3994. penthera

Lexicon

penthera: mother-in-law

Original Word: πενθερά
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: penthera
Pronunciation: pen-ther-AH
Phonetic Spelling: (pen-ther-ah')
Definition: mother-in-law
Meaning: a mother-in-law.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

a mother-in-law

Feminine of pentheros; a wife's mother -- mother in law, wife's mother.

see GREEK pentheros

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
fem. of pentheros
Definition
a mother-in-law
NASB Translation
mother-in-law (6).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 3994: πενθερά

πενθερά, πενθερᾶς, ἡ (feminine of πενθερός, which see), a mother-in-law, a wife's mother: Matthew 8:14; Matthew 10:35; Mark 1:30; Luke 4:38; Luke 12:53. (Demosthenes, Plutarch, Lucian, others; the Sept. for חָמות.)

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the Greek word πενθερός (penthéros), meaning "father-in-law."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The Hebrew equivalent for "mother-in-law" is found in the Old Testament, primarily in the context of familial relationships. The corresponding Strong's Hebrew entry is 2545 חָמוֹת (chamoth), which also means "mother-in-law." This term appears in passages such as Ruth 1:14, where Naomi is referred to as the mother-in-law of Ruth and Orpah.

Usage: The term πενθερά is used in the New Testament to refer to a mother-in-law, specifically the mother of one's spouse.

Context: The Greek term πενθερά appears in several passages within the New Testament, primarily in the context of familial relationships and the social dynamics of the time. In the Gospels, the word is used to describe the mother-in-law of Peter, one of Jesus' apostles. In Matthew 8:14 (BSB), it is recorded: "When Jesus arrived at Peter’s house, He saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever." This account is paralleled in Mark 1:30 and Luke 4:38, where Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law, demonstrating His compassion and authority over illness.

The term also appears in discussions of family and discipleship. In Matthew 10:35-36 (BSB), Jesus speaks of the division that His message may bring to families: "For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’" This passage highlights the potential cost of following Christ, even to the point of disrupting close family ties.

The use of πενθερά in these contexts underscores the importance of family relationships in the cultural and religious life of the time, as well as the transformative impact of Jesus' ministry on traditional social structures.

Forms and Transliterations

πενθερα πενθερά πενθερὰ πενθεραν πενθεράν πενθερὰν πενθερας πενθεράς πενθερᾶς penthera pentherà pentheran pentherán pentheràn pentheras pentherâs

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 8:14 N-AFS
GRK: εἶδεν τὴν πενθερὰν αὐτοῦ βεβλημένην
NAS: He saw his mother-in-law lying sick
KJV: he saw his wife's mother laid, and
INT: he saw the mother-in-law of him lying sick

Matthew 10:35 N-GFS
GRK: κατὰ τῆς πενθερᾶς αὐτῆς
NAS: AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW;
KJV: against her mother in law.
INT: against the mother-in-law of her

Mark 1:30 N-NFS
GRK: ἡ δὲ πενθερὰ Σίμωνος κατέκειτο
NAS: Simon's mother-in-law was lying sick
KJV: Simon's wife's mother lay
INT: and [the] mother-in-law of Simon was laying sick

Luke 4:38 N-NFS
GRK: οἰκίαν Σίμωνος πενθερὰ δὲ τοῦ
NAS: Simon's mother-in-law was suffering
KJV: Simon's wife's mother was
INT: house of Simon [the] mother-in-law moreover

Luke 12:53 N-NFS
GRK: τὴν μητέρα πενθερὰ ἐπὶ τὴν
NAS: mother, mother-in-law against
KJV: the mother; the mother in law against
INT: mother mother-in-law against the

Luke 12:53 N-AFS
GRK: ἐπὶ τὴν πενθεράν
NAS: against mother-in-law.
KJV: against her mother in law.
INT: against mother-in-law

Strong's Greek 3994
6 Occurrences

πενθερὰ — 3 Occ.
πενθερὰν — 2 Occ.
πενθερᾶς — 1 Occ.