Daughter

Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)

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.

Scripture References

ISBE

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

Smith's Bible Dictionary (1863)

The word is used in Scripture not only for daughter, but for granddaughter or other female descendant. (Genesis 24:48) It is used of the female inhabitants of a place or country, (Genesis 6:2; Luke 23:28) and of cities in general, (Isaiah 10:32; 23:12) but more specifically of dependent towns or hamlets, while to the principal city the correlative “mother” is applied. (Numbers 21:25) “Daughters of music,” i.e. singing birds, (Ecclesiastes 12:4) refers to the power of making and enjoying music.

Scripture References