Daughter

Daughter - (Easton's Bible Dictionary)

This word, besides its natural and proper sense, is used to designate, (1.) A niece or any female descendant (Gen. 20:12; 24:48; 28:6). (2.) Women as natives of a place, or as professing the religion of a place; as, "the daughters of Zion" (Isa. 3:16), "daughters of the Philistines" (2 Sam. 1:20). (3.) Small towns and villages lying around a city are its "daughters," as related to the metropolis or mother city. Tyre is in this sense called the daughter of Sidon (Isa. 23:12). (4.) The people of Jerusalem are spoken of as "the daughters of Zion" (Isa. 37:22). (5.) The daughters of a tree are its boughs (Gen. 49:22). (6.) The "daughters of music" (Eccl. 12:4) are singing women.

Daughter - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

DAUGHTER, n,

1. The female offspring of a man or woman; a female child of any age.

2. A daughter in law; a son's wife. Ruth 3.

3. A woman; plu. female inhabitants.

Dinah went out to see the daughters of the land.

Gen 34.

4. A female descendant; lineage of females. Luke I.

5. The female penitent of a confessor.

This word is used in scripture for the inhabitants of a city or country, male and female. Is. xvi.2. Mat 21. Also as a term of affection or kindness.

Daughter, be of good comfort. Mat 9.

do'-ter (bath; thugater): Used in Scriptures in several more or less distinct senses:

(a) for daughter in the ordinary, literal sense (Ge 46:25; Ex 1:16);

(b) daughter-in-law (Ru 2:2);

(c) grand-daughter or other female descendant (Ex 21; Lu 1:5; 13:16);

(d) the women of a country, or of a place, taken collectively (Lu 23:28), of a particular religion (Mal 2:11);

(e) all the population of a place, taken collectively, especially in Prophets and poetic books (Ps 9:14; Isa 23:10; Jer 46:24; Mt 21:5);

(f) used in familiar address, "Daughter, be of good comfort" (Mt 9:22 the King James Version; Mr 5:34; Lu 8:48);

(g) women in general (Pr 31:29);

(h) the personification of towns or cities, as of the female sex (Isa 47:1; Eze 16:44,46; compare Na 3:4,7), especially of dependent towns and villages (Ps 48:11; Nu 21:25 margin; Jud 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 (Ge 17:17); "daughters of music," singing birds, or singing women (Ec 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 (Ex 21:7); though not to a foreigner (Ex 21:8); daughters might sometimes inherit as did sons, but could not take the inheritance outside of the tribe (Nu 36:1-12).

Edward Bagby Pollard