Difference between revisions of "Virgin"

<p> <em> ‛Almâh </em> (עַלְמָה, Strong'S #5959), “virgin; maiden.” This noun has an Ugaritic cognate, although the masculine form also appears in Aramaic, Syriac, and Arabic. The feminine form of the root appears 9 times; the only 2 appearances of the masculine form ( <em> ‘elem </em> ) are in First Samuel. This suggests that this word was used rarely, perhaps because other words bore a similar meaning. </p> <p> That <em> ‛almâh </em> can mean “virgin” is quite clear in Song of Sol. 6:8: “There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins [NASB, “maidens”] without number.” Thus all the women in the court are described. The word <em> ‛almâh </em> represents those who are eligible for marriage but are neither wives (queens) nor concubines. These “virgins” all loved the king and longed to be chosen to be with him (to be his bride), even as did the [[Shulamite]] who became his bride (1:3-4). In Gen. 24:43 the word describes Rebekah, of whom it is said in Gen. 24:16 that she was a “maiden” with whom no man had had relations. Solomon wrote that the process of wooing a woman was mysterious to him (Prov. 30:19). [[Certainly]] in that day a man ordinarily wooed one whom he considered to be a “virgin.” There are several contexts, therefore, in which a young girl’s virginity is expressly in view. </p> <p> Thus <em> ‛almâh </em> appears to be used more of the concept “virgin” than that of “maiden,” yet always of a woman who had not borne a child. This makes it the ideal word to be used in Isa. 7:14, since the word <em> betulah </em> emphasizes virility more than virginity (although it is used with both emphases, too). The reader of Isa. 7:14 in the days preceding the birth of Jesus would read that a “virgin who is a maiden” would conceive a child. This was a possible, but irregular, use of the word since the word can refer merely to the unmarried status of the one so described. The child immediately in view was the son of the prophet and his wife (cf. Isa. 8:3) who served as a sign to Ahaz that his enemies would be defeated by God. On the other hand, the reader of that day must have been extremely uncomfortable with this use of the word, since its primary connotation is “virgin” rather than “maiden.” Thus the clear translation of the Greek in Matt. 1:23 whereby this word is rendered “virgin” satisfies its fullest implication. Therefore, there was no embarrassment to Isaiah when his wife conceived a son by him, since the word <em> ‛almâh </em> allowed for this. Neither is there any embarrassment in Matthew’s understanding of the word. </p>

<div> '''1: παρθένος ''' (Strong'S #3933 — Noun [[Feminine]] — parthenos — par-then'-os ) </div> <p> is used (a) of "the Virgin Mary," &nbsp;Matthew 1:23; &nbsp;Luke 1:27; (b) of the ten "virgins" in the parable, &nbsp;Matthew 25:1,7,11; (c) of the "daughters" of [[Philip]] the evangelist, &nbsp;Acts 21:9; (d) those concerning whom the [[Apostle]] Paul gives instructions regarding marriage, &nbsp;1 Corinthians 7:25,28,34; in &nbsp;1 Corinthians 7:36-38 , the subject passes to that of "virgin daughters" (RV), which almost certainly formed one of the subjects upon which the church at [[Corinth]] sent for instructions from the Apostle; one difficulty was relative to the discredit which might be brought upon a father (or guardian), if he allowed his daughter or ward to grow old unmarried. The interpretation that this passage refers to a man and woman already in some kind of relation by way of a spiritual marriage and living together in a vow of virginity and celibacy, is untenable if only in view of the phraseology of the passage; (e) figuratively, of "a local church" in its relation to Christ, &nbsp;2 Corinthians 11:2; (f) metaphorically of "chaste persons," &nbsp;Revelation 14:4 . </p>

