H1331 H1331
Virginity — the state of being a virgin, or the physical tokens proving a bride's virginity
The masculine plural noun בְּתוּלִים (betulim) denotes the state of virginity or the physical evidence thereof, used in legal and social contexts pertaining to a woman's sexual purity before marriage. Deuteronomy 22:14-20 provides the fullest treatment, where a husband may challenge his bride's virginity and her parents must produce the 'tokens of virginity' (betulim) before the elders — likely the bloodstained garment from the wedding night. Leviticus 21:13 requires the high priest to marry a woman 'in her virginity.' Judges 11:37-38 records Jephthah's daughter bewailing her virginity on the mountains. Arabic bakārah, Korean cheonyeoseong, and Spanish virginidad all confirm a single unified sense.
Senses
1. virginity (state or evidence of) — The state of virginity or the physical evidence (tokens) proving a bride's sexual purity prior to marriage. Central to the legal procedure in Deuteronomy 22:14-20, where the 'tokens of virginity' must be displayed before the city elders to vindicate an accused wife. Also used of the high priest's marriage requirement (Lev 21:13) and Jephthah's daughter bewailing her virginity (Judg 11:37-38). Ezekiel 23:3, 8 uses the term metaphorically of Jerusalem and Samaria's youth before their 'harlotry.' Arabic بَكارة (bakārah), Spanish 'virginidad,' and Swahili 'ubikira' all render the same semantic content. 10×
AR["بَتوليَّتي", "بَتوليَّتِها", "بَكَارَةً", "بَكَارَةٌ", "بَكَارَةَ", "بَكَارَةُ", "بَكَارَتِهَا", "بَكَارَتِهِمَا", "فِي-بَكَارَتِهَا"]·ben["আমার-কুমারীত্বের", "কুমারীত্ব", "কুমারীত্বের-তাদের", "কুমারীত্বের-তার", "তার-কুমারীত্বে", "তার-কুমারীত্বের"]·DE["[בתוליה]", "[בתוליהן]", "evidence-von-virginity", "evidence-von-virginity-von", "ihr-virginity", "in-ihr-virginity", "mein-virginity", "virginity"]·EN["evidence-of-virginity", "evidence-of-virginity-of", "her-virginity", "in-her-virginity", "my-virginity", "their-virginity", "virginity"]·FR["dans-sa-virginité", "evidence-de-virginité", "evidence-de-virginité-de", "mon-virginity", "sa-virginity", "virginité"]·heb["ב-בתוליה", "בתולי", "בתוליה", "בתוליהן", "בתולים"]·HI["अपनी-कुंवारी-अवस्था-में", "उनकी-कुँवारी", "उसकी-कुँवारी", "उसकी-कुंवारी", "कुंवारी", "मेरी-कुंवारी"]·ID["dalam-keperawanannya", "keperawanan", "keperawanan-mereka", "keperawananku", "keperawanannya"]·IT["[בתוליה]", "[בתוליהן]", "evidence-di-virginity", "evidence-di-virginity-di", "in-lei-virginity", "mio-virginity", "suo-virginity", "virginity"]·jav["kaprawan", "kaprawan-ipun", "kaprawan-kula", "kaprawan-piyambakipun", "kaprawan-piyambakipun-sedaya.", "wonten-kaprawananipun"]·KO["그녀의-처녀됨을", "그녀의-처녀의", "그들의-처녀의", "내-처녀됨을", "에-그녀의-처녀성", "처녀성을", "처녀성이"]·PT["em-sua-virgindade", "sua-virgindade", "virgindade", "virgindade-de", "virgindade-dela", "virgindade-minha"]·RU["в-девственности-её", "девства", "девство", "девство-её", "девство-моё", "соски", "трогали"]·ES["en-su-virginidad", "la-virginidad-de", "mi-virginidad", "son-la-virginidad-de", "su-virginidad", "virginidad", "virginidad-de-ella", "virginidad-de-ellas"]·SW["katika-ubikira-wake", "ubikira", "ubikira-wake", "ubikira-wangu", "ubikira-wao"]·TR["bakireliklerinin", "bakĭreliğinde", "bakırelik", "bakıreliği", "bakıreliğini", "bekaretim", "bekaretinin"]·urd["اپنی-کنوارپن-میں", "کنوارپن", "کنوارپن-اپنے", "کنواری-اس-کے", "کنواری-کے"]
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
† בְּתוּלִים n.f. virginity, pl. abs. intens. Dt 22:14, 17, 20; cstr. בְּתוּלֵי Dt 22:15, 17, all concrete, tokens of virginity; abstr., sf. בְּתוּלַי Ju 11:37; בְּתוּלֶיהָ Lv 21:13 Ju 11:38 Ez 23:8; בְּתוּלֵיהֶן Ez 23:3.