παρθένος G3933
Virgin, maiden; a person, usually a young woman, who has not had sexual relations.
Denotes a person—typically a young woman—who has not had sexual intercourse. In classical Greek it could also apply broadly to an unmarried girl, but New Testament usage consistently foregrounds sexual purity. Matthew and Luke apply it to Mary in the annunciation narratives (Matt 1:23 citing Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:27), where the virginal conception is theologically central. Jesus' parable of the ten virgins (Matt 25:1-11) uses the word for unmarried attendants at a wedding. Paul employs it both literally, for unmarried women choosing celibacy (1 Cor 7:25-34), and figuratively, for the church presented as a pure virgin to Christ (2 Cor 11:2). Spanish 'virgen' and French 'vierge' preserve the Latin lineage intact.
Senses
1. virgin, maiden — A person, normally a young woman, who has not had sexual relations; a maiden. Central to the birth narratives, where Mary is twice identified as a parthenos (Matt 1:23; Luke 1:27), fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy and establishing the virginal conception. In the parable of the ten virgins (Matt 25:1-11), the term designates wedding attendants whose preparedness or lack thereof symbolizes spiritual readiness. Paul uses it for unmarried women considering celibacy (1 Cor 7:25, 34) and metaphorically for the church's chaste devotion to Christ (2 Cor 11:2). Spanish 'virgen,' French 'vierge,' and German 'Jungfrau' all converge on the core sense of sexual purity. 15×
AR["العذارى", "العَذْراءُ", "العَذْرَاءُ", "الْعَذَارَى", "الْعَذْرَاءِ", "عَذارى", "عَذَارَى", "عَذْراءَ", "عَذْرائِ", "عَذْرَاءَ"]·ben["কুমারী", "কুমারী,", "কুমারীকে,", "কুমারীদের,", "কুমারীদের-সঙ্গে", "কুমারীর", "কুমারীরা"]·DE["Jungfrau", "Jungfrauen"]·EN["a-virgin", "to-virgins", "virgin", "virgins"]·FR["vierge"]·heb["בְּתוּלִים", "בְּתוּלָה", "בְּתוּלוֹת", "בְתוּלוֹת"]·HI["कुँवारी", "कुंवारियां", "कुंवारियों", "कुंवारी", "कुंवारे"]·ID["anak-anak-dara", "anak-anak-gadis,", "anak-dara", "anak-gadis", "anak-gadis,", "itu", "perawan"]·IT["parthenoi", "vergine"]·jav["para-prawan,", "prawan", "prawan,"]·KO["처녀", "처녀-가", "처녀-에게", "처녀-의", "처녀가", "처녀는", "처녀들", "처녀들-에게", "처녀들-이", "처녀들로서", "처녀들이니", "처녀로", "처녀를"]·PT["virgem", "virgem,", "virgens", "virgens,"]·RU["Дева", "дева,", "девам", "деве", "девицы,", "девой", "девственники", "девственницах,", "деву,", "девы"]·ES["virgen", "vírgenes"]·SW["bikira", "bikira,", "mabikira,", "wabikira", "wanawali", "yake"]·TR["bakire", "bakireler", "bakirenin", "bakiresini", "kaygılanır", "korumayı", "kızlar", "kızlara", "o-"]·urd["کنواری", "کنواری-کا", "کنواری-کی", "کنواریاں", "کنواریوں", "کنوارے"]
Matt 1:23, Matt 25:1, Matt 25:7, Matt 25:11, Luke 1:27, Luke 1:27, Acts 21:9, 1 Cor 7:25, 1 Cor 7:28, 1 Cor 7:34, 1 Cor 7:36, 1 Cor 7:37 (+3 more)
Related Senses
H0376 1. man, person, human male (2130×)H0251 1. brother (blood sibling) (573×)H0120 1. man, human being (individual/generic) (527×)H0802 1. woman, female person (519×)H0802 2. wife, spouse (255×)H0517 1. mother, female parent (217×)G0435 1. man, male person (202×)G1135 1. woman, adult female (190×)H2233 1. offspring, descendants (172×)H0001 2. ancestor, forefather (146×)H5288 1. Youth, young man (122×)H0269 1. sister (female sibling) (113×)H1755 1. generation, contemporaries (96×)G5043 1. child, offspring (89×)G0444 2. people, humankind (86×)H3206 1. child, boy, youth (86×)H2145 1. male (human being) (79×)G3384 1. mother (77×)H6485a 1. Qal passive participle: numbered ones, enrollment (76×)H1397 1. man (strong/mighty) (65×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
παρθένος, Laconian dialect παρσένος Refs 5th c.BC+. ἡ, maiden, girl, Refs 8th c.BC+; αἱ ἄθλιαι π. ἐμαί my unhappy girls, Refs 8th c.BC+; π. κόρα, of the Sphinx, uncertain in Refs 5th c.BC+; θυγάτηρ π. Refs 5th c.BC+; of Persephone, Refs 5th c.BC+; virgin, opposed to γυνή, Refs 3rd c.BC+ __2 of unmarried women who are not virgins, Refs 8th c.BC+ __3 Παρθένος, ἡ, the Virgin Goddess, as a title of…