Extended Strong's Greek Lexicon (Abbott-Smith based)
mother-in-law
Usage: πενθερά, -ᾶς, ἡ (fem. of πενθερός), [in LXX for חֲמוֹת ;] a mother-in-law: Mat.8:14 10:35, Mrk.1:30, Luk.4:38 12:53.† (AS)
Strong's Number
G3994
Language
Greek
Linked Usages
17
Books
6
Strong's G3994 Quick Answer
Strong's G3994 πενθερά (penthera) is a Greek Strong's word-study entry. penthera (pen-ther-ah') n. 1. a wife's mother [feminine of G3995] It has 17 linked Bible usages across 6 books. Visible English usage signals include wife's and mother. Indexed coverage on this page includes New Testament and Septuagint / Greek Old Testament.
- Meaning
- penthera (pen-ther-ah') n. 1. a wife's mother [feminine of G3995]
- Usage
- 17 linked usages
- Books
- 6 indexed books
- Corpus
- New Testament and Septuagint / Greek Old Testament
- Usage Words
- wife's and mother
Meaning and Definition
penthera (pen-ther-ah') n. 1. a wife's mother [feminine of G3995] KJV: mother in law, wife's mother Root(s): G3995
Across Lexicons
How independent scholarly lexicons define Strong's G3994. Each definition is shown with its source so you can compare and cite the original reference works.
How Strong's G3994 Is Translated
The English word each shown verse actually uses to render penthera, taken from the interlinear word alignment (the same word underlined in the excerpts below). Where a rendering is used more than once, the count is shown.
wife's
Matthew 8:14
3×
mother
Matthew 10:35
2×
How Strong's G3994 Usage Compares
Indexed coverage includes Septuagint / Greek Old Testament and New Testament. Each section below keeps corpus counts and sample passages visible so readers can compare the word across contexts instead of reading one flat concordance list.
- The largest indexed corpus on this page is Septuagint / Greek Old Testament with 12 linked usages.
- This page lets readers compare New Testament usage with Septuagint / Greek Old Testament usage, which is a key THF advantage over narrower Strong's pages.
In the Septuagint (LXX)
Strong's G3994 (πενθερά) appears 13 times in the Greek Septuagint — the Old Testament the New Testament authors quoted.
Sample Septuagint occurrences:
- Deuteronomy 27:23 — πενθερᾶς
- Micah 7:6 — πενθερὰν
- Ruth 1:14 — πενθερὰν
- Ruth 2:11 — πενθερᾶς
- Ruth 2:18 — πενθερὰ
Strong's G3994 by Corpus
Indexed usage grouped by testament and extended corpus so readers can compare this word across the Bible, Septuagint, deuterocanonical books, and 1 Enoch where present.
Strong's G3994 in the New Testament
5 indexed usages in New Testament.
And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever.
For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.
Strong's G3994 in the Septuagint / Greek Old Testament
12 indexed usages in Septuagint / Greek Old Testament.
Cursed is he that lies with his daughter-in-law: and all the people shall say, So be it. Cursed is he that lies with his wife’s sister: and all the people shall say, So be it.
And they lifted up their voice, and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law and returned to her people; but Ruth followed her.
And Boaz answered and said to her, It has fully been told me how thou hast dealt with thy mother-in-law after the death of thy husband; and how thou didst leave thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy birth, and camest to a people whom thou knewest not before.
Usage Excerpts
First 17 linked usage excerpts for Strong's G3994.
Cursed is he that lies with his daughter-in-law: and all the people shall say, So be it. Cursed is he that lies with his wife’s sister: and all the people shall say, So be it.
And they lifted up their voice, and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law and returned to her people; but Ruth followed her.
And Boaz answered and said to her, It has fully been told me how thou hast dealt with thy mother-in-law after the death of thy husband; and how thou didst leave thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy birth, and camest to a people whom thou knewest not before.
And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned, and Ruth brought forth and gave to her the food which she had left from what she had been satisfied with.
And her mother-in-law said to her, Where hast thou gleaned today, and where hast thou wrought? blessed be he that took notice of thee. And Ruth told her mother-in-law where she had wrought, and said, The name of the man with whom I wrought today is Boaz.
And Ruth said to her mother-in-law, Yea, he said also to me, Keep close to my damsels, until the men shall have finished all my reaping.
And Ruth joined herself to the damsels of Boaz to glean until they had finished the barley harvest and the wheat harvest.
And she lodged with her mother-in-law: and Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?
And she went down to the threshing floor, and did according to all that her mother-in-law enjoined her.
And Ruth went in to her mother-in-law, and she said to her, My daughter! and Ruth told her all that the man had done to her.
And she said to her, He gave me these six measures of barley, for he said to me, Go not empty to thy mother-in-law.
For the son dishonors his father, the daughter will rise up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law: those in his house shall be all a man’s enemies.
And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever.
For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.
And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her.
The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
All Indexed Usage Links
Every indexed verse link for Strong's G3994, grouped by book.
Deuteronomy 1 usage, Septuagint / Greek Old Testament
Ruth 10 usages, Septuagint / Greek Old Testament
Micah 1 usage, Septuagint / Greek Old Testament
Matthew 2 usages, New Testament
Mark 1 usage, New Testament
Luke 2 usages, New Testament
Strong's G3994 FAQ
What does penthera (πενθερά) mean?
Penthera (Strong's G3994) is a Greek word most simply glossed "wife's mother". penthera (pen-ther-ah') n. 1. a wife's mother [feminine of G3995]
How many times is penthera (πενθερά) used in the Bible?
This page currently indexes 17 linked usages for Strong's G3994 across 6 books.
Where can I study penthera (πενθερά) in context?
Use the linked verse references on this page to study Strong's G3994 in context. The indexed coverage includes New Testament and Septuagint / Greek Old Testament.
What English words translate penthera (πενθερά)?
The visible usage excerpts most often surface English words such as wife's and mother. These are scanning signals from the displayed verses, not replacements for the original-language definition.
Does Strong's G3994 appear in the Septuagint or deuterocanonical books?
Yes. The current local index includes 12 in Septuagint / Greek Old Testament for Strong's G3994, with linked reader references where each row is available.