μνηστ-εύω G3423
betrothed, engaged to be married
Betrothal in Jewish culture was more binding than modern engagement—a legal commitment that required divorce to break. Mary was 'betrothed' to Joseph when found pregnant (Matt 1:18), and is called 'a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph' (Luke 1:27). She traveled to Bethlehem 'with Mary, his betrothed' (Luke 2:5). The status was legally marriage-like but not yet consummated. The consistent translations—'desposada,' 'fiancée,' 'betrothed'—reflect this formal pre-marriage commitment phase.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Betrothed, formally engaged in a legally binding pre-marriage commitment. In Jewish law, betrothal (μνηστεύω) was the first stage of marriage, creating legal obligations though not yet cohabitation. All three NT occurrences describe Mary's betrothed status to Joseph (Matt 1:18, Luke 1:27, 2:5) at the time of Jesus' conception and birth. Spanish 'desposada' and French 'fiancée' capture the formal, binding nature of this relationship status. 3×
AR["الْمَخْطُوبَةِ", "لَمَّا-خُطِبَتْ", "مَخْطُوبَةٍ"]·ben["বাগদত্ত-হয়ে", "বাগদত্তা"]·DE["μνηστευθείσης", "ἐμνηστευμένην", "ἐμνηστευμένῃ"]·EN["having-been-betrothed"]·FR["fiancée"]·heb["כַּאֲשֶׁר-אֹרְסָה", "מְאֹרֶשֶׂת"]·HI["मंगनी-हुई", "मंगनी-होने-पर"]·ID["Setelah-bertunangan", "bertunangan", "yang-bertunangan"]·IT["emnesteumene", "emnesteumenen", "mnesteutheises"]·jav["Sasampunipun-dipunpacangaken", "ingkang-dipun-pacangaken"]·KO["약혼하였을-때에", "약혼한"]·PT["desposada", "estando-desposada"]·RU["обручённой"]·ES["desposada", "habiendo-sido-desposada"]·SW["alipokuwa-amechumbiwa", "aliyeposa"]·TR["nişanlanmış", "nişanlanmış-iken", "nişanlısı"]·urd["منگنی-کی-ہوئی", "منگنی-ہونے-پر"]
Related Senses
H5971a 1. people, nation (1836×)H5973a 1. accompaniment, together with (956×)H0854 1. with (accompaniment) (665×)H1471a 1. nations, peoples (plural/collective) (466×)G3326 1. with (368×)H1285 1. covenant, pact, treaty (284×)G2453 1. Jewish person, Jew (194×)H4150 1. meeting (tent of meeting) (151×)G2992 1. people/nation (an ethnic or political community) (142×)G4862 1. (129×)G1484 1. Gentiles, non-Jewish nations (128×)H1471a 2. nation, people-group (singular) (98×)H3162b 1. together (97×)H1616 1. sojourner, resident alien (92×)H0567 1. Amorite (people group) (87×)H3064 1. Jew, Jewish person (81×)H3669a 1. Canaanite (ethnic designation) (70×)G1122 1. scribe / expert in the Law (63×)H2114a 1. stranger, foreigner (person) (54×)H5608b 1. scribe, royal secretary (48×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
μνηστ-εύω, Doric dialect μναστ-, aorist ἐμνήστευσα: perfect μεμνήστευκα Refs 1st c.BC+:—middle, future μνηστεύσομαι Refs 4th c.AD+: perfect μεμνήστευμαι Refs 2nd c.AD+, in passive sense, NT:—court, seek in marriage, with accusative, ἀγαθήν τε γυναῖκα καὶ ἀφνειοῖο θύγατρα μνηστεύειν Refs 8th c.BC+; woo and win, espouse, Refs 6th c.BC+:—middle, court for oneself, Περσεφόνης γάμον Refs 1st…