← G3994 G3996 →

πενθερός

pentherós

G3995 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A wife's father; the father-in-law of a man. The term specifically designates the male parent of one's spouse, almost exclusively used to refer to the husband's relationship to his wife's father. In Hellenistic Greek, the term does not generally extend to other in-law relationships or apply beyond the immediate father-in-law.

Semantic Range

wife's father, father-in-law, male parent of a spouse

Root / Etymology

From uncertain origin (etymology uncertain). No clear cognate in classical Greek; possibly of Pre-Greek or Anatolian substratum origin, as the structure and form do not align with productive Greek morphological patterns.

Historical & Contextual Notes

πενθερός appears in both Hellenistic and later Greek, but is sparsely attested in earlier classical literature. Its usage is essentially familial, aligned with Greco-Roman kinship structures, which precisely defined the role of 'father-in-law.' In the New Testament, the word is encountered in contexts referring to the family relationships surrounding marriages. Related feminine form πενθερά (penthera) means 'mother-in-law.' Unlike some Indo-European languages, which use a root for in-laws generally, Greek typically provides separate, gender-specific terms. English translations usually render πενθερός as 'father-in-law,' which captures the sense though the Greek is more narrowly defined.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of uncertain affinity; a wife's father:--father in law.

Root Family

πενθερ- (pentherá) — marriage relation, spouse's mother, mother-in-law

Root πενθερ- father-in-law, wife's father
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G3994 πενθερά mother-in-law

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3995-01 πενθερὸς pentheros N NOM M SG father-in-law father-in-law father-in-law 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3995-01 John 18:13 πενθερὸς pentheros N NOM M SG father-in-law father-in-law father-in-law
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