The Hebrew noun achot (אָחוֹת) means sister — primarily a female sibling, but also used in extended senses for a female companion or ally, and in poetry for the beloved. It is the feminine form of ach (H251, brother), reflecting the same kinship vocabulary that is central to Hebrew social identity.
In the wisdom literature and Song of Songs, achot is used as a tender term of address for the beloved ('my sister, my bride' in Song 4:9–12), expressing intimate affection and partnership. In the prophets, it is used of nations as 'sisters' — particularly Jerusalem and Samaria, or Jerusalem and Sodom (Ezekiel 16:46–49).
The concept of sisterhood in Scripture points toward the profound relational nature of God's covenant community. In the New Testament, the church is described as a family — brothers and sisters in Christ — making the kinship terms of the Old Testament literal ecclesial realities (1 Timothy 5:2; Romans 16:1).
The prophetic use of achot for Jerusalem and her 'sisters' (Ezekiel 16) is both convicting and hopeful — God holds His people to account by comparing them with others, and yet His covenant faithfulness means even the unfaithful 'sister' can be restored. The tenderness of 'my sister, my bride' in Song of Songs points forward to the language of Revelation 21 — the church as bride, the intimacy of God's people with their Lord.