'Relatives' in the Bible

Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go out from your country, your relatives, and your father's household to the land that I will show you.

Abram said to Lot, "Let there be no quarreling between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are close relatives.

Lot chose for himself the whole region of the Jordan and traveled toward the east. So the relatives separated from each other.

Then the two visitors said to Lot, "Who else do you have here? Do you have any sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or other relatives in the city? Get them out of this place

You must go instead to my country and to my relatives to find a wife for my son Isaac."

"The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and the land of my relatives, promised me with a solemn oath, 'To your descendants I will give this land.' He will send his angel before you so that you may find a wife for my son from there.

saying "Praised be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his faithful love for my master! The Lord has led me to the house of my master's relatives!"

but you must go to the family of my father and to my relatives to find a wife for my son.'

He answered, 'The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you. He will make your journey a success and you will find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father's family.

You will be free from your oath if you go to my relatives and they will not give her to you. Then you will be free from your oath.'

His descendants settled from Havilah to Shur, which runs next to Egypt all the way to Asshur. They settled away from all their relatives.

Isaac replied to Esau, "Look! I have made him lord over you. I have made all his relatives his servants and provided him with grain and new wine. What is left that I can do for you, my son?"

The Lord said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives. I will be with you."

So he took his relatives with him and pursued Jacob for seven days. He caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.

Laban overtook Jacob, and when Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead, Laban and his relatives set up camp there too.

Whoever has taken your gods will be put to death! In the presence of our relatives identify whatever is yours and take it." (Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.)

When you searched through all my goods, did you find anything that belonged to you? Set it here before my relatives and yours, and let them settle the dispute between the two of us!

Then he said to his relatives, "Gather stones." So they brought stones and put them in a pile. They ate there by the pile of stones.

Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat the meal. They ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain.

Then Jacob prayed, "O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord, you said to me, 'Return to your land and to your relatives and I will make you prosper.'

So Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, "Let me go, so that I may return to my relatives in Egypt and see if they are still alive." Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."

or his uncle or his cousin may redeem him, or anyone of the rest of his blood relatives -- his family -- may redeem him, or if he prospers he may redeem himself.

Why should the name of our father be lost from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among the relatives of our father."

"The daughters of Zelophehad have a valid claim. You must indeed give them possession of an inheritance among their father's relatives, and you must transfer the inheritance of their father to them.

Instruct these people as follows: 'You are about to cross the border of your relatives the descendants of Esau, who inhabit Seir. They will be afraid of you, so watch yourselves carefully.

So we turned away from our relatives the descendants of Esau, the inhabitants of Seir, turning from the desert route, from Elat and Ezion Geber, and traveling the way of the Moab wastelands.

They went before Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders and said, "The Lord told Moses to assign us land among our relatives." So Joshua assigned them land among their uncles, as the Lord had commanded.

The men of Judah said to their relatives, the men of Simeon, "Invade our allotted land with us and help us attack the Canaanites. Then we will go with you into your allotted land." So the men of Simeon went with them.

Now Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to Shechem to see his mother's relatives. He said to them and to his mother's entire extended family,

His mother's relatives spoke on his behalf to all the leaders of Shechem and reported his proposal. The leaders were drawn to Abimelech; they said, "He is our close relative."

But his father and mother said to him, "Certainly you can find a wife among your relatives or among all our people! You should not have to go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines." But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me, because she is the right one for me."

I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, as my wife to raise up a descendant who will inherit his property so the name of the deceased might not disappear from among his relatives and from his village. You are witnesses today."

David said to Saul, "Who am I? Who are my relatives or the clan of my father in Israel that I should become the king's son-in-law?"

These words of Ish-bosheth really angered Abner and he said, "Am I the head of a dog that belongs to Judah? This very day I am demonstrating loyalty to the house of Saul your father and to his relatives and his friends! I have not betrayed you into the hand of David. Yet you have accused me of sinning with this woman today!

When he became king and occupied the throne, he killed Baasha's entire family. He did not spare any male belonging to him; he killed his relatives and his friends.

Jehu encountered the relatives of King Ahaziah of Judah. He asked, "Who are you?" They replied, "We are Ahaziah's relatives. We have come down to see how the king's sons and the queen mother's sons are doing."

Their relatives, listed according to their families, included Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber -- seven in all.

Mikloth was the father of Shimeah. They also lived near their relatives in Jerusalem.

From the descendants of Zerah: Jeuel. Their relatives numbered 690.

Their relatives, listed in their genealogical records, numbered 956. All these men were leaders of their families.

Their relatives, who were leaders of their families, numbered 1,760. They were capable men who were assigned to carry out the various tasks of service in God's temple.

Shallum son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, and his relatives from his family (the Korahites) were assigned to guard the entrance to the sanctuary. Their ancestors had guarded the entrance to the Lord's dwelling place.

Their relatives, who lived in their settlements, came from time to time and served with them for seven-day periods.

