Original Word: θυγάτηρ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: thugatér
Pronunciation: thoo-gat'-air
Phonetic Spelling: (thoo-gat'-air)
KJV: daughter
NASB: daughter, daughters
Word Origin: [apparently a primary word]

1. a female child
2. (by Hebraism) descendant (or inhabitant)

daughter.

Apparently a primary word (compare "daughter"); a female child, or (by Hebraism) descendant (or inhabitant) -- daughter.

Word Origin
a prim. word
Definition
daughter
NASB Translation
daughter (23), daughters (5).

STRONGS NT 2364: θυγάτηρ

θυγάτηρ, genitive θυγατρός, dative θυγατρί, accusative θυγατέρα, vocative θύγατερ, plural θυγατέρες, accusative θυγατέρας, ἡ (of the same root as Gothicdauhtar, English daughter, German Tochter (Curtius, § 318; Vanicek, p. 415)); Hebrew בַּת; (from Homer down); a daughter: properly, Matthew 9:18; Matthew 10:35, 37; Matthew 15:22; Acts 7:21, etc. improperly,

a. the vocative (or nominative as vocative cf. Winers Grammar, § 29, 2; Buttmann, § 129 a. 5; WH's Appendix, p. 158) in kindly address: Matthew 9:22; Mark 5:34 (L Tr WH θυγάτηρ); Luke 8:48 (Tr WH θυγάτηρ) (see υἱός 1 a. at the end, τέκνον, b. α.).

b. in phrases modeled after the Hebrew: α. a daughter of God i. e. acceptable to God, rejoicing in God's peculiar care and protection: 2 Corinthians 6:18 (Isaiah 43:6; Wis. 9:7; see υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ 4, τέκνον b. γ.). β. with the name of a place, city, or region, it denotes collectively all its inhabitants and citizens (very often so in the O. T., as Isaiah 37:22; Jeremiah 26:19 (); Zephaniah 3:14, etc.); in the N. T. twice ἡ θυγάτηρ Σιών, i. e. inhabitants of Jerusalem: Matthew 21:5; John 12:15 (Isaiah 1:8; Isaiah 10:32; Zechariah 9:9, etc.; see Σιών, 2). γ. θυγατέρες Ἱερουσαλήμ, women of Jerusalem: Luke 23:28. δ. female descendant: αἱ θυγατερς Ἀαρών, women of Aaron's posterity, Luke 1:5; θυγαττερ Ἀβραάμ daughter of Abraham, i. e. a woman tracing her descent from Abraham, Luke 13:16 (4 Macc 15:28 (25); Genesis 28:8; Genesis 36:2; Judges 11:40; Isaiah 16:2, etc.).

Scope of the Term

Strong’s Greek 2364 speaks of a “daughter,” whether in a literal family line or in a figurative, covenantal, or prophetic sense. The word gathers together themes of parenthood, inheritance, compassion, prophetic privilege, and eschatological hope. It occurs twenty-eight times in the Greek New Testament.

Natural Kinship

Many occurrences simply specify a biological relationship. Jairus begs Jesus for his dying daughter (Matthew 9:18; Luke 8:42); the Canaanite woman intercedes for her demon-tormented daughter (Matthew 15:22); Pharaoh’s daughter appears in Stephen’s rehearsal of Israel’s history (Acts 7:21; Hebrews 11:24). Luke notes Anna, “the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher” (Luke 2:36), and Elizabeth is introduced as “of the daughters of Aaron” (Luke 1:5). These references assume the God-ordained structure of the family as the primary sphere of nurture and covenant transmission.

Jesus’ Compassionate Address

On two occasions Jesus directly calls a woman “Daughter,” conferring dignity on individuals otherwise overlooked:

• The woman with twelve years of hemorrhage: “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace” (Luke 8:48; cf. Mark 5:34).
• The bent-over woman: “And should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan has bound these eighteen years, be released on the Sabbath?” (Luke 13:16).

By publicly identifying them as daughters—in the first case implicitly of God, in the second explicitly of Abraham—Jesus affirms both their worth and their covenant inclusion.

Daughter of Zion and Messianic Kingship

John 12:15 cites Zechariah 9:9: “Fear not, daughter of Zion; see, your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” The feminine collective “daughter of Zion” personifies Jerusalem and, by extension, the covenant people. The triumphal entry signals that Zion’s true King has arrived, fulfilling prophetic expectation and inaugurating the promised reign of peace.

Daughters in Prophetic Outpouring

Peter quotes Joel on Pentecost: “Your sons and your daughters will prophesy” (Acts 2:17). The Spirit’s democratizing work extends revelatory ministry to women. Luke immediately illustrates this in Acts 21:9, where Philip’s four unmarried daughters prophesy. The pairing of “sons and daughters” affirms women’s Spirit-empowered participation in gospel witness.

Covenantal Adoption

Paul applies Nathan’s promise to David when he writes, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:18). Through union with Christ, believing women receive full filial status, sharing the inheritance promised to the Son.

Conflict and Division

Jesus foretells that allegiance to Him may fracture the closest earthly bonds: “They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother” (Luke 12:53; cf. Matthew 10:35-37). The cost of discipleship can touch even the most tender family ties.

Moral Warning and Tragic Irony

Herod’s birthday feast features “the daughter of Herodias” whose dance leads to John the Baptist’s execution (Matthew 14:6; Mark 6:22). Scripture soberly records how parental sin and political intrigue may ensnare a daughter in wrongdoing.

Pastoral Applications

1. Dignity of Women: Jesus’ use of “Daughter” underscores the equal worth and covenantal standing of women. Ministry must protect, honor, and disciple women as beloved members of God’s household.

2. Intercessory Faith: Parents praying for their daughters—Jairus, the Syrophoenician mother—model persevering faith. Churches encourage similar advocacy for the next generation.

3. Spirit-Filled Service: Acts 2 and Acts 21 legitimize prophetic gifting in women. Congregations should welcome biblically ordered female participation in prayer, testimony, and evangelism.

4. Costly Allegiance: Pastors prepare families for potential divisions when Christ’s claims sever ungodly alliances, yet also proclaim the deeper kinship found in the household of God.

Summary

The New Testament’s references to “daughter” weave together family affection, Messianic hope, prophetic empowerment, and covenant adoption. Whether depicting Jairus’s desperate plea, Zion’s jubilant acclaim, or the Father’s gracious welcome, the word presses believers to honor earthly daughters and rejoice in the greater privilege of being called daughters of the Lord Almighty.

θυγατερ θυγάτερ θύγατερ θυγατερα θυγατέρα θυγάτερα θυγατερας θυγατέρας Θυγατερες Θυγατέρες θυγατερων θυγατέρων θυγατηρ θυγάτηρ θυγατράσι θυγατράσιν θυγατρι θυγατρί θυγατρὶ θυγατρος θυγατρός θυγατρὸς thugater thugatēr thugatera thugateras Thugateres thugateron thugaterōn thugatri thugatros thygater thygatēr thygáter thygátēr thýgater thygatera thygatéra thygateras thygatéras Thygateres Thygatéres thygateron thygaterōn thygatéron thygatérōn thygatri thygatrì thygatros thygatrós thygatròsInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts