion. Together the passages call believers to Christ-like fidelity within households, trusting God to weave even ordinary in-law relationships into His extraordinary plan of salvation.

Forms and Transliterations
בַּחֲמֹתָ֑הּ בחמתה חֲמוֹתֵ֔ךְ חֲמוֹתֵֽךְ׃ חֲמוֹתָ֑הּ חֲמוֹתָ֔הּ חֲמוֹתָ֖הּ חֲמוֹתָ֜הּ חֲמוֹתָֽהּ׃ חמותה חמותה׃ חמותך חמותך׃ לַחֲמוֹתָ֔הּ לַחֲמוֹתָ֗הּ לחמותה ba·ḥă·mō·ṯāh bachamoTah baḥămōṯāh chamoTah chamoTech ḥă·mō·w·ṯāh ḥă·mō·w·ṯêḵ ḥămōwṯāh ḥămōwṯêḵ la·ḥă·mō·w·ṯāh lachamoTah laḥămōwṯāh
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Ruth 1:14
HEB: וַתִּשַּׁ֤ק עָרְפָּה֙ לַחֲמוֹתָ֔הּ וְר֖וּת דָּ֥בְקָה
NAS: kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth
KJV: kissed her mother in law; but Ruth
INT: kissed and Orpah her mother-in-law Ruth clung

Ruth 2:11
HEB: עָשִׂית֙ אֶת־ חֲמוֹתֵ֔ךְ אַחֲרֵ֖י מ֣וֹת
NAS: that you have done for your mother-in-law after
KJV: me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since
INT: have done for your mother-in-law after the death

Ruth 2:18
HEB: הָעִ֔יר וַתֵּ֥רֶא חֲמוֹתָ֖הּ אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁר־
NAS: into the city, and her mother-in-law saw
KJV: into the city: and her mother in law saw
INT: the city saw mother-in-law what had gleaned

Ruth 2:19
HEB: וַתֹּאמֶר֩ לָ֨הּ חֲמוֹתָ֜הּ אֵיפֹ֨ה לִקַּ֤טְתְּ
NAS: Her mother-in-law then said
KJV: And her mother in law said
INT: said her mother-in-law to her Where glean

Ruth 2:19
HEB: בָּר֑וּךְ וַתַּגֵּ֣ד לַחֲמוֹתָ֗הּ אֵ֤ת אֲשֶׁר־
NAS: So she told her mother-in-law with whom
KJV: of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought,
INT: of you be blessed told her mother-in-law whom worked

Ruth 2:23
HEB: וַתֵּ֖שֶׁב אֶת־ חֲמוֹתָֽהּ׃
NAS: And she lived with her mother-in-law.
KJV: and dwelt with her mother in law.
INT: lived with her mother-in-law

Ruth 3:1
HEB: לָ֖הּ נָעֳמִ֣י חֲמוֹתָ֑הּ בִּתִּ֞י הֲלֹ֧א
NAS: Then Naomi her mother-in-law said
KJV: Then Naomi her mother in law said
INT: said Naomi her mother-in-law to her my daughter not

Ruth 3:6
HEB: אֲשֶׁר־ צִוַּ֖תָּה חֲמוֹתָֽהּ׃
NAS: according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded
KJV: and did according to all that her mother in law bade
INT: after had commanded her mother-in-law

Ruth 3:16
HEB: וַתָּבוֹא֙ אֶל־ חֲמוֹתָ֔הּ וַתֹּ֖אמֶר מִי־
NAS: When she came to her mother-in-law, she said,
KJV: And when she came to her mother in law, she said,
INT: came to her mother-in-law said How

Ruth 3:17
HEB: רֵיקָ֖ם אֶל־ חֲמוֹתֵֽךְ׃
NAS: Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.'
KJV: not empty unto thy mother in law.
INT: empty nay to your mother-in-law

Micah 7:6
HEB: בְאִמָּ֔הּ כַּלָּ֖ה בַּחֲמֹתָ֑הּ אֹיְבֵ֥י אִ֖ישׁ
NAS: Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man's
KJV: the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man's
INT: her mother Daughter-in-law her mother-in-law enemies A man's

11 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 2545
11 Occurrences


ba·ḥă·mō·ṯāh — 1 Occ.
ḥă·mō·w·ṯāh — 6 Occ.
ḥă·mō·w·ṯêḵ — 2 Occ.
la·ḥă·mō·w·ṯāh — 2 Occ.

2544
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