The Bible has a lot to say about daughters, their relationships with their parents, and the responsibilities that both parents and daughters have towards one another. Here is an overview of some of the key biblical teachings about daughters:
Daughters are a blessing from God
Several verses in Scripture speak of children, including daughters, as blessings from God and gifts to be treasured. For example:
- “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.” (Psalm 127:3)
- “Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.” (Psalm 127:5)
- “Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers.” (Proverbs 17:6)
These verses emphasize that children are gifts from God, not burdens, and parents should receive them joyfully as blessings to be cherished.
Parents should train daughters in godliness
The Bible instructs parents to raise their children, including daughters, in the training and instruction of the Lord. For example:
- “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4)
- “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)
- “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching.” (Proverbs 1:8)
From these verses, we see that godly parenting of daughters includes nurturing their faith, teaching them God’s ways, disciplining them wisely, and training them in righteousness.
Daughters should honor their parents
One of the Ten Commandments given by God is to “honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12). Children, including grown daughters living at home, are instructed to obey, respect, and care for their parents. Specific verses include:
- “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” (Ephesians 6:1)
- “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction…For they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.” (Proverbs 1:8-9)
- “Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.” (Exodus 21:17)
Daughters honoring their parents brings joy and shows maturity in faith. It pleases God and leads to blessings (Ephesians 6:2-3).
Mothers should teach their daughters wisdom and godliness
Mothers have a special role in teaching and training their daughters, as seen in these verses:
- “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.” (Proverbs 31:26)
- “Older women…[should] train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.” (Titus 2:3-5)
Godly mothers impart wisdom, kindness, purity, industry, and other virtues to their daughters through teaching and by modeling godliness in their own lives.
Fathers should gently lead their daughters
Fathers have a duty to provide for, protect, and gently lead their daughters, as these verses indicate:
- “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4)
- “She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.” (Proverbs 31:27)
Godly fathers treat their daughters with care and affection while also providing direction and spiritual leadership for the family.
Daughters should be modest and gentle
Several verses instruct godly daughters to develop a gentle and quiet spirit, modesty, self-control, and a focus on internal beauty over outward appearance:
- “Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct… Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.” (1 Peter 3:1-4)
- “I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.” (1 Timothy 2:8-10)
God values inner beauty, righteousness, and modesty in daughters – not vanity over outward appearance.
Fathers should protect their daughters’ purity
In a fallen world, fathers have a duty to protect their daughters from sexual immorality, as these verses indicate:
- “The father of the young woman and her mother shall take and bring out the evidence of her virginity to the elders of the city in the gate.” (Deuteronomy 22:15)
- “She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.” (Proverbs 31:12)
God calls fathers to preserve their daughters’ sexual purity and guard against loss of virginity before marriage.
Husbands should honor their wives
Husbands have a duty to honor their wives and treat them with respect and affection. This applies to men’s treatment of their daughters after marriage:
- “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.” (Ephesians 5:25, 28)
- “Let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” (Ephesians 5:33)
- “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.” (1 Peter 3:7)
After marriage, a daughter deserves her husband’s sacrificial love, care, respect, and commitment – never abuse or exploitation.
Barrenness is painful, but daughters are a reward
Barrenness is presented in Scripture as a painful trial. Yet God can bless barren women with children as a gracious reward later in life. For example:
- “And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren…And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived.” (Genesis 25:21)
- “There was a certain man…and his wife was barren and had no children. And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said…’you shall conceive and bear a son.'” (Judges 13:2-3)
Though barrenness is difficult, God hears prayers for children and can bless barren couples with daughters as miracles and signs of His favor.
Daughters can receive inheritances
In ancient Israelite culture, daughters who had no brothers could receive an inheritance from their fathers, as God commanded:
- “If a man dies and has no son, then you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter.” (Numbers 27:8)
This ensured that daughters would be provided for financially if they did not have a husband or sons to support them.
God used daughters powerfully in His plan
Throughout Scripture, God chose daughters to play vital roles in the outworking of His plans and purposes. For example:
- Egyptian midwives Shiphrah and Puah helped preserve the Israelite people “because the midwives feared God.” (Exodus 1:15-21)
- Miriam helped save her baby brother Moses and later led the Israelites in worship music. (Exodus 2:4-10, 15:20-21)
- Rahab risked her life to hide the Israelite spies and became part of Jesus’ genealogy. (Joshua 2, Matthew 1:5)
- Deborah was a prophetess and judge over Israel. (Judges 4-5)
- Esther bravely stood up for God’s people and saved them from destruction. (Book of Esther)
- Mary was chosen to conceive Jesus through the Holy Spirit and raise Him. (Luke 1-2)
From brave midwives to Jesus’ own mother, God used daughters powerfully throughout biblical history to accomplish His will.
Jesus welcomed and elevated women and girls
Jesus treated women and girls with love, kindness, dignity, and grace – welcoming them as disciples and elevating their status, despite cultural norms. For example:
- He had women followers who supported His ministry. (Luke 8:1-3)
- He extended mercy to a woman caught in adultery. (John 8:1-11)
- He engaged in theological discussions with women like the Samaritan woman at the well. (John 4:1-42)
- He honored Mary’s choice to sit at His feet as a disciple over conventional “women’s work.” (Luke 10:38-42)
- He healed women like the bleeding woman and Jairus’ daughter. (Mark 5:21-43)
Through His teaching and actions, Jesus showed that women and girls have equal value, dignity, and spiritual potential in God’s eyes.
In Christ, women and men are spiritually equal
The New Testament teaches that in Christ, women and men have equal standing and spiritual blessings as children of God. Verses include:
- “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)
- “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – Jews or Greeks, slaves or free – and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:13)
- “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith…There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:26, 28)
While having different roles, women and men have equal access to salvation and blessings through faith in Christ.
Conclusion
In summary, the Bible provides rich insight into God’s perspective on daughters. Key themes include that they are blessings to be nurtured in faith, they should honor their parents, parents should train them in godliness, and husbands should treat them with honor. God used daughters powerfully throughout Scripture. Jesus valued women and girls highly. And in Him, females and males gain equal standing as children of God. The Bible offers profound and timeless truth about daughters that remain relevant today.
