Topic
Virgin, Virginity
27 passages cited, from 1 classic reference work.
These works date from 1915 and are in the public domain. They reflect the Protestant scholarship of their time: their history, archaeology and dates can be out of date, and where they interpret, other traditions read the text differently. The verses are shown in the King James Version, the wording these works were written against.
The verses
The passages the works cite, those cited by more of them first.
- Exodus 2:8ISBE
And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother.
- Deuteronomy 22:15ISBE
Then shall the father of the damsel, and her mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel’s virginity unto the elders of the city in the gate:
- Deuteronomy 22:21ISBE
Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father’s house: so shalt thou put evil away from…
- Deuteronomy 22:23ISBE
¶ If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her;
- Deuteronomy 22:28ISBE
¶ 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;
- Judges 11:37ISBE
And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.
- Judges 11:38ISBE
And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.
- Judges 19:24ISBE
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.
- Psalms 68:25ISBE
The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels.
- Psalms 148:12ISBE
Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children:
- Song of Songs 1:3ISBE
Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.
- Song of Songs 6:8ISBE
There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number.
Show 15 more
- Isaiah 7:14 ISBE
- Isaiah 23:12 ISBE
- Isaiah 37:22 ISBE
- Isaiah 47:1 ISBE
- Jeremiah 31:4 ISBE
- Joel 1:8 ISBE
- Judith 16:5 ISBE
- Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 20:4 ISBE
- 2 Esdras 16:33 ISBE
- Matthew 1:23 ISBE
- Matthew 19:12 ISBE
- 1 Corinthians 7:25 ISBE
- 1 Corinthians 7:29 ISBE
- James 4:4 ISBE
- Revelation 14:4 ISBE
In the reference works
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) · 32 references
vur'-jin; vur-jin'-i-ti:
(1) bethulah, from a root meaning "separated," is "a woman living apart," i.e. "in her father's house," and hence "a virgin." Bethulah seems to have been the technical term for "virgin," as appears from such a combination as na`arah bhethulah, "a damsel, a virgin," in De 22:23,28, etc. An apparent exception is Joe 1:8, "Lament like a virgin bethulah .... 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 (Isa 37:22, etc.; compare Isa 23:12; 47:1) probably means "unsubdued," though, as often, a title may persist after its meaning is gone (Jer 31:4). The King James Version and the English Revised Version frequently render bethulah by "maiden" or "maid" (Jud 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" (Ps 148:12). For "tokens of virginity" ("proofs of chastity") see the commentary on De 22:15 ff.
(2) `almah, rendered in the Revised Version (British and American) by either "damsel" (Ps 68:25), "maiden" (so usually, Ex 2:8, etc.), or "virgin" with margin "maiden" (So 1:3; 6:8; Isa 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 So 6:8, but in 1:3 "virgin" throws the accent in the wrong place. The controversies regarding Isa 7:14 are endless, but Septuagint took `almah as meaning "virgin" (parthenos). 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) parthenos, the usual Greek word for "virgin" (Judith 16:5, etc.; Mt 1:23, etc.). In Re 14:4 the word is masculine. In 1Co 7:25 ff the Revised Version (British and American) has explained "virgin" by writing "virgin daughter" in 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) neanis, "young woman" (Sirach 20:4).
(5) Latin virgo (2 Esdras 16:33).
The Old Testament lays extreme emphasis on chastity before marriage (De 22:21), but childlessness was so great a misfortune that death before marriage was to be bewailed (Jud 11:37,38). Paul's preference for the unmarried state (1Co 7:29 if) is based on the greater freedom for service (compare Mt 19:12), and the Greek estimate of virginity as possessing a religious quality per se is foreign to true Jewish thought (such a passage as Philo Mund. opif., section symbol 53, is due to direct Greek influence). Some have thought to find a trace of the Greek doctrine in Re 14:4. But 144,000 lst-century. Christian ascetics are out of the question, and the figure must be interpreted like that of Jas 4:4 (reversed).
Burton Scott Easton
Texts: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915), from the CrossWire SWORD modules (public domain). Verse references were parsed from the works' own markup and checked against the KJV verse list.