DAUGHTER
A female offspring. (Gen. 5:4; Matt. 14:6; Acts 21:9) The birth of daughters in the household in Biblical times was not as great an occasion as was the arrival of sons; their position was less honored than that of boys, and their names have not been recorded as often. (1 Chron. 2:34, 35) Yet most parents dearly loved their daughters and protected their interests. When grieving parents interceded, Jesus healed a Phoenician woman’s daughter, and raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead.—Matt. 15:22-28; Luke 8:41, 42, 49-56.
In the patriarchal society daughters had certain rights, responsibilities and also limitations. They were assigned various chores. Priests’ daughters ate from the priestly portions of sacrifices. (Gen. 24:16, 19, 20; 29:6-9; Lev. 10:14) A daughter was the property of her father until he gave her in marriage (Josh. 15:16, 17; 1 Sam. 18:17, 19, 27), and as such she could even be used as security or sold into slavery, though not to a foreigner. (Ex. 21:7-10; Neh. 5:2-5) Until she was married, her vows were subject to her father’s annulment. (Num. 30:3-5) A father could not lawfully make her a prostitute, and if she were violated he could collect damages. (Ex. 22:16, 17; Lev. 19:29; Deut. 22:28, 29) There are instances where fathers offered their virgin daughters to depraved mobs in order to protect their guests. (Gen. 19:6-8; Judg. 19:22-24) Daughters were sometimes given an inheritance along with their brothers, but in the case of the five daughters of Zelophehad whose father died without sons, they received the entire inheritance of their forefathers, upon the condition they marry sons of Manasseh so that the property remained in the same tribe. (Num. 36:1-12; Josh. 15:19; Job 42:15) If a daughter was divorced or widowed, she could come back into her father’s household.—Gen. 38:11; Lev. 22:13.
Additionally, the term “daughter” was applied to relationships other than one’s immediate progeny. For example, under certain circumstances the term referred to a sister (Gen. 34:8, 17), adopted daughter (Esther 2:7, 15), daughter-in-law (Judg. 12:9; Ruth 1:11-13), granddaughter (1 Ki. 15:2, 10, where the Hebrew word for daughter, bath, is rendered “grand-daughter” in Mo, NW; see 2 Chronicles 13:1, 2) and descendant.—Gen. 27:46; Luke 1:5; 13:16.
Aside from these direct relatives, “daughter” was applied to women in general (Gen. 6:2, 4; 30:13; Prov. 31:29); women of a particular land, people or city (Gen. 24:37; Judg. 11:40; 21:21); female worshipers of false gods (Mal. 2:11); as a general address of kindness by one with authority or by an older person to a younger woman. (Ruth 3:10, 11; Mark 5:34) Forms of the word bath are also rendered “branches” of a tree (Gen. 49:22), “pupil” of the eye (Ps. 17:8), “dependent towns” of a larger city. (Num. 21:25; Josh. 17:11; Jer. 49:2) The term for “daughter,” in its many senses, occurs over 600 times in the Bible.