The meaning of Daughter in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
do'-ter (bath; thugater): Used in Scriptures in several more or less distinct senses: (a) for daughter in the ordinary, literal sense (Genesis 46:25; Exodus 1:16); (b) daughter-in-law (Ruth 2:2); (c) grand-daughter or other female descendant (Exo. 21; Luke 1:5; Luke 13:16); (d) the women of a country, or of a place, taken collectively (Luke 23:28), of a particular religion (Malachi 2:11); (e) all the population of a place, taken collectively, especially in Prophets and poetic books (Psalms 9:14; Isaiah 23:10; Jeremiah 46:24; Matthew 21:5); (f.) used in familiar address, "Daughter, be of good comfort" (Matthew 9:22 the King James Version; Mark 5:34; Luke 8:48); (g) women in general (Proverbs 31:29); (h) the personification of towns or cities, as of the female sex (Isaiah 47:1; Ezekiel 16:44, Ezekiel 16:46; compare Nahum 3:4, Nahum 3:7), especially of dependent towns and villages (Psalms 48:11; Numbers 21:25 margin; Judges 1:27 margin); (i) in Hebrew idiom for person or thing belonging to or having the characteristics of that with which it is joined, as "daughter of ninety years," of Sarah, ninety years old (Genesis 17:17); "daughters of music," singing birds, or singing women (Ecclesiastes 12:4); daughters of a tree, i.e. branches; daughter of the eye, i.e. the pupil.
Daughters were not so highly prized as sons, not being usually mentioned by name. A father might sometimes sell his daughter as bondwoman (Exodus 21:7); though not to a foreigner (Exodus 21:8); daughters might sometimes inherit as did sons, but could not take the inheritance outside of the tribe (Numbers 36:1-12).
Edward Bagby Pollard
See more on the meaning of Daughter in the Bible:
Daughter {Easton's Bible Dictionary}
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