Virgin

April 16

Virgin
parthenos

Yesterday we examined this significance of Emmanuel, as it appears in Mat_1:23: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

There’s another significant word in this verse, however-virgin, which translates parthenos (G3933). Even in all their excesses, the ancient Greeks highly valued virginity. It was, in fact, a characteristic of many of the goddesses of pagan religions.

The chief examples were the Greek goddesses Artemis (Diana among the Romans) and Athene (Roman, Minerva). Athene’s temple in Athens was actually named the Parthenon.

The Septuagint consistently translates two Hebrew words as parthenos. One is ‘almēh (H5959, maiden, young woman, a girl, a virgin). As theologian Charles Ryrie writes, “There is no instance where it can be proved that ‘almēh designates a young woman who is not a virgin” (Basic Theology, p. 242).

The most famous verse that uses this word is Isa_7:14, which we also examined yesterday. The other Hebrew word is betulēh (H1330). While some scholars try to loosely translate this as “young woman,” its use to describe Rebekah in Gen_24:16 makes it clear that no man had “known her.”

There have likewise been many false teachers through the ages who have denied the virgin birth of Christ, but the NT is very specific about this cardinal doctrine.

Luk_1:27 declares that Mary was espoused to Joseph but that she was a virgin. She conceived by the Holy Spirit alone (Mat_1:18).

Other uses of parthenos appear in the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Mat_25:1, Mat_25:5, Mat_25:11), as well as in Paul’s teaching on marriage (1Co_7:25, 1Co_7:28, 36ff). These and others make the meaning of parthenos unmistakable.

As Ryrie again observes, “Thus the word means a young woman of marriageable age of whose characteristics was virginity.”

Why is this doctrine important? Because the sin nature is transmitted through the earthly father through Adam, not by the mother through Eve.

Adam was the representative of the race and was responsible for the Fall. If Jesus had been born of a man, he would have inherited sin, but as Paul makes clear, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2Co_5:21).

Scriptures for Study: What is the lesson to be learned from the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Mat_25:1-13; see December 14)? What virgins are referred to in Rev_14:4?

 
 Top of page