Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 37:35/רמב"ן על בראשית ל״ז:ל״ה
אוְכָל בְּנוֹתָיו בִּתּוֹ וּבַת בְּנוֹ. וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁיִּכָּנֵס בַּכְּלָל הַזֶּה גַּם כַּלּוֹתָיו עִמָּהֶן, כִּי בִּכְלַל הַבָּנוֹת יִקָּרְאוּ גַּם הַכַּלּוֹת כֵּן, אוֹ כְּמַאֲמַר חֲכָמִים (ב"ר פד יט), אֵין אָדָם נִמְנָע מִלִּקְרֹא לְכַלּוֹתָיו בְּנוֹתָיו, וְכֵן אָמְרָה נָעֳמִי לְכַלּוֹתֶיהָ, "לֵכְנָה" (רות א ח) "שֹׁבְנָה בְנֹתַי" (רות א יב), "אַל בְּנֹתַי" (רות א יג), "לְכִי בִתִּי" (שם ב ב), וְאֵינֶנּוּ רַק דֶּרֶךְ חִבָּה בִּלְבַד, כְּמוֹ "הֲלֹא שָׁמַעַתְּ בִּתִּי" (שם ב ח):
1AND ALL HIS DAUGHTERS. This refers to his daughter and his son’s daughter.96 Now it is possible that his daughters-in-law are also included in this category, for in Scripture they too are called “daughters,” or as the saying of the Sages has it:97 “A person does not refrain from calling his daughters-in-law ‘daughters.’” So did Naomi say to her daughters-in-law: Go, turn back, my daughters;98 Nay, my daughters;99, Verse 13. Go, my daughter.100, 2:2. It is nothing but an expression of love, just as, Hearest thou not, my daughter?101, Verse 8. This was said by Boaz to Ruth and can certainly not indicate the relationship of daughter or daughter-in-law.