“within her chambers.” The Hebrew text just says “within,” which is unclear to the modern reader but perfectly understood by the ancients. In biblical society, a woman’s world and sphere of authority was “within” the house and within her female quarters. Although in many circumstances women did come out and interact with family, usually not with men outside the family circle. Notice that when Yahweh visited Abraham, Sarah listened from inside the tent (Gen. 18:9). Although there were women who did interact with men outside the family unit, that was not the norm, and was usually, like in the case of Ruth, done of necessity.