Dictionary Article

Word used only of women and (metaphorically) of places, nations, and the church. Literally, it describes a woman who has reached physical maturity but has not experienced sexual intercourse. Mary, mother of Jesus, is an obvious example (Mt 1:18-25).

Show passage in OET: MAT 1:18–25

OET-RV MAT 1:18

18 Now this is how the birth of Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) came about: Maria (Mary; Heb. Miryam; Grk. Maria /Mariam) his mother was engaged to Yosef (Joseph). But before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the work of the holy spirit.

OET-RV MAT 1:19

19 But her husband to be, Yosef, was a godly man, and not wishing to disgrace Maria, he decided to quietly divorce her.

OET-RV MAT 1:20

20 But as he was pondering that, one of Yahweh’s messengers appeared to him in a dream and told him, “Yosef, descendant of King David, don’t be afraid to marry Maria, because the baby in her has been conceived by the holy spirit.

OET-RV MAT 1:21

21 In due course she’ll have a son and you’ll name him Yeshua, because he’ll save his people from their sins.”

OET-RV MAT 1:22

22 Now all that happened in fulfilment of what Yahweh had said through the prophet,

OET-RV MAT 1:23

23 “Listen, the virgin will get pregnant and she’ll have a son, and they’ll call him Imanu -El (Grk. Emmanuel) (in Hebrew) which means ‘God with us.’ ”

OET-RV MAT 1:24

24 Then Yosef got up and did what Yahweh’s messenger had commanded him, and he went ahead and married Maria,

OET-RV MAT 1:25

25 but he didn’t sleep with her until after she had given birth. Yosef named the boy Yeshua.

OET-LV MAT 1:18

18 And the birth the of_Yaʸsous chosen _one /messiah was thus:
Maria the mother of _him, having _been _betrothed to_ the _Yōsaʸf, before or/than them to _come _together, she _was _found having in womb by the_ holy _spirit.

OET-LV MAT 1:19

19 And Yōsaʸf the husband of _her, being righteous and not willing to _expose her, was _counselled to _send_ her _away secretly.

OET-LV MAT 1:20

20 But these things having _been _considered of _him, see, a_messenger of_the_master was _seen to _him in a_dream saying:
Yōsaʸf, son of _Dawid, may_ not _be _afraid to _receive Maria the wife of _you, because/for the one in her having _been _born is from the_ holy _spirit.

OET-LV MAT 1:21

21 And she _will _be _bearing a_son, and you _will _be _calling the name of _him Yaʸsous, because/for he will _be _saving the people of _him from the sins of _them.

OET-LV MAT 1:22

22 And all this has _become, in _order _that the thing having _been _spoken by the_master through the prophet may _be _fulfilled saying,

OET-LV MAT 1:23

23 Behold, the virgin will _be _having in womb and will _be _bearing a_son, and they _will _be _calling the name of _him Emmanouaʸl/(ˊImmānū^ʼēl), which is being _translated:
- god With us.

OET-LV MAT 1:24

24 And the Yōsaʸf/(Yōşēf) having _been _raised from the sleep, did as the messenger of_the_master commanded to _him, and received the wife of _him,

OET-LV MAT 1:25

25 and was_ not _knowing her until of _which she _bore a_son, and he _called the name of _him, Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa).

Jump to OET MAT 1:18–25 section.

The OT puts a high value on premarital virginity. One of Rebekah’s qualities that made her a suitable bride for Isaac was her virginity (Gn 24:16). The law prescribed that priests, as men whose lives should conform most closely to God’s standards, must marry only virgins (Lv 21:7, 13-14 OET LEV 21:7 · OET LEV 21:13–14).

Show passage in OET: GEN 24:16

OET-RV GEN 24:16

16 The young woman was very beautiful and a virgin who hadn’t slept with a man. She went down to the well and filled her jar and came back up.

OET-LV GEN 24:16

16 And_the _young_woman was_good _of appearance exceedingly a _virgin and_a _man not he_had _known _her and_she _went _down to_the_spring and_she _filled jar _of_her and_she _came _up.

Show passage in OET: LEV 21:7; LEV 21:13–14

OET-RV LEV 21:7

7 They mustn’t marry a woman who was a prostitute or who has defiled herself some other way or who is divorced from her husband, because they’re separated for their god.

OET-RV LEV 21:13

13 He can only marry a virgin—

OET-RV LEV 21:14

14 he mustn’t take a widow or a divorced woman, or a defiled prostitute. He can only marry an unmarried, Israeli girl,

OET-LV LEV 21:7

7 A _woman a _prostitute and_a_woman_profaned not they _will _take and_a _woman divorced from_husband _of_her not they _will _take if/because is_holy he to_god _of_his.

OET-LV LEV 21:13

13 And_he a _woman in_virginiti(es)_of_her he _will _take.

OET-LV LEV 21:14

14 A _widow and_a _divorced_woman and_a_woman_profaned a _prostitute DOM these not he _will _take if/because (if) a _virgin from_kinspeople(s)_of_his he _will _take a _wife.

Jump to OET GEN 24:16 section.

Jump to OET LEV 21:7 section. · OET LEV 21:13–14 section.

Undoubtedly this reflects the whole Bible’s teaching on marriage, with its ideal of exclusive faithfulness. The NT expresses that ideal by its ban on premarital intercourse (1 Cor 6:13, 18 OET CO1 6:13 · OET CO1 6:18), and by its use of “virgin” language to describe Christians who remain faithful to their Lord (Rv 14:4; cf. 2 Cor 11:2).

