What does θυγάτηρ (thygátēr) mean in the Bible?
Thygatēr means daughter, a female child or descendant, and can also function as a compassionate or communal form of address. A ruler pleads for his dying daughter.
Greek · G2364
θυγάτηρ
A female child, or (by Hebraism) descendant (or inhabitant)
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θυγάτηρ G2364
Pronunciation thygátēr
What does θυγάτηρ (thygátēr) mean in the Bible?
Thygatēr means daughter, a female child or descendant, and can also function as a compassionate or communal form of address. A ruler pleads for his dying daughter.
Reader summary
Full entry for θυγάτηρ (G2364) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G2364?
The BSB source-word alignment has 28 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include daughter (20), Daughters (4), [the] daughter (1), a daughter (1), descendant (1).
Where does θυγάτηρ (thygátēr) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 9:18. Its strongest book concentrations include Luke (9), Matthew (8), Mark (5), Acts (3).
What This Word Actually Means
Thygatēr means daughter, a female child or descendant, and can also function as a compassionate or communal form of address. A ruler pleads for his dying daughter. Jesus addresses the Canaanite woman's healed child and commends the mother's faith. Luke identifies Elizabeth as one of Aaron's daughters, meaning a female descendant. Jesus calls grieving Jerusalem women "daughters of Jerusalem," and Hebrews says Pharaoh's daughter raised Moses.
The noun carries real family and lineage relationships but does not assign one uniform social role. Its passages highlight parental anguish, a girl's need, covenant ancestry, communal identity, and providential care across ethnic and political boundaries.
How the Bible Uses It
Thygatēr identifies daughters by birth, descent, care, or communal address. The passages bring girls and women into scenes of healing, parental intercession, priestly ancestry, national lament, and providential preservation.
- Matt.9.18
While Jesus was saying these things, a synagogue leader came and knelt before Him. “My daughter has just died,” he said. “But come and place Your hand on her, and she will live.”
Matthew 9:18 records a ruler kneeling before Jesus because his daughter has just died. His plea places parental grief and bold faith before Christ's authority over death.
- Matt.15.28
“O woman,” Jesus answered, “your faith is great! Let it be done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Matthew 15:28 tells the Canaanite woman that her daughter is healed, while Jesus commends the mother's great faith. The girl's deliverance comes through persistent maternal appeal to Israel's Messiah.
- Luke.1.5
In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah, and whose wife Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron.
Luke 1:5 calls Elizabeth one of the daughters of Aaron, identifying priestly descent rather than literal parentage. Her lineage and blameless life frame God's gracious answer to long barrenness.
- Luke.23.28
But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
Luke 23:28 has Jesus address the mourning women as daughters of Jerusalem. He redirects their grief toward the coming judgment on the city while He goes to the cross.
- Heb.11.24
By faith Moses, when he was grown, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.
Hebrews 11:24 recalls Moses being called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Her role belongs to the providential preservation and royal upbringing from which Moses later chooses solidarity with God's people.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It daughter 20× Matthew 9:18, Matthew 9:22, Matthew 10:37, Matthew 14:6
Daughters 4× Luke 23:28, Acts 2:17, Acts 21:9, 2 Corinthians 6:18
[the] daughter 1× Luke 2:36
a daughter 1× Matthew 10:35
descendant 1× Luke 1:5
O Daughter 1× John 12:15
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 9:18 θυγάτηρ to daughter Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular Matthew 9:22 θύγατερ to daughter Noun - Vocative Feminine Singular Matthew 10:35 θυγατέρα to a daughter Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular Matthew 10:37 θυγατέρα to daughter Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular Matthew 14:6 θυγάτηρ to daughter Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular Matthew 15:22 θυγάτηρ to daughter Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular Matthew 15:28 θυγάτηρ to daughter Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular Matthew 21:5 θυγατρὶ to Daughter Noun - Dative Feminine Singular Mark 5:34 Θυγάτηρ to Daughter Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular Mark 5:35 θυγάτηρ to daughter Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 9:18
Aligned rows 28
Books represented 7
Matthew 8 Mark 5 Luke 9 John 1 Acts 3 2 Corinthians 1 Hebrews 1
Source forms
θυγάτηρ 11x thygatēr Matthew 9:18, Matthew 14:6, Matthew 15:22, Matthew 15:28
θυγατέρα 4x thygatera Matthew 10:35, Matthew 10:37, Luke 12:53, Luke 13:16
θυγατρὸς 3x thygatros Mark 6:22, Mark 7:26, Hebrews 11:24
θυγατέρες 2x thygateres Acts 2:17, Acts 21:9
Θυγάτηρ 2x Thygatēr Mark 5:34, Luke 8:48
θύγατερ 1x thygater Matthew 9:22
θυγατέρας 1x thygateras 2 Corinthians 6:18
Θυγατέρες 1x Thygateres Luke 23:28
Parsing patterns
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular 13x Matthew 9:18, Matthew 14:6, Matthew 15:22, Matthew 15:28
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular 4x Matthew 10:35, Matthew 10:37, Luke 12:53, Luke 13:16
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular 4x Mark 6:22, Mark 7:26, Mark 7:29, Hebrews 11:24
Noun - Nominative Feminine Plural 2x Acts 2:17, Acts 21:9
Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural 1x 2 Corinthians 6:18
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular 1x Matthew 21:5
Noun - Genitive Feminine Plural 1x Luke 1:5
Noun - Vocative Feminine Plural 1x Luke 23:28
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Do not treat a daughter's suffering as a prop for discussing only the parent or leader.
- Do not derive a complete theology of women, lineage, or family roles from the noun alone.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not treat a daughter's suffering as a prop for discussing only the parent or leader.
- Do not derive a complete theology of women, lineage, or family roles from the noun alone.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Daughter of/inhabitant of used metaphorically for people groups, cities, posterity, reflecting Hebraic idiom.
Strong's G2364
Lexical occurrences 28 verses Greek text appearances 29 times 16 shown below Word forms 9 forms 28 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Luke 8:40-56 Source Gloss
a female child, or (by Hebraism) descendant (or inhabitant)
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 29 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 9:18 Noun Nominative Singular Feminine
θυγάτηρ qugathr
a daughter
Read verse Matthew 9:22 Noun Singular Feminine
θύγατερ· qugater
a daughter
Read verse Matthew 10:35 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
θυγατέρα qugatera
a daughter
Read verse Matthew 10:37 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
θυγατέρα qugatera
a daughter
Read verse Matthew 14:6 Noun Nominative Singular Feminine
θυγάτηρ qugathr
a daughter
Read verse Matthew 15:22 Noun Nominative Singular Feminine
θυγάτηρ qugathr
a daughter
Read verse Matthew 15:28 Noun Nominative Singular Feminine
θυγάτηρ qugathr
a daughter
Read verse Matthew 21:5 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
θυγατρὶ qugatri
a daughter
Read verse Mark 5:34 Noun Singular Feminine
Θύγατερ, qugater
a daughter
Read verse Mark 5:35 Noun Nominative Singular Feminine
θυγάτηρ qugathr
a daughter
Read verse Mark 6:22 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
θυγατρὸς qugatrov
a daughter
Read verse Mark 7:26 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
θυγατρὸς qugatrov
a daughter
Read verse Mark 7:29 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
θυγατρός qugatrov
a daughter
Read verse Mark 7:30 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
θυγατέρα qugatera
a daughter
Read verse Luke 1:5 Noun Genitive Plural Feminine
θυγατέρων qugaterwn
a daughter
Read verse Luke 2:36 Noun Nominative Singular Feminine
θυγάτηρ qugathr
a daughter
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 9 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns 9 Aligned forms 28 Case pattern Nominative (14) Number pattern Singular (23)
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Nominative · Singular · Feminine Matt 9:18 · Matt 14:6 · Matt 15:22 · Matt 15:28 · Mark 5:34 · Mark 5:35 · Luke 2:36 · Luke 8:42 · Luke 8:48 · Luke 8:49 · Luke 12:53 · Acts 7:21 12×
Nominative · Plural · Feminine Acts 2:17 · Acts 21:9 2×
Genitive · Singular · Feminine Mark 6:22 · Mark 7:26 · Mark 7:29 · Heb 11:24 4×
Genitive · Plural · Feminine Luke 1:5 1×
Dative · Singular · Feminine Matt 21:5 1×
Accusative · Singular · Feminine Matt 10:35 · Matt 10:37 · Luke 12:53 · Luke 13:16 4×
Accusative · Plural · Feminine 2 Cor 6:18 1×
Vocative · Singular · Feminine Matt 9:22 · John 12:15 2×
Vocative · Plural · Feminine Luke 23:28 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Literal female child, biological daughter of Jairus the synagogue ruler
Female descendant of Abraham, used for posterity and covenant lineage
Familial relationship showing household division during eschatological conflict
Metaphorical inhabitant, personification of cities or nations as feminine collective
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 28 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
θυγάτηρ is a primary word - no further derivation.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Thygatēr carries family tenderness and social identity into the biblical story. A father approaches Jesus because death has entered his home. A Gentile mother refuses to stop appealing for her tormented child, and Jesus' mercy reaches the daughter. Elizabeth's designation locates her within priestly ancestry while God's grace addresses years of barrenness. The daughters of Jerusalem receive a solemn warning amid public lament, and Pharaoh's daughter becomes an unexpected agent in Moses' preservation.
These passages resist using women and girls as background scenery. They call the church to see their suffering, faith, lineage, agency, and need for protection. Yet the noun alone does not prescribe a complete doctrine of womanhood or family roles. The passage and broader canon must carry those claims.
Anchor passage
Matt.15.28
Doctrinal connections
- Christology: Jesus exercises compassionate authority over disease, demonic oppression, and death.
- Faith and intercession: parents bring a child's need to Christ without controlling the outcome.
- Gentile inclusion: mercy reaches a Canaanite woman's daughter within the Gospel's unfolding mission.
- Covenant history: descent language locates Elizabeth within Israel's priestly story.
- Judgment and lament: Jesus addresses Jerusalem's daughters with a warning about coming devastation.
- Providence: Pharaoh's daughter participates in preserving the child who will lead Israel from bondage.
Thygatēr is the ordinary noun for daughter and may extend to a female descendant, member of a people or place, or affectionate address. Genealogical and communal uses should not be read as literal immediate parentage.
From Old to New Testament
Daughters appear throughout Israel's family histories, inheritance laws, prophetic personifications, and laments. God's covenant work repeatedly includes women whose faith, suffering, and action advance the story of redemption.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain