Oh, but the joke's on you fellas. You see, the backstory is: she not only lost her Husband. He had passed into eternity (Ruth 1:3). So, she was left, with the couple's two boys to raise - uhm, in a time when women didn't get jobs in comfy office buildings. And if that wasn't bad enough, after some years, both boys grew to manhood, and married. Then they both passed away. No grandsons. So now, Ruth, not only a poor widow, but with her sons now six feet under, things were really bleak for her. Think about it, she was probably around sixty, and jobs like washing dishes at the diner and doing mountains of laundry at the washhouse or even running the register at the grocery store, at the very least, mean standing all day. For what? Not even sustainable pay - that's what! So yeah, the woman was upset.
Oh, but wait, "bitter" shows up again, in the new testament. But this time, that word is not used to scowl down some peeved off post shelf-life ChAD chaser. Noper roper. The noun "bitter" - not bitterly, or ("the root of") bitterness, but "bitter!" Here we go :) "Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them." (Colossians 4:19)
Well, whadda ya know! And yeah, had to google this one. The adjective, "bitterness?" Guess what, the befores and afters indicate that Paul was basically addressing men in (the 1st half of) Hebrews 12, more than he was speaking to women. Btw, both genders were present to hear, and learn from, his (Lord inspired) teaching - be it in person, or letter. Anyway, here goes:
"Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God ; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled ;" Hebrews 12:15
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