Show passage in OET: CO1 6:13; CO1 6:18

OET-RV CO1 6:13

13 You might say, ‘Food is for the stomach, and the stomach for food,’ but God will eventually abolish them both. Also, the body is not meant to be used for sexual immorality, but rather, for the master, and the master for the body.

OET-RV CO1 6:18

18 Don’t just walk away from sexual immorality, but run away from it, because other forms of disobeying God are outside the body, but sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.

OET-LV CO1 6:13

13 The foods for _the belly, and the belly for _the foods, but the god both this and these will _be _nullifying.
And the body is not the for _sexual _immorality, but for _the master, and the master for _the body.

OET-LV CO1 6:18

18 Be _fleeing the sexual _immorality.
Every sin which if may _practice a_person outside the body is, but the one committing _sexual _immorality against his own body is _sinning.

Show passage in OET: REV 14:4

OET-RV REV 14:4

4 They are all virgins and they follow the lamb wherever he goes. Out of all people, these ones have been purchased as a first fruits offering for God and for the lamb,

OET-LV REV 14:4

4 These are those who with women not were _defiled, because/for virgins they _are.
These are the ones following after _the lamb wherever wishfully he _is _going _away.
These were _bought from the mankind as _first-fruit to_ the _god and to _the lamb,

Show passage in OET: CO2 11:2

OET-RV CO2 11:2

2 because I’m jealous of you all with godly jealousy as I had committed you to your future husband—a pure bride to present to the messiah.

OET-LV CO2 11:2

2 For/Because I _am _being _jealous for _you _all of_god with_the_jealousy, because/for I _joined you _all to _one husband, a_virgin pure to _present to _the chosen _one /messiah.

Jump to OET CO1 6:13 section. · OET CO1 6:18 section.

Jump to OET REV 14:4 section.

Jump to OET CO2 11:2 section.

Negatively, the OT highlights the same principle in the penalties it lays down for the loss of a woman’s virginity. If the man is morally responsible, he must either marry her or compensate her father (Ex 22:16-17). If the woman herself is to blame, the punishment is death (Dt 22:20-21). The OT says little, however, to commend lifelong virginity. Jeremiah was told not to marry, only to reinforce God’s warning of coming judgment (Jer 16:2). From the woman’s point of view, it was a tragedy to remain an unmarried virgin and therefore childless for life (cf. Jgs 11:37).

Show passage in OET: EXO 22:16–17

OET-RV EXO 22:16

16 If a man entices a young woman who’s not engaged, and sleeps with her, he must certainly pay the bride price to her father for her to become his wife.

OET-RV EXO 22:17

17 If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, the man must still pay the normal bride price in cash.

OET-LV EXO 22:15

15  And_because/when a _man he _will _seduce a _virgin who not she _was _betrothed and_he _will _lie with_her/it certainly _(pay _the _bride-price) he_will _pay _the _bride-price _for _her for_him/it to/for_(a)_woman.

OET-LV EXO 22:16

16  If absolutely _(refuse) father _of_her he _will _refuse to_give_her to_him/it silver he _will _weigh _out according_to _the _bride-price _of (the)_virgins.

Show passage in OET: DEU 22:20–21

OET-RV DEU 22:20

20 However, if the accusation was true and the young woman hadn’t been a virgin,

OET-RV DEU 22:21

21 then they must take her to the doorway of her father’s house. Then the men from that city must execute her by throwing rocks at her, because she’s done a disgraceful thing in Yisrael (Israel)—committing fornication while she still lived in her father’s house. That’s how you’ll remove evil from your country.

OET-LV DEU 22:20

20 And_if truth the_message the_this it _was not virginiti(es) they _were _found mmm.

OET-LV DEU 22:21

21 And_they _will _bring _out DOM the to the _entrance _of the _house _of her _father _of_her and_they_will _stone _her the _men _of her _city _of_her with_stones and_she _will _die if/because she _has _done a _disgraceful _folly in_Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) by_acting _as _a _prostitute the _house _of her _father _of_her and_you _will _remove the_evil from_midst _of_your.

Show passage in OET: JER 16:2

OET-RV JER 16:2

2 Don’t get married and don’t have children in this place

OET-LV JER 16:2

2 Not you _must _take to/for_yourself(m) a _wife and_not they _will _belong to/for_yourself(m) sons and_daughters in_place (the)_this.

Show passage in OET: JDG 11:37

OET-RV JDG 11:37

37 But she asked her father, “Just do this one thing for me: release me for two months, so I can go away and take some companions. I’ll fall prostrate on the hills and I’ll weep because I’ll never have a chance to marry.”

OET-LV JDG 11:37

37 And_she/it _said to father _of_her let _it _be _done to/for_me the_thing the_this refrain from_me two months so_that _I _may _go and_I _will _go _down on the_mountains and_so _that _I _may _weep on virginiti(es)_of_my I my.

Jump to OET EXO 22:16–17 section.

Jump to OET DEU 22:20–21 section.

Jump to OET JER 16:2 section.

Jump to OET JDG 11:37 section.

The NT echoes the value of marriage but brings out more clearly the advantages of a commitment to virginity for Christian men as well as women. Celibacy for some is God’s gift, declared Paul, because it has positive gains for Christian service (1 Cor 7:7, 25-38 OET CO1 7:7 · OET CO1 7:25–38). Jesus commended those who “make themselves eunuchs” for the kingdom of heaven’s sake (Mt 19:12).

Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary