Daughter
Daughter [1]
dô´tẽr ( בּת , bath ; θυγάτηρ , thugátēr ): 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 (Rth 2:2); ( c ) grand-daughter or other female descendant (Ex 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 ( Psalm 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 ( Psalm 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 ).
