vûr ́jin; vûr-jin ́i-ti: (1) בּתוּלה, bethūlāh, from a root meaning “separated,” is “a woman living apart,” i.e. “in her father’s house,” and hence “a virgin.” Bethūlāh seems to have been the technical term for “virgin,” as appears from such a combination as na‛ărāh bhethūlāh, “a damsel, a virgin,” in Deuteronomy 22:23, 22:28, etc. An apparent exception is Joel 1:8, “Lament like a virgin (bethūlāh)...for the husband of her youth,” but the word is probably due to a wish to allude to the title “virgin daughter of Zion” (the translation “a betrothed maiden” is untrue to Hebrew sentiment). and the use of “virgin” for a city (Isaiah 37:22, etc.; compare Isaiah 23:12; 47:1) probably means “unsubdued,” though, as often, a title may persist after its meaning is gone (Jeremiah 31:4). The King James Version and the English Revised Version frequently render bethūlāh by “maiden” or “maid” (Judges 19:24, etc.), but the American Standard Revised Version has used “virgin” throughout, despite the awkwardness of such a phrase as “young men and virgins” (Psalms 148:12). For “tokens of virginity” (“proofs of chastity”) see the commentary on Deuteronomy 22:15 ff. (2) עלמה, ‛almāh, rendered in the Revised Version by either “damsel” (Psalms 68:25), “maiden” (so usually, Exodus 2:8, etc.), or “virgin” with margin “maiden” (Song of Solomon 1:3; 6:8; Isaiah 7:14). The word (see OHL) means simply “young woman” and only the context can give it the force “virgin.” This force, however, seems required by the contrasts in Song of Solomon 6:8, but in 1:3 “virgin” throws the accent in the wrong place. The controversies regarding Isaiah 7:14 are endless, but Septuagint took ‛almāh as meaning “virgin” (parthénos). But in New Testament times the Jews never interpreted the verse as a prediction of a virgin-birth—a proof that the Christian faith did not grow out of this passage. See IMMANUEL; VIRGIN BIRTH. (3) παρθέυς, parthénos, the usual Greek word for “virgin” (Judith 16:5, etc.; Matthew 1:23, etc.). In Revelation 14:4 the word is masculine. In 1 Corinthians 7:25 ff the Revised Version has explained “virgin” by writing “virgin daughter” in 1 Corinthians 7:36-38. This is almost certainly right, but “virgin companion” (see Lietzmann and J. Weiss in the place cited.) is not quite impossible. (4) νεᾶνις, neánis, “young woman” (Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 20:4). (5) Latin virgo (2 Esdras 16:33).
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Author: International Std. Bible Encyclopedia
Keywords: Virgin, Virginity, Premarital sex, Sex, Maiden, Maid, Young woman, Sex before marriage, Virgin Mary, Parthenos, Virgin daugther, Virgin birth, 10 virgins, Ten virgins, Parable of Ten Virgins, Parable of 10 virgins, Unmarried, Unmarried woman
Source: James Orr (editor), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 5 volume set.
Page indexed by: inWORD Bible Software.