A unit ordained by God for the comfort and protection of its members. It is usually a group of relatives, but the people of God are also seen as a family. Passages gathered in the Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin H. Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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They replied, "The man questioned us in detail about ourselves and our family: 'Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?' And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, 'Bring your brother here'?"
These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family:
Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man must select a lamb for his family, one per household.
And Gilead's wife bore him sons who grew up, drove Jephthah out, and said to him, "You shall have no inheritance in our father's house, because you are the son of another woman."
Then Elkanah and all his house went up to make the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow,
David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal.
David also took the men who were with him, each with his household, and they settled in the towns near Hebron.
So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and there was food every day for Elijah and the woman and her household.
Thus the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house for three months, and the LORD blessed his household and everything he owned.
You will have plenty of goats' milk to feed you— food for your household and nourishment for your maidservants.
She rises while it is still night to provide food for her household and portions for her maidservants.
When His family heard about this, they went out to take custody of Him, saying, "He is out of His mind."
From now on, five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three.
At that hour of the night, the jailer took them and washed their wounds. And without delay, he and all his household were baptized. Then he brought them into his home and set a meal before them. So he and all his household rejoiced that they had come to believe in God.
If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
My master made me swear an oath and said, 'You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I dwell, but you shall go to my father's house and to my kindred to take a wife for my son.'
And he told me, 'The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you may take a wife for my son from my kindred and from my father's house.
And with the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob's family who went to Egypt were seventy in all.
Now Joseph and his father's household remained in Egypt, and Joseph lived to the age of 110.
"The Israelites are to camp around the Tent of Meeting at a distance from it, each man under his standard, with the banners of his family.
So the LORD said to Aaron, "You and your sons and your father's house must bear the iniquity involving the sanctuary. And you and your sons alone must bear the iniquity involving your priesthood.
When brothers dwell together and one of them dies without a son, the widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband's brother is to take her as his wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law for her.
The men said to her, "We will not be bound by this oath you made us swear unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother and brothers and all your family into your house.
So the young spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and settled them outside the camp of Israel.
And Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her father's household and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent to spy out Jericho. So she has lived among the Israelites to this day.
Then David said to Abiathar, "I knew that Doeg the Edomite was there that day, and that he was sure to tell Saul. I myself am responsible for the lives of everyone in your father's house.
Moreover, the LORD will raise up for Himself a king over Israel who will cut off the house of Jeroboam. This is the day—yes, even today!
When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs.
When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs of the house of Judah.
So the exiles did as proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were family heads, each of them identified by name, to represent their families. On the first day of the tenth month they launched the investigation,
So I took Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons—the entire house of the Rechabites—
Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "This is what the LORD God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: 'If you indeed surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned down, and you and your household will survive.
Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his court officials, to bring in some Israelites from the royal family and the nobility—
Doesn't the Scripture say that the Christ will come from the line of David and from Bethlehem, the village where David lived? "
This is what Moses had given to the clans of the half-tribe of Manasseh, that is, to half the tribe of the descendants of Manasseh:
Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father's house, so that no older man will be left in your house. You will see distress in My dwelling place. Despite all that is good in Israel, no one in your house will ever again reach old age.
And everyone left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a morsel of bread, pleading, "Please appoint me to some priestly office so that I can eat a piece of bread."'"
Then the LORD said to Samuel, "I am about to do something in Israel at which the ears of all who hear it will tingle. On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I have spoken about his family, from beginning to end. I told him that I would judge his house forever for the iniquity of which he knows, because his sons blasphemed God and he did not restrain them.
But one from her family line will rise up in his place, come against the army of the king of the North, and enter his fortress, fighting and prevailing.
In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting for God, for whom and through whom all things exist, to make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. For both the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. He says: "I will proclaim Your name to My brothers; I will sing Your praises in the assembly." And again: "I will put My trust in Him." And once again: "Here am I, and the children God has given Me." Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt:
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to the family of faith.
For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?
But his father and mother replied, "Can't you find a young woman among your relatives or among any of our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?" But Samson told his father, "Get her for me, for she is pleasing to my eyes."