<p> 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 בְּתוּלָה, ''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 (&nbsp;1 Kings 1:2), and once by νύμφη (&nbsp;Joel 1:8). See &nbsp;Exodus 22:15-17; Leviticus 21; Deuteronomy 22, 23; Judges 21, etc. It properly denotes ''A Virgin, Maiden'' (&nbsp;Genesis 24:16; &nbsp;Leviticus 21:13; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 22:14; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 22:23; &nbsp;Deuteronomy 22:28; &nbsp;Judges 11:37; &nbsp;1 Kings 1:2); the passage in &nbsp;Joel 1:8 is not an exception, as it refers to the loss of one betrothed, not married עִלְמָה, [[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 (&nbsp;Exodus 2:8; &nbsp;Psalms 68:25; &nbsp;Song of Solomon 1:3; &nbsp;Song of Solomon 6:8), in one (&nbsp;Proverbs 30:19) νεότης and in two (&nbsp;Genesis 24:43; &nbsp;Isaiah 7:14) παρθενος ''.'' </p> <p> The same word mi also rendered [[Virgo]] in the Vulg. in these two passages in &nbsp;Exodus 2:8, puella; in &nbsp;Psalms 68:26, ''Juvencula'' ; in &nbsp;Song of Solomon 1:3; &nbsp;Song of Solomon 6:8, adolescentula; and in &nbsp;Proverbs 30:19adolescentia, after the Sept. The [[Syriac]] follows the, Sept. in &nbsp;Isaiah 7:14, but in all the other passages agrees with Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion, who translate עלמה by νεᾶνις '','' not only in &nbsp;Psalms 68:25; &nbsp;Exodus 2:8; &nbsp;Proverbs 30:19 (in which, they agree with the Sept.), but also in &nbsp;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 &nbsp;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. Fü rst (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 &nbsp;Proverbs 30:19), maintains that it is always applied in [[Scripture]] to an unmarried woman. Matthew (&nbsp;Matthew 1:23), who cites from the Sept., applies the passage &nbsp;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): </p> <p> Ο Þ ς τέκεν Ἀστυόχη ...παρθένος αἰδοίη </p> <p> '''("Them-bore Astyoche, a virgin pure" Cowper);''' </p> <p> and considering it to refer apparently to the youthful spouse of the prophet (see &nbsp;Isaiah 8:3-4; &nbsp;Isaiah 7:3; &nbsp;Isaiah 7:10; &nbsp;Isaiah 7:21), holds that the sense in &nbsp;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]]). </p> <p> The early [[Christians]] contended also for the perpetual virginity of Mary against the Jews, who objected to the use of the term ἕως (''Until,'' &nbsp;Matthew 1:25) as implying, the contrary; but the fathers triumphantly appealed" against the Jewish interpretation to Scripture usage, according to which this term frequently included the notion of perpetuity (comp. &nbsp;Genesis 8:7; &nbsp;Psalms 61:7; &nbsp;Psalms 110:1; &nbsp;Isaiah 46:4; &nbsp;Matthew 28:20; and see Suicer, ''Thesaur.,'' and Pearson, ''On The Creed,'' art. 3). Although, there is no proof from Scripture that [[Marry]] had other children, (See [[James]]); (See [[Jude]]), the [[Christian]] fathers did not consider that there was any impiety in the supposition that she had (Suicer, ut ''Sup.'' )''.'' But, although not an article of faith, the perpetual virginity of Mary was a constant tradition of both the Eastern and the Western Church. The most distinguished [[Protestant]] theologians have also adopted this belief, and Dr. Lardner (''Credibility'' ) considered the evidence in its favor so strong as to deserve that assent which he himself yielded to it. (See [[Perpetual [[Virginity]] Of Mary]]). </p> <p> The word παρθένος '', Virgin,'' occurs in &nbsp;Matthew 1:25; Luke 1; Acts 21; &nbsp;1 Corinthians 7:2; &nbsp;1 Corinthians 11:2; and &nbsp;Revelation 14:14. In 1 Corinthians and Apoc. it is applied to both sexes, as it frequently is by the fathers, who use it in the sense of coelebs. It is sometimes metaphorically used in the New Test. to denote a high state of moral purity. Kitto. So also, among the Hebrews, the population of a place or city was sometimes personified as a female and called virgin; thus the inhabitants of [[Tyre]] (&nbsp;Isaiah 23:12), of Babylon (&nbsp;Isaiah 47:1), of Egypt (&nbsp;Jeremiah 46:11), and of Judah and Israel, i.e. the Hebrews (&nbsp;Lamentations 1:15; &nbsp;Jeremiah 14:17; &nbsp;Jeremiah 18:13; &nbsp;Jeremiah 31:4; &nbsp;Jeremiah 31:21; &nbsp;Amos 5:2). (See [[Daughter]]). </p>