Virgin

Virgin is the rendering, in the A. V., of two Heb. terms, concerning the distinctive use of which some exegetical and theological controversy has arisen. The word בּתוּלָה, bethulah (from בָּתִל, to separate), occurs forty-nine times in the Old Test., and is translated by παρθένος in the Sept., except in two instances. It is rendered once by νεᾶνις (1 Kings 1:2), and once by νύμφη (Joel 1:8). See Exodus 22:15-17; Leviticus 21; Deuteronomy 22; 23; Judges 21, etc. It properly denotes a virgin, maiden (Genesis 24:16; Leviticus 21:13; Deuteronomy 22:14,23,28; Judges 11:37; 1 Kings 1:2); the passage in Joel 1:8 is not an exception, as it refers to the loss of one betrothed, not married עִלמָה, almah (from עָלִם, to conceal), also properly signifies a virgin, a maiden, a young woman unmarried, but of marriageable age. It occurs seven times, in four of which it is rendered νεᾶ νις, puella (Exodus 2:8; Psalms 68:25; Song of Solomon 1:3; 6:8), in one (Proverbs 30:19) νεότης and in two (Genesis 24:43; Isaiah 7:14) παρθενος. The same word mi also rendered virgo in the Vulg. in these two passages in Exodus 2:8, puella; in Psalms 68:26, juvencula; in Song of Solomon 1:3; 6:8, adolescentula; and in Proverbs 30:19 adolescentia, after the Sept. The Syriac follows the, Sept. in Isaiah 7:14, but in all the other passages agrees with Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion, who translate עלמה by νεᾶνις, not only in Psalms 68:25; Genesis 34:31; Exodus 2:8; Proverbs 30:19 (in which, they agree with the Sept.), but also in Isaiah 7:14. Justin Martyr (Dial. c. Tryph.) complains of the partiality of the Greek translators in rendering עלמה here by νεᾶνις (a term which does not necessarily include the idea of virginity), accusing these Jewish writers of wishing to neutralize the application to the Messiah of this passage, which the Jews of his time referred to Hezekiah. Jerome says that the Punic for virgo is alma, although the word עלמה is but twice so rendered in the Vulg. Gesenius (Com. in Isaiah) maintains, notwithstanding, that νεᾶνις, not παρθένος, is the correct rendering in Isaiah 7:14, while he at the same time agrees with Justin that the prediction cannot possibly refer to Hezekiah, who was born nine years before its. delivery. Fürst (Concordance) explains עלמה by “puella, virgo, nubilis illa vel nupta, tenera et florens setate, valens ac vegeta;” but Hengstenberg (Christology), although admitting that עלמה does not necessarily mean: a virgin (which he conceives is plain from Proverbs 30:19), maintains that it is always applied in Scripture to an unmarried woman. Matthew (Matthew 1:23), who cites from the Sept., applies the passage Isaiah 7:14 to the miraculous birth of Jesus from the Blessed Virgin. Prof. Robinson (Gr. and Eng. Lexicon) considers παρθένος here to signify a bride, or newly married woman, as in Homer (11. 2, 514):

ΟÞς τέκεν Α᾿στυόχη...παρθένος αἰδοίη
(“Them-bore Astyoche, a virgin pure” — Cowper); and considering it to refer apparently to the youthful spouse of the prophet (see Isaiah 8:3-4; 7:3,10,21), holds that the sense in Matthew 1:23 would then be: Thus was fulfilled in a strict and literal sense that which the prophet spoke in a wider sense and on a different occasion. Though the prophet already had a son, it is by no means improbable that his former wife was dead, and that he was about to be united in marriage to another who was a virgin. The prophet predicted the birth of a male child which should occur within the appointed period from one who was then a virgin, an; event which could be, known only to God; and this event should constitute a sign, a proof or demonstration, to Ahaz of the truth of his prediction concerning Syria and Israel. In this remarkable event the prophet directed the minds of the king and people onward to the birth of the Messiah from a virgin, and to him the name “Immanuel” should be more appropriately given. Hence the evangelist Matthew, considering the former event as the predicted type of the latter event, applies the passage to the miraculous birth of Jesus from the Virgin. SEE IMMANUEL; SEE ISAIAH.

To continue reading this Bible article, click here.

Author: McClintock and Strong Cyclopedia

Keywords: Virgin, virginity, maiden, unmarried woman, young girl, PERPETUAL VIRGINITY OF MARY, virgin Mary

Bible reference(s): 1 Corinthians 11:2, 1 Corinthians 7:2, 1 Kings 1:2, Amos 5:2, Deuteronomy 22:14, Exodus 2:8, Exodus 22:15, Genesis 24:16, Genesis 34:31, Genesis 8:7, Isaiah 23:12, Isaiah 46:4, Isaiah 47:1, Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 8:3, Jeremiah 14:17, Jeremiah 18:13, Jeremiah 31:4, Jeremiah 46:11, Joel 1:8, Judges 11:37, Lamentations 1:15, Leviticus 21:13, Matthew 1:23, Matthew 28:20, Proverbs 30:19, Psalms 110:1, Psalms 61:7, Psalms 68:25, Revelation 14:14, Song of Solomon 1:3, Song of Solomon 6:8

Source: John McClintock and James Strong, Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature.

Page indexed by: inWORD Bible Software.