Some of the Kohathites, their relatives, were in charge of preparing the bread that is displayed each Sabbath.

Mikloth was the father of Shimeam. They also lived near their relatives in Jerusalem.

From Issachar there were 200 leaders and all their relatives at their command -- they understood the times and knew what Israel should do.

They spent three days feasting there with David, for their relatives had given them provisions.

From the descendants of Kohath: Uriel the leader and 120 of his relatives.

From the descendants of Merari: Asaiah the leader and 220 of his relatives.

From the descendants of Gershom: Joel the leader and 130 of his relatives.

From the descendants of Elizaphan: Shemaiah the leader and 200 of his relatives.

From the descendants of Hebron: Eliel the leader and 80 of his relatives.

From the descendants of Uzziel: Amminadab the leader and 112 of his relatives.

He told them: "You are the leaders of the Levites' families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves and bring the ark of the Lord God of Israel up to the place I have prepared for it.

David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint some of their relatives as musicians; they were to play various instruments, including stringed instruments and cymbals, and to sing loudly and joyfully.

So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; one of his relatives, Asaph son of Berechiah; one of the descendants of Merari, Ethan son of Kushaiah;

along with some of their relatives who were second in rank, including Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers.

They were in charge of the meeting tent and the holy place, and helped their relatives, the descendants of Aaron, in the service of the Lord's temple.

Just like their relatives, the descendants of Aaron, they also cast lots before King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, the leaders of families, the priests, and the Levites. The families of the oldest son cast lots along with the those of the youngest.

They and their relatives, all of them skilled and trained to make music to the Lord, numbered two hundred eighty-eight.

The first lot went to Asaph's son Joseph and his relatives and sons -- twelve in all, the second to Gedaliah and his relatives and sons -- twelve in all,

the third to Zaccur and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the fourth to Izri and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the fifth to Nethaniah and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the sixth to Bukkiah and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the seventh to Jesharelah and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the eighth to Jeshaiah and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the ninth to Mattaniah and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the tenth to Shimei and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the eleventh to Azarel and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the twelfth to Hashabiah and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the thirteenth to Shubael and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the fourteenth to Mattithiah and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the fifteenth to Jerimoth and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the sixteenth to Hananiah and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the seventeenth to Joshbekashah and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the eighteenth to Hanani and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the nineteenth to Mallothi and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the twentieth to Eliathah and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the twenty-first to Hothir and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the twenty-second to Giddalti and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the twenty-third to Mahazioth and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all,

the twenty-fourth to Romamti-Ezer and his sons and relatives -- twelve in all.

The sons of Shemaiah: Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad. His relatives Elihu and Semakiah were also respected.

All these were the descendants of Obed-Edom. They and their sons and relatives were respected men, capable of doing their responsibilities. There were sixty-two of them related to Obed-Edom.

Meshelemiah had sons and relatives who were respected -- eighteen in all.

the second Hilkiah, the third Tebaliah, and the fourth Zechariah. All of Hosah's sons and relatives numbered thirteen.

These divisions of the gatekeepers, corresponding to their leaders, had assigned responsibilities, like their relatives, as they served in the Lord's temple.

His relatives through Eliezer included: Rehabiah his son, Jeshaiah his son, Joram his son, Zikri his son, and Shelomith his son.

Shelomith and his relatives were in charge of all the storehouses containing the consecrated items dedicated by King David, the family leaders who led units of a thousand and a hundred, and the army officers.

They were also in charge of everything dedicated by Samuel the prophet, Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah; Shelomith and his relatives were in charge of everything that had been dedicated.

As for the Hebronites: Hashabiah and his relatives, 1,700 respected men, were assigned responsibilities in Israel west of the Jordan; they did the Lord's work and the king's service.

Jeriah had 2,700 relatives who were respected family leaders. King David placed them in charge of the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh; they took care of all matters pertaining to God and the king.

All the Levites who were musicians, including Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and relatives, wore linen. They played cymbals and stringed instruments as they stood east of the altar. They were accompanied by 120 priests who blew trumpets.

While Jehu was dishing out punishment to Ahab's family, he discovered the officials of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah's relatives who were serving Ahaziah and killed them.

So Jeshua appointed both his sons and his relatives, Kadmiel and his sons (the sons of Yehudah), to take charge of the workers in the temple of God, along with the sons of Henadad, their sons, and their relatives the Levites.

I sent them to Iddo, who was the leader in the place called Casiphia. I told them what to say to Iddo and his relatives, who were the temple servants in Casiphia, so they would bring us attendants for the temple of our God.

Hanani, who was one of my relatives, along with some of the men from Judah, came to me, and I asked them about the Jews who had escaped and had survived the exile, and about Jerusalem.

After him their relatives worked -- Binnui son of Henadad, head of a half-district of Keilah.

We did not change clothes -- not I, nor my relatives, nor my workers, nor the watchmen who were with me. Each had his weapon, even when getting a drink of water.