By now Abraham was old and well along in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way. So Abraham instructed the chief servant of his household, who managed all he owned, "Place your hand under my thigh, and I will have you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am dwelling, but will go to my country and my kindred to take a wife for my son Isaac." The servant asked him, "What if the woman is unwilling to follow me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the land from which you came?" Abraham replied, "Make sure that you do not take my son back there. The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me from my father's house and my native land, who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, 'To your offspring I will give this land'—He will send His angel before you so that you can take a wife for my son from there. And if the woman is unwilling to follow you, then you are released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there."
My master made me swear an oath and said, 'You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I dwell,
Then Rebekah said to Isaac, "I am weary of my life because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a Hittite wife from among them, what good is my life?"
Now Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram to take a wife there, commanding him, "Do not marry a Canaanite woman," and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and gone to Paddan-aram. And seeing that his father Isaac disapproved of the Canaanite women, Esau went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Abraham's son Ishmael, in addition to the wives he already had.
None of you are to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the LORD. You must not expose the nakedness of your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have sexual relations with her. You must not have sexual relations with your father's wife; it would dishonor your father. You must not have sexual relations with your sister, either your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere. You must not have sexual relations with your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter, for that would shame your family. You must not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father's wife, born to your father; she is your sister. You must not have sexual relations with your father's sister; she is your father's close relative. You must not have sexual relations with your mother's sister, for she is your mother's close relative.
If a man marries his sister, whether the daughter of his father or of his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace. They must be cut off in the sight of their people. He has uncovered the nakedness of his sister; he shall bear his iniquity.
You must not have sexual relations with the sister of your mother or your father, for it is exposing one's own kin; both shall bear their iniquity. If a man lies with his uncle's wife, he has uncovered the nakedness of his uncle. They will bear their sin; they shall die childless. If a man marries his brother's wife, it is an act of impurity. He has uncovered the nakedness of his brother; they shall be childless.
'Cursed is he who sleeps with his father's wife, for he has violated his father's marriage bed.' And let all the people say, 'Amen!' 'Cursed is he who lies with any animal.' And let all the people say, 'Amen!' 'Cursed is he who sleeps with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.' And let all the people say, 'Amen!' 'Cursed is he who sleeps with his mother-in-law.' And let all the people say, 'Amen!'
Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife,
For Herod himself had ordered that John be arrested and bound and imprisoned, on account of his brother Philip's wife Herodias, whom Herod had married.
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is intolerable even among pagans: A man has his father's wife. And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been stricken with grief and have removed from your fellowship the man who did this? Although I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, and I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, along with the power of the Lord Jesus, hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the Day of the Lord.
When brothers dwell together and one of them dies without a son, the widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband's brother is to take her as his wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law for her. The first son she bears will carry on the name of the dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel. But if the man does not want to marry his brother's widow, she is to go to the elders at the city gate and say, "My husband's brother refuses to preserve his brother's name in Israel. He is not willing to perform the duty of a brother-in-law for me." Then the elders of his city shall summon him and speak with him. If he persists and says, "I do not want to marry her," his brother's widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, remove his sandal, spit in his face, and declare, "This is what is done to the man who will not maintain his brother's line." And his family name in Israel will be called "The House of the Unsandaled."
Then Judah said to Onan, "Sleep with your brother's wife. Perform your duty as her brother-in-law and raise up offspring for your brother." But Onan knew that the offspring would not belong to him; so whenever he would sleep with his brother's wife, he would spill his seed on the ground so that he would not produce offspring for his brother. What he did was wicked in the sight of the LORD, so He put Onan to death as well.
Then her mother-in-law asked her, "Where did you glean today, and where did you work? Blessed be the man who noticed you." So she told her mother-in-law where she had worked. "The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz," she said. Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "May he be blessed by the LORD, who has not withdrawn His kindness from the living or the dead." Naomi continued, "The man is a close relative. He is one of our kinsman-redeemers. "
Meanwhile, Boaz went to the gate and sat down there. Soon the kinsman-redeemer of whom he had spoken came along, and Boaz said, "Come over here, my friend, and sit down." So he went over and sat down. Then Boaz took ten of the elders of the city and said, "Sit here," and they did so. And he said to the kinsman-redeemer, "Naomi, who has returned from the land of Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech. I thought I should inform you that you may buy it back in the presence of those seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you want to redeem it, do so. But if you will not redeem it, tell me so I may know, because there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you." "I will redeem it," he replied. Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the land from Naomi and also from Ruth the Moabitess, you must also acquire the widow of the deceased in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance." The kinsman-redeemer replied, "I cannot redeem it myself, or I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption, because I cannot redeem it." Now in former times in Israel, concerning the redemption or exchange of property, to make any matter legally binding a man would remove his sandal and give it to the other party, and this was a confirmation in Israel. So the kinsman-redeemer removed his sandal and said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself."
