H2859a H2859a
father-in-law (wife's father); mother-in-law (wife's mother)
Senses
1. father-in-law (wife's father) — The masculine construct noun חֹתֵן denoting a wife's father, i.e. father-in-law. Derived from Arabic خَاتِنٌ 'circumciser,' reflecting the ancient custom of circumcision performed by the father-in-law. Used predominantly of Jethro/Reuel as Moses' father-in-law (Exod 3:1; 4:18; 18:1-2, 5-8, 12, 14-15, 17, 24, 27) and of Hobab as Moses' father-in-law (Num 10:29; Judg 1:16; 4:11; 19:4, 7, 9). Appears in construct חֹתֵן 'father-in-law of,' with suffixes חֹתְנוֹ 'his father-in-law' and חֹתֶנְךָ 'your father-in-law,' and with prepositions (לְחֹתְנוֹ 'to his father-in-law'). These are all inflectional forms of one sense. Multilingual glosses: Arabic حَمُو/حَمِي (father-in-law), German Schwiegervater, Korean 장인 (father-in-law), Spanish suegro, Hindi ससुर (father-in-law), French beau-pere. 21×
AR["حَمي","حَمُو","حَمُوهُ","حَمِي","حَمِيهِ","لِ-حَمِيهِ"]·ben["তাঁর-শ্বশুর","তাঁর-শ্বশুরের","তার-শ্বশুরকে","তার-শ্বশুরের","শ্বশুর","শ্বশুরের"]·DE["-der-Vater-in-Gesetz-von","Vater-in-Gesetz-von","sein-Vater-in-Gesetz","zu-sein-Vater-in-Gesetz"]·EN["-the-father-in-law-of","father-in-law-of","his-father-in-law","to-his-father-in-law"]·FR["-le-père-dans-loi-de","père-dans-loi-de","son-père-dans-loi","à-son-père-dans-loi"]·heb["חותן","חותנו","חתן","ל-חותנו"]·HI["उसका-ससुर","उसका-ससुर-ने","को-ससुर-अपने","ससुर","ससुर-अपने","ससुर-के","ससुर-ने","से-ससुर-अपने"]·ID["kepada-mertuanya","mertua","mertuanya"]·IT["-il-padre-in-legge-di","a-suo-padre-in-legge","padre-in-legge-di","suo-padre-in-legge"]·jav["dhateng-marasepuhipun","marasepuh","marasepuhipun","maratuwa","mertua-jaler-nipun"]·KO["그의-장인","그의-장인-에게","그의-장인을","그의-장인의","그의-장인이","장인","장인-의","장인과","장인이","장인인"]·PT["a-seu-sogro","a-seu-sogro:","seu-sogro","seu-sogro,","sogro-de","sogro-seu"]·RU["тестем","тесть","тесть-его","тестю-своему","тестя","тестя-своего"]·ES["a-suegro-de-él","su-suegro","suegro-de","suegro-de-","suegro-de-él"]·SW["baba-mkwe-wake","kwa-mkwewe","mkwe-wa","mkwe-wake","mkwewe"]·TR["kayınbabası","kayınbabasına","kayınbabasının","kayınpederi","kayınpederine","kayınpederini","kayınpederinin"]·urd["اُس-کے-سسر-نے","اپنے-سسر-سے","اپنے-سسر-کو","اپنے-سسر-کی","سسر","سسر-اپنے"]
Exod 3:1, Exod 4:18, Exod 18:1, Exod 18:2, Exod 18:5, Exod 18:6, Exod 18:7, Exod 18:8, Exod 18:12, Exod 18:12, Exod 18:14, Exod 18:15 (+9 more)
2. mother-in-law (wife's mother) — The feminine construct form חֹתַנְתּוֹ meaning 'his mother-in-law,' the female counterpart of חֹתֵן 'father-in-law.' This single occurrence in Deut 27:23 appears in the list of prohibited sexual relations: 'Cursed be he who lies with his mother-in-law.' The feminine -t ending marks the gender distinction from the masculine 'father-in-law' sense. Multilingual evidence confirms the distinct female referent: Arabic حَمَاتِهِ (his mother-in-law), German sein Mutter-in-Gesetz, Korean 그 장모 (his mother-in-law), Spanish su suegra (his mother-in-law), Hindi सास अपनी (one's mother-in-law). Though morphologically related to the father-in-law sense, the distinct gender referent warrants a separate entry. 1×
AR["حَمَاتِهِ"]·ben["তার-শাশুড়ির"]·DE["sein-Mutter-in-Gesetz"]·EN["his-mother-in-law"]·FR["son-mère-dans-loi"]·heb["חותנתו"]·HI["सास-अपनी-के"]·ID["ibu-mertuanya"]·IT["suo-madre-in-legge"]·jav["ibu-marasepuhipun"]·KO["그-장모와"]·PT["sua-sogra"]·RU["тёщей-своей"]·ES["su-suegra"]·SW["mama-mkwe"]·TR["kayınvalidesiyle"]·urd["اپنی-ساس"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† חֹתֵן n.verb. 1. m. wife’s father (Arabic خَاتِنٌ a circumciser, hence father-in-law, with ref. to circumcision performed on young men just before marriage; خَتَنٌ relation on wife’s side; v. WeProl. 1886, 355 Anm. 1; Skizzen iii, 154 StaZAW 1886, 143 Anm. NöZMG 1886, 187; otherwise DlPr 91 LagBN 116)—cstr. חֹתֵן Ex 18:1 + 9 times, חֹתֶנְךָ Ex 18:6, חֹתְנוֹ Ex 3:1 + 9 times;—usually of Moses’…