What does virgin mean in the Bible? It’s a question that probably crosses your mind on some level. You may even wonder if this is an actual word used in the Bible. There is a specific meaning and usage behind each of the usages of the word, but not all are found in this book. The truth of the matter is that there are many more uses and meanings behind the original English language term.
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Virgin definition in the Bible.
The concept of virginity has long been a topic of interest for theologians and philosophers because it touches on individuals’ character and integrity. The majority of references to virginity in the Old Testament are direct quotations from various psalms. This can be seen in Hebrews 13:4, as well as Psalms 45, 46, 74 and 80. Scholars also believe that “virgin” is an important theme in Jewish folklore .
What does virgin mean in the Bible?
Virginity is a key concept in the Bible. The Bible considers sex outside of marriage to be a sin because it is a form of sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 7:2). As a result, Christians are not to engage in sexual relationships outside of marriage. A virgin is someone who chooses to abstain from sexual activity. Mary, Jesus’ mother, is known as the Virgin Mary because she became pregnant by a miracle from God without having had Immoral intercourse.
Virginity is viewed negatively by many people in modern culture. For others, “virginity” has become a technical term describing not “going all the way,” but still engaging in a variety of other sexual acts. In plain terms being a “virgin” is avoiding Immoral intercourse before marriage.
What does virginity mean in Christianity?
The Bible places a high value on virginity. Immoral intercourse outside of marriage is a sin according to the Bible because it is a form of sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 7:2). As a result, Christians are not to engage in sexual relations outside of marriage. A virgin is someone who chooses to remain abstinent. Virginity is viewed negatively by many notably in modern culture. For others, “virginity” has become an alternative term describing not “going all the way” while still engaging in various sexual acts. The Bible emphasizes the value of virginity as an act of obedience to God.
Virginity is also a physical manifestation of our transformation into new creations in Christ. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, He forgives us of our sins and begins the process of molding us into more like Him (Ephesians 4:24; 1 Thessalonians 4:3–7). We begin to exhibit Christ-like characteristics such as self-control as a new creation. We gain control over our physical cravings and emotional impulses by refusing to have Immoral intercourse.
Furthermore, virginity is a symbol of devotion to God. Marriage, according to the apostle Paul, is a relationship that represents Christ’s relationship with the Church (Ephesians 5:31–32). Both Christ and the Church are committed to one another in a monogamous relationship in this relationship.
What does the Bible say about the virgin?
In the King James Version, the word “virgin” appears 33 times, and 41 times in the New International Version. The Hebrew words for this are bethuwlah and almah. The Greek word for this is parthenos.
Isaiah 7:14 KJV
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.-
Isaiah 7:14 KJV
A virgin is a female who has never had sexual relations. Isaiah predicted our Lord’s virgin birth, a sign unparalleled in history:
Jesus Christ was not produced in Mary’s womb as a result of sexual intercourse with a man. Nor did Mary physically have Immoral intercourse with God (as Islam claims of Christianity). Jesus Christ’s conception was a special and unique miracle with eternal benefits to the world. The bible’s stand on the issue of a virgin is to connote sexual purity through abstinence before marriage, intercourse was to be had after one had married.
Virgins have also been used in the bible figuratively for description
Isaiah (23:12) refers to the Zidonites (Sidonites) as a figurative “virgin,” “O thou oppressed virgin. Jeremiah compares Israel to a straying virgin (Jeremiah 18:13).
What does the word virgin mean in Hebrew?
The Hebrew meaning of the word virgin is Bethuwlah and Almah.
The word “Almah” is uncommon—it appears only seven times in the Hebrew Scriptures, three times in the plural and four times in the singular, and is usually translated as “maiden.” 3 Some argue that almah is simply the feminine form of elem, which means “young man.”
The word almah clearly denotes a young woman who is not married but of marriageable age in the few verses where it appears. Although the word almah does not imply virginity, it is never used in the Bible to describe a “young, currently married woman.” It is important to remember that a young Jewish woman of marriageable age was assumed to be chaste in the Bible.
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew term “bethulah” connotes virgin as a woman who has never had sexual relations.
Importance of virginity in the Bible
The Bible places a strong emphasis on virginity because it is a sign of submission to God. Discipline is necessary to practice abstinence, but it can be very challenging when we are exposed to physical temptations. God created erotic intercourse, so our desire for Immoral intercourse is a part of how He created us. Outside of marriage, however, Immoral intercourse is impure and can have harmful effects.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 KJV
For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;-
1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 KJV
Virginity is also a physical sign of us being made into a new creation in Christ. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, He forgives us for our sins and begins to make us more like Him. As a new creation, we begin to exhibit Christ-like characteristics such as self-control. By choosing to not have Immoral intercourse, we exercise control over our physical cravings and emotional impulses.
