VIRGIN – WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

HEBREW DEFINITION AND SCRIPTURES

*bethuwlah, beth-oo-law', Hebrew 1330; feminine passive participle of an unused root meaning to separate; a virgin (from her privacy); sometimes (*by continuation) a bride; also (figurative) a city or state :- *maid, *virgin.

Following are all the scriptures in the Old Testament using this word, *bethuwlah, for virgin or maid. A **damsel is any young girl from infancy to adolescence. This word, *bethuwlah, is always used to portray a young woman who has never been with a man. In every sense, a virgin as we know it today. Although a **damsel might not always be a virgin or maid.

American Heritage Dictionary: dam·sel (d²m“z…l) n. A young woman or girl; a maiden.

Genesis 24:16 - And the **damsel was very fair to look upon, a *virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

**damsel - na`arah, nah-ar-aw', Hebrew 5291; feminine of Hebrew 5288 (na`ar); a girl (from infancy to adolescence) :- damsel, maid (-en), young (woman).

Exodus 22:16-17 - And if a man entice a *maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife. [17] If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of *virgins.

Leviticus 21:3 - And for his sister a *virgin, that is nigh unto him, which hath had no husband; for her may he be defiled.

Leviticus 21:14 - A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a *virgin of his own people to wife.

Deut. 22:19 - And they shall amerce him in an hundred shekels of silver, and give them unto the father of the **damsel, because he hath brought up an evil name upon a *virgin of Israel: and she shall be his wife; he may not put her away all his days.

Deut. 22:23 - If a **damsel that is a *virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her;

Deut. 22:28 - If a man find a **damsel that is a *virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;

Deut. 32:25 - The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the *virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs.

Judges 19:24 - Behold, here is my daughter a *maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing.

Judges 21:12 - And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young *virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

2 Samuel 13:2 - And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a *virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her.

2 Samuel 13:18 - And she had a garment of divers colours upon her: for with such robes were the king's daughters that were *virgins apparelled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her.

1 Kings 1:2 - Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young *virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.

2 Kings 19:21 - This is the word that the LORD hath spoken concerning him; The *virgin the daughter of Zion hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.

2 Chron. 36:17 - Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or *maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand.

Esther 2:2-3 - Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young *virgins sought for the king: [3] And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young *virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women unto the custody of Hege the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them:

Esther 2:17 - And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the *virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.

Esther 2:19 - And when the *virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king's gate.

Job 31:1 - I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a *maid?

Psalm 45:14 - She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the *virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee.

Psalm 78:63 - The fire consumed their young men; and their *maidens were not given to marriage.

Psalm 148:12 - Both young men, and *maidens; old men, and children:

Isaiah 23:4 - Be thou ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea hath spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying, I travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up young men, nor bring up *virgins.

Isaiah 23:12 - And he said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed *virgin, daughter of Zidon: arise, pass over to Chittim; there also shalt thou have no rest.

Isaiah 37:22 - This is the word which the LORD hath spoken concerning him; The *virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.

Isaiah 47:1 - Come down, and sit in the dust, O *virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate.

Isaiah 62:5 - For as a young man marrieth a *virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

Jeremiah 2:32 - Can a *maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.

Jeremiah 14:17 - Therefore thou shalt say this word unto them; Let mine eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease: for the *virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous blow.

Jeremiah 18:13 - Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ask ye now among the heathen, who hath heard such things: the *virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing.

Jeremiah 31:4 - Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O *virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.

Jeremiah 31:13 - Then shall the *virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.

Jeremiah 31:21 - Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps: set thine heart toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest: turn again, O *virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities.

Jeremiah 46:11 - Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O *virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured.

Jeremiah 51:22 - With thee also will I break in pieces man and woman; and with thee will I break in pieces old and young; and with thee will I break in pieces the young man and the *maid;

Lament. 1:4

The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her *virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness.

Lament. 1:15

The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me: he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men: the Lord hath trodden the *virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a winepress.

Lament. 1:18 - The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my *virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.