That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and questioned Him. "Teacher," they said, "Moses declared that if a man dies without having children, his brother is to marry the widow and raise up offspring for him. Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died without having children. So he left his wife to his brother. The same thing happened to the second and third brothers, down to the seventh. And last of all, the woman died. In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be of the seven? For all of them were married to her." Jesus answered, "You are mistaken because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. In the resurrection, people will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like the angels in heaven.
Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and questioned Him: "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man is to marry his brother's widow and raise up offspring for him. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died, leaving no children. Then the second one married the widow, but he also died and left no children. And the third did likewise. In this way, none of the seven left any children. And last of all, the woman died. In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be? For all seven were married to her." Jesus said to them, "Aren't you mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like the angels in heaven.
Then some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to question Him. "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man is to marry his brother's widow and raise up offspring for him. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a wife, but died childless. Then the second and the third married the widow, and in the same way all seven died, leaving no children. And last of all, the woman died. So then, in the resurrection, whose wife will she be? For all seven were married to her." Jesus answered, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.
Now the daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, belonged to the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. These were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They approached the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and the whole congregation, and said, "Our father died in the wilderness, but he was not among the followers of Korah who gathered together against the LORD. Instead, he died because of his own sin, and he had no sons. Why should the name of our father disappear from his clan because he had no sons? Give us property among our father's brothers." So Moses brought their case before the LORD, and the LORD answered him, "The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly. You certainly must give them property as an inheritance among their father's brothers, and transfer their father's inheritance to them. Furthermore, you shall say to the Israelites, 'If a man dies and leaves no son, you are to transfer his inheritance to his daughter.
If your brother becomes impoverished and sells some of his property, his nearest of kin may come and redeem what his brother has sold. Or if a man has no one to redeem it for him, but he prospers and acquires enough to redeem his land, he shall calculate the years since its sale, repay the balance to the man to whom he sold it, and return to his property. But if he cannot obtain enough to repay him, what he sold will remain in possession of the buyer until the Year of Jubilee. In the Jubilee, however, it is to be released, so that he may return to his property.
And he also had seven sons and three daughters. He named his first daughter Jemimah, his second Keziah, and his third Keren-happuch. No women as beautiful as Job's daughters could be found in all the land, and their father granted them an inheritance among their brothers.
Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and arrayed themselves for battle in the Valley of Siddim against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some men fell into the pits, but the survivors fled to the hill country. The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food, and they went on their way. They also carried off Abram's nephew Lot and his possessions, since Lot was living in Sodom. Then an escapee came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the Oaks of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshcol and Aner, all of whom were bound by treaty to Abram. And when Abram heard that his relative had been captured, he mobilized the 318 trained men born in his household, and they set out in pursuit as far as Dan. During the night, Abram divided his forces and routed Chedorlaomer's army, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.
Just then the Cushite came and said, "May my lord the king hear the good news: Today the LORD has avenged you of all who rose up against you!" The king asked the Cushite, "Is the young man Absalom all right?" And the Cushite replied, "May what has become of the young man happen to the enemies of my lord the king and to all who rise up against you to harm you." The king was shaken and went up to the gate chamber and wept. And as he walked, he cried out, "O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!"
But Naomi replied, "Return home, my daughters. Why would you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb to become your husbands? Return home, my daughters. Go on, for I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear sons, would you wait for them to grow up? Would you refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me." Again they wept aloud, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her. "Look," said Naomi, "your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; follow her back home." 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." When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to persuade her.
So I stationed men behind the lowest sections of the wall, at the vulnerable areas. I stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and bows.
When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. More than forty of them were involved in this plot. They went to the chief priests and elders and said, "We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him down to you on the pretext of examining his case more carefully. We are ready to kill him on the way." But when the son of Paul's sister heard about the plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul. Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him." So the centurion took him to the commander and said, "Paul the prisoner sent and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you." The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside, and asked, "What do you need to tell me?"
Honor the widows who are truly widows. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to show godliness to their own family and repay their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.