The Greek noun mētēr (μήτηρ) means mother — a woman who has given birth or who exercises maternal care. It is used for biological mothers throughout the New Testament and metaphorically for Jerusalem as the mother of believers (Galatians 4:26) and for Babylon as a corrupt spiritual mother (Revelation 17:5).
Mētēr plays a significant role in the Gospels. Jesus honors His mother Mary while also defining His true family as those who do God's will (Matthew 12:49–50). From the cross, Jesus entrusted His mother to the Beloved Disciple (John 19:25–27), a profound act of filial love and care. Paul uses the mother metaphor for the apostolic ministry: 'Like a nursing mother caring for her own children' (1 Thessalonians 2:7). The fifth commandment to honor parents includes mothers, and Proverbs 31 celebrates the virtuous mother as one whose children rise up and call her blessed.