Lament. 2:10 - The elders of the daughter of Zion sit upon the ground, and keep silence: they have cast up dust upon their heads; they have girded themselves with sackcloth: the *virgins of Jerusalem hang down their heads to the ground.

Lament. 2:13 - What thing shall I take to witness for thee? what thing shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? what shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O *virgin daughter of Zion? for thy breach is great like the sea: who can heal thee?

Lament. 2:21 - The young and the old lie on the ground in the streets: my *virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword; thou hast slain them in the day of thine anger; thou hast killed, and not pitied.

Lament. 5:11 - They ravished the women in Zion, and the *maids in the cities of Judah.

Ezekiel 9:6 - Slay utterly old and young, both *maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.

Ezekiel 44:22 - Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away: but they shall take *maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before.

Joel 1:8 - Lament like a *virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.

Amos 5:2 - The *virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.

Amos 8:13 - In that day shall the fair *virgins and young men faint for thirst.

Zech. 9:17 - For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the *maids.

SECOND HEBREW WORD FOR VIRGIN IS *ALMAH

This is the same as **`elem which is the masculine form for a young man.

*`almah, al-maw', Hebrew 5959; **feminine of Hebrew 5958 (`elem); a lass (as veiled or private) :- **damsel, maid, virgin.

American Heritage Dictionary:

**lass - (l²s) n. 1. A girl or young woman. 2. A sweetheart.

**damsel - (d²m“z…l) n. A young woman or girl; a maiden.

**maid - (m³d) n. 1.a. An unmarried girl or woman. b. A virgin. 2. A woman servant.

None of these three words denote a woman who has not had sex with a man. It could be ANY unmarried girl or woman. So this word is not the same as *bethuwlah, which means a virgin in every sense of the word.

*`almah, al-maw', Hebrew 5959; **feminine of Hebrew 5958 (`elem); a lass (as veiled or private) :- **damsel, maid, virgin.

**`elem, eh'-lem, Hebrew 5958; from Hebrew 5956 (`alam); properly something kept out of sight [compare Hebrew 5959 (`almah)], i.e. **a lad :- young man, stripling.

These are the only scriptures in the Old Testament that use the word **`elem.

1 Samuel 17:56 - And the king said, Enquire thou whose son the **stripling is.

1 Samuel 20:22 - But if I say thus unto the **young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way: for the LORD hath sent thee away.

Following are all the scriptures in the Old Testament that use the word *`almah for virgin. It is interesting to note that the prophetic scripture used for the one who would conceive the Lord Jesus used the word *`almah instead of *bethuwlah.

Genesis 24:43 - Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the *virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink;

Exodus 2:8 - And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the *maid went and called the child's mother.

Psalm 68:25 - The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the *damsels playing with timbrels.

Proverbs 30:19 - The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a *maid.

Song 1:3 - Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the *virgins love thee.

Song 6:8 - There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and *virgins without number.

Isaiah 7:14 - Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a *virgin (*`almah, or a lass, damsel or maid (young girl or woman) shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

GREEK DEFINITION AND SCRIPTURES

*parthenos, par-then'-os, Greek 3933; of unknown origin; *a maiden; by implication an *unmarried daughter :- virgin.

*maid-en (m³d“n) n. 1.a. An unmarried girl or woman. b. A virgin. 2. Being an unmarried girl or woman. 3. Inexperienced; untried.

Matthew 1:23 - Behold, a *virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Matthew 25:1 - Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten *virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

Matthew 25:7 - Then all those *virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

Matthew 25:11 - Afterward came also the other *virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

Luke 1:27 - To a *virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the *virgin’s name was Mary.

Acts 21:9 - And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.

1 Cor. 7:25 - Now concerning *virgin I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.

1 Cor. 7:28 - But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a *virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.

1 Cor. 7:34 - There is difference also between a wife and a *virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

1 Cor. 7:36-37 - But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his *virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry. [37] Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his *virgin, doeth well.

2 Cor. 11:2 - For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste *virgin to Christ.

Rev. 14:4 - These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are *virgin. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

DOCTRINES

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