H5959 H5959
A young woman of marriageable age; maiden, with connotations of virginity in many traditions (cf. Isa 7:14)
This noun designates a young woman who has reached the age of marriage, carrying strong connotations of youth and, in many translation traditions, virginity. Its most famous occurrence is Isaiah 7:14, where the Septuagint rendered it with Greek parthenos ('virgin'), shaping centuries of messianic interpretation. Elsewhere it appears naturally: Rebekah at the well (Gen 24:43), Miriam watching baby Moses (Exod 2:8), and young women in festive processions (Ps 68:25). The plural form appears in Song of Songs for the 'maidens' who love the bridegroom (Song 1:3).
Senses
1. young woman, maiden, virgin — A young woman of marriageable age, typically unmarried and presumed chaste. The term occurs in pivotal narrative moments: Rebekah approaching the well (Gen 24:43), young Miriam watching over Moses (Exod 2:8), and most consequentially in Isaiah's Immanuel prophecy (Isa 7:14), where the LXX translation as parthenos shaped Christian theology. Spanish 'doncella' and French 'jeune fille' both emphasize youthful femininity. The plural appears in festive and romantic contexts: maidens in procession (Ps 68:25) and the beloved's admirers in Song of Songs (1:3; 6:8). 7×
AR["العَذارى", "العَذرَاءُ", "الْعَذْرَاءُ", "الْفَتَاةُ", "بِ-عَذْراءَ", "عَلَمُوت", "وَ-عَلَمُوت"]·ben["-কুমারীর-সাথে", "-যুবতী", "এবং-কুমারীরা", "কুমারীরা", "যুবতী", "সেই-যুবতী"]·DE["[העלמה]", "[ועלמות]", "[עלמות]", "der-jung-Frau", "die-Jungfrau", "in-junge-Frau", "young-women"]·EN["and-maidens", "maidens", "the-virgin", "the-young-woman", "with-a-virgin", "young-women"]·FR["[העלמה]", "dans-בעלמה", "et-des-jeunes-filles", "le-jeune-femme", "les-jeunes-filles", "vierge"]·heb["ב-עלמה", "ה-עלמה", "ו-עלמות", "עלמות"]·HI["और-कुंवारियाँ", "कन̃वारी", "कुंवारियाँ", "कुंवारी", "कुंवारी-में।"]·ID["dan-gadis-gadis", "dengan-seorang-gadis", "gadis", "gadis-gadis", "gadis-itu", "perawan", "perawan-perawan"]·IT["[העלמה]", "[עלמות]", "e-e-maidens", "il-giovane-donna", "in-con-un-virgin", "maidens"]·jav["gadis-gadis", "kaliyan-prawan", "lan-prawan", "laré-prawan", "para-prawan", "prawan"]·KO["그-처녀가", "그리고-처녀들-은", "처녀-들-이", "처녀가", "처녀들-이", "처녀와-함께함이다"]·PT["a-donzela", "a-jovem", "a-virgem", "donzelas", "e-virgens", "em-virgem", "virgens"]·RU["дева", "девиц", "девица", "девы", "и-дев", "к-деве"]·ES["con-doncella", "doncellas", "la-doncella", "y-doncellas"]·SW["bikira", "msichana", "na-mwanamwali", "na-wanawali", "wanawali", "wasichana"]·TR["-genç-kız", "bakire", "bakireler", "genç-kız", "genç-kızda", "kızların", "ve-bakireler"]·urd["-کنواری", "اور-کنواریاں", "جوان-عورت", "میں-کنواری", "کنواری", "کنواریاں"]
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
† עַלְמָה n.f. young woman (ripe sexually; maid or newly married);—ע׳ Gn 24:43 (J), Ex 2:8 (E), Pr 30:19 Is 7:14; pl. עֲלָמוֹת ψ 68:26 Ct 1:3; 6:8; עַל־עֲלָמוֹת to (the voice of) young women, either lit., or of soprano or falsetto of boys: 1 Ch 15:20 ψ 9:1 (read עַל־עֲלָמוֹת לַבֵּן [for עַל־מוּת לַבֵּן, ‘voce virginea a pueris decantandum,’ Thes), 46:1; 48:15 (read עַל־עֲלָמוֹת [for עַל־מוּת]; tr. prob. to 49:1).