Virgin

See under WOMAN.

The Jews had certainly a distinction in the meaning of this word. When they spoke of a young woman simply as such, they contented themselves with the expression of youth; but when they meant to speak of a virgin, they called her Almah, and generally subjoined, as in the instance of Rebekah, "neither had any man known her, " (Gen. 24. 16.) and the Hebrew word Almah, at once expresseth this, for it means concealed. Hence the Virgin Mary, by way of distinction is thus spoken of, implying that she was after, as well asbefore, the birth of Christ, the Almah. See Mary.

VIRGIN usually represents (a) Heb. bĕthûlâh, an unmarried maiden. The word is frequently applied to countries, often with the addition of ‘daughter,’ e.g. Israel (Jer 18:13, Amo 5:2), Zion (2Ki 19:21, Lam 2:13), Babylon (Isa 47:1), Egypt (Jer 46:11). In Joe 1:8 it is used of a young widow. Deu 22:23 ff. has laws for the protection of virgins; Deu 22:13 insists on the importance of virginity in a bride. (b) In Isa 7:14 a rare word ‘almâh is used (RVm [Note: Revised Version margin.] ‘maiden’). The OT usage is indecisive as to whether it is confined to the unmarried (e.g. Exo 2:8, Son 1:3; Son 6:8; masc. 1Sa 17:56; 1Sa 20:22). The Arab. [Note: Arabic.] root means ‘to be mature,’ and the Aram. [Note: Aramaic.] does not connote virginity. The word apparently means ‘one of marriageable age,’ and is certainly not the word which would naturally be used if ‘virginity’ were the point to be emphasized. LXX [Note: Septuagint.] has parthenos (‘virgin’); so Mat 1:23; but the complaints of Justin and Irenæus against the later Jewish tr. [Note: translate or translation.] neânis (‘damsel’) are hardly justifiable. A modern view holds that Isaiah was adopting the language of a current mythological tradition, and intended the word to convey the idea of a divine mother (note ‘the virgin,’ RVm [Note: Revised Version margin.] ). (c) Rev 14:4 uses the word of men, probably metaphorically, implying chastity, not celibacy; cf. 2Co 11:2. Act 21:9 is probably the germ of the later ‘order’ of virgins. For ‘Virgin-birth’ see pp. 589^b, 705^a.

C. W. Emmet.

2Ki 19:21 (a) Our Lord uses this expression to describe the duty, the sweetness and the loveliness of the children of Israel in His sight. It was used to show the enemy how He despised them, and loved Israel. (See also Isa 37:22; Jer 14:17; Jer 18:13; Jer 31:4).

Isa 47:1 (a) In derision our Lord calls this wicked city by that beautiful name of virgin. He knew and they knew how wicked the city was, and He used this name in derision.

Jer 46:11 (a) Again our Lord speaks in derision of the evil nation of Egypt which was living in wickedness and sin, and was held up to ridicule by the GOD of Israel.

Mat 25:1 (b) Probably these women are called virgins to represent that they are professing Christians. It is generally thought by Bible students that five of these represent true Christians, who are real believers, and the other represent professing Christians, who are not really saved.

One of the unique features concerning the birth of Jesus was his conception in the womb of his mother while she was still a virgin. Yet the Bible gives no detailed reasons for this. The Gospel writers clearly taught it, but, without attempting to explain its mysteries, they pointed to the goal God had in view. Through Jesus Christ, God became a human being for the purpose of saving human beings (Mat 1:21-23; Luk 2:11; Luk 2:29-32; cf. Heb 2:14-15).

Words translated ‘virgin’

In the Old Testament there are two Hebrew words translated ‘virgin’. In the New Testament only one Greek word is translated ‘virgin’, though that Greek word is used as the equivalent of either of the Hebrew words.

Of the two Hebrew words, the more commonly used is the one that refers to a young woman who had never had sexual intercourse (Gen 24:16; Lev 21:14; Jdg 21:12; 2Sa 13:2; 2Sa 13:18; cf. 2Co 11:2). Israelites considered it important that a woman be a virgin at the time of her marriage, and their law set out penalties for the loss of virginity before marriage (Exo 22:16-17; Deu 22:13-19; see ADULTERY; FORNICATION). Prophets sometimes used the word poetically, particularly in relation to nations and cities. The word indicated a variety of qualities such as purity, honour, privilege and safety against attack (Isa 37:22; Isa 47:1; Jer 14:17; Jer 31:4; Jer 46:11).

The other Hebrew word is less specific and has been translated by such words as virgin, maiden, girl and young woman. It refers to any young woman of marriageable age. In some contexts the word may imply virginity, but in other contexts the question of virginity is irrelevant (Gen 24:43; Exo 2:8; Psa 68:25; Pro 30:19; Song of Son 1:3; cf. Mat 25:1; Act 21:9; 1Co 7:25-38).

Isaiah used this latter word when giving the Judean king Ahaz a sign of promise at the time of a combined Israelite-Syrian attack on Judah. He promised Ahaz that God would be with Judah. This divine protection would become so evident over the following months, that in thanks to God one of the Judean young women would name her new-born child Immanuel, meaning ‘God with us’. Not only would this be a sign to reassure the royal household, but before the child was three years old Israel and Syria would be powerless to trouble Judah further (Isa 7:10-16).

When the virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus, Matthew saw this as a greater fulfilment of the words that Isaiah spoke to Ahaz. But the word translated ‘young woman’ in the promise to Ahaz was ambiguous. Isaiah used the word with its broader meaning of ‘young woman’, but Matthew used it with its narrower meaning of ‘virgin’. In the time of Ahaz, God promised to be with his people and protect them; but with the birth of Jesus, God came physically to live with human beings in their world (Mat 1:23; Joh 1:14).

Miraculous conception of Jesus

God is the source of all life. Usually he begins the process of human life in the womb of a woman through using a human father, but when he himself entered the stream of human life he began the process miraculously, by the work of his Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary (Mat 1:18; Mat 1:20; Luk 1:26-35; see MIRACLE). However, the development of the child in Mary’s womb and the birth of the child at the appointed time seem to have been normal. The child, though without a human father, was fully human (Luk 1:42; Luk 2:6-7; Gal 4:4).

The virgin conception of Jesus shows that Jesus was not some ordinary person to whom God added deity, but a unique person whose existence came about through God’s direct activity. God did not make a human being into God; he became a human being. Jesus was not someone whom God adopted as his Son; he was actually God’s Son. He had existed eternally as the Son of God, and his coming into the world without the function of an earthly father was a clear demonstration of his divine origin (Luk 1:35; Joh 1:14; see SON OF GOD).

Moreover, the direct activity of God in the conception of Jesus ensured that the child would be holy. There could be no chance that sin, which affects everything that people do, could affect him (Luk 1:35; 1Jn 3:5). Jesus was the beginning of a new creation, separate from and unspoiled by sin. He was not under the curse of sin, but in the end he bore the sin of others, so that they through him might be part of God’s new creation (2Co 5:17; 2Co 5:21; Col 3:9-10; Tit 3:4-7).

A woman, especially a young

woman, who is not married and has

never had sexual relations.