בְּתוּלָה (H1330) — Hebrew Lexicon

בְּתוּלָה

𐤁𐤕𐤅𐤋𐤄

bᵉthûwlâh

H1330 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בתל to separate, to set apart (root sense — uncertain attestation)

Definition

A young woman of marriageable age who has not engaged in sexual relations; often translated as 'virgin', but may, in context, refer to a young, unmarried woman whose sexual experience is presumed but not always explicitly stated. The word is used both for individual females (emphasizing purity or eligibility for marriage) and metaphorically for cities or nations depicted as young, unviolated women.

Semantic Range

unmarried young woman, virgin, maiden eligible for marriage, metaphor for unviolated city or nation; rarely, a bride (by association with age/status)

Root / Etymology

Root is uncertain; traditionally linked to a root meaning 'to separate, to be distinct' (ב-ת-ל), though there is no securely attested verbal form in biblical Hebrew. The term is a feminine noun, likely derived to express one who is set apart, possibly for marriage or by social status. The sense of physical virginity is developed contextually rather than strictly by etymology.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, בְּתוּלָה appears in both legal (e.g., Deuteronomy 22) and poetic/prophentic texts (e.g., Jeremiah 18:13; Isaiah 47:1), denoting an unmarried young woman, typically assumed to be sexually inexperienced. However, the focus in context may be on social status rather than on sexual history alone. Contrast with עַלְמָה (ʿalmāh), which refers more generally to a young woman of childbearing age without specifying virginity, and with נַעֲרָה (naʿarāh), which denotes a girl or young woman without a direct implication of virginity. In prophetic and poetic texts, בְּתוּלָה is often used metaphorically to personify cities or nations (e.g., 'virgin Israel'), emphasizing their prior untouched or unspoiled state. Ancient versions and later translations (including the Greek LXX and Christian traditions) often render the term strictly as 'virgin,' especially in polemical or christological contexts (e.g., Isaiah 7:14), but this can oversimplify the Hebrew semantic range in its native contexts. Over time, especially in post-biblical Hebrew, the term has come to denote virginity more exclusively.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

feminine passive participle of an unused root meaning to separate; a virgin (from her privacy); sometimes (by continuation) a bride; also (figuratively) a city or state; maid, virgin.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

בתל (b-t-l) — to separate, to set apart, to distinguish

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H1328	בְּתוּאֵל	Betu-El
H1329	בְּתוּל	and Bethul
H1331	בְּתוּלִים	my virginity

Word Forms

13 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H1330-02`	בְּתוּלַ֣ת	betulat	`HNcfsc`	virgin	set-apart young woman of	12
`H1330-01`	בְּתוּלָ֕ה	betulah	`HNcfsa`	virgin	set-apart maiden	8
`H1330-03`	בְּתוּלֹ֗ת	betulot	`HNcfpa`	virgins	set-apart maidens	8
`H1330-12`	בְתוּלָ֔ה	vetulah	`HNcfsa`	virgin	set-apart maiden	6
`H1330-07`	הַ/בְּתוּלֹֽת	habetulot	`HTd/Ncfpa`	the virgins	the set-apart maidens	4
`H1330-10`	וּ/בְתוּלָֽה	uvetulah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and virgin	and set-apart maiden	3
`H1330-06`	הַ/בְּתוּלָה֙	habetulah	`HTd/Ncfsa`	the virgin	the set-apart young woman	2
`H1330-04`	בְּתוּלֹתַ֥/י	betulotay	`HNcfpc/Sp1cs`	my-virgins	my set-apart maidens	2
`H1330-09`	לִ/בְתוּלַ֖ת	livetulat	`HR/Ncfsc`	the virgin	maiden of	1
`H1330-11`	וּ֝/בְתוּלֹתָ֗י/ו	uvetulotayv	`HC/Ncfpc/Sp3ms`	and their virgins	and his set-apart maidens	1
`H1330-05`	בְּתוּלֹתֶ֥י/הָ	betuloteyha	`HNcfpc/Sp3fs`	her virgins	her set-apart maidens	1
`H1330-13`	בְתוּלֽוֹת	vetulot	`HNcfpa`	virgins	set-apart young women	1
`H1330-08`	כִּ/בְתוּלָ֥ה	kivetulah	`HR/Ncfsa`	like a virgin	like a set-apart maiden	1

Occurrences in Scripture

50 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H1330-01`	Genesis 24:16	בְּתוּלָ֕ה	betulah	`HNcfsa`	a virgin	set-apart maiden
`H1330-01`	Exodus 22:15	בְּתוּלָ֛ה	betulah	`HNcfsa`	virgin	set-apart maiden
`H1330-07`	Exodus 22:16	הַ/בְּתוּלֹֽת	habetulot	`HTd/Ncfpa`	of virgins	the set-apart maidens
`H1330-06`	Leviticus 21