Furthermore, virginity is a symbol of devotion to God. Marriage, according to the apostle Paul, is a relationship that represents Christ’s relationship with the Church (Ephesians 5:31–32). Both Christ and the Church are committed to one another in a monogamous relationship in this relationship. In other words, as Christians, we are to have only one God and not put anything before Him (Exodus 20:3; John 15:1–17; 1 John 5:1–4, 21).
What is losing your virginity in the Bible?
Losing your virginity in the bible can mean having sexual relations before marriage which can also be called fornication, medically, the hymen of the woman is broken due to penetration during intentional sexual action. There is also the case of the virgin Princess Tamar who lost her virginity after being raped by her half-brother Prince Amnon(2nd Samuel 13).
1 John 1:9 KJV
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.-
1 John 1:9 KJV
It is important to note that even if you are no longer a virgin, you still have the option to remain abstinent in order to obey God. When Christ forgives us, He cleanses us of our sins and renews us in Him. Virginity is a physical condition, but it is also a state of mind to which we choose to devote ourselves solely to God.
Importance of virginity in the Bible
The emphasis in the Bible is not so much on a technical or medical definition of virginity as it is on the condition of a person’s heart. The morality we espouse and the actions we choose reveal the state of our hearts. The Bible’s standard is clear: celibacy before marriage and monogamy after marriage.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20 KJV
Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.-
1 Corinthians 6:18-20 KJV
There are three compelling reasons to save Immoral intercourse for marriage. First and foremost, as believers, we are to do as God commands. “Flee from sexual immorality,” First Corinthians 6:18-20 says. All other sins are committed outside the body, but whoever sins sexually sins against their own body. Do you not realize that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who lives within you and whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” If we are in Christ, He has purchased us with the sacrifice of His life. He is our Lord and we are to honor Him.
The second reason is that we are to fight our spiritual battles with righteousness as our breastplate (Ephesians 6:14). We are at odds with our fleshly desires and our new nature in Christ. “It is God’s will that you be sanctified: that you avoid sexual immorality; that each of you learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; and that no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister,” says First Thessalonians 4:3-7. As we previously stated and warned you, the Lord will punish all those who commit such sins.
The last reason is related to the “mystery” of marriage (Ephesians 5:31-32). When God spoke of two people becoming one, He was referring to something we are only now beginning to grasp in a real, physiological sense. When two people are intimate, the brain’s hypothalamus releases chemicals that cause feelings of attachment and trust.
Having sex outside of marriage leads to a person developing feelings for and trusting someone with whom he or she does not have a committed relationship. The mental definition of trust deteriorates. It is dangerous to have that kind of connection with someone without the security of working together toward God. to each other in marriage, and then allow the intimacy that releases these chemicals, the body can reaffirm the connection.
Names of virgins in the Bible
There have been virgins in the bible that have been described, our very first would be the case of
Isaiah (23:12) refers to the Zidonites (Sidonites) as a figurative “virgin,” “O thou oppressed virgin.”
Jeremiah 18:13 KJV
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 18:13 KJV
Jeremiah compares Israel to a straying virgin, In these two cases, they were both referred to as virgins figuratively, the same description is used in
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
or Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids
This parable found in Matthew 25:1-13, is a warning to be ready for Christ’s Second Coming in the end times. Mary the mother of Christ was also referred to as a virgin in the actual meaning of not having had sexual relations with anyone before marriage Mary was Joseph’s wife and the mother of Jesus Christ, who was conceived within her as a virgin by the Holy Spirit. She is frequently referred to as the “Virgin Mary,” despite the fact that those two words are never used as a proper name in the Bible (Matthew 2:11; Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:27; Acts 1:14).
What does the Bible say about male virginity?
Revelation 14:4
“These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb”. This happens to be one of the very few scriptures that describe male virginity and this particular text has generated a lot of reactions as to if legitimately married men who in the context of marriage are not committing sin to fit into the description of being defiled. Virginity for some reason seems to have women at the center:
Judges 11:38 KJV
Then he said, “Go.” So he sent her away for two months; and she left with her companions, and wept on the mountains because of her virginity.-
Judges 11:38 KJV
Deuteronomy 22:28 KJV
“If a man finds a girl who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies with her and they are discovered-
Deuteronomy 22:28 KJV
1 Corinthians 7:28 KJV
But if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you.-
1 Corinthians 7:28 KJV
1 Corinthians 7:37 KJV
But he who stands firm in his heart, being under no constraint, but has authority over his own will, and has decided this in his own heart, to keep his own virgin daughter, he will do well.-
1 Corinthians 7:37 KJV
The relationship between the church and Christ is to be modeled after marriage. A married couple should work together effectively to serve God. God created sex and reproduction in order to strengthen that union. Sex that occurs outside of marriage forms bonds that divide rather than unite people’s hearts. Finally, given God’s grace, we must keep in mind a few points regarding virginity and its absence. Although those who turn to Christ after engaging in premarital sex are not virgins, Christ fully cleanses them at the moment of salvation. Anyone can be saved by God, and those who have given in to their fleshly lusts can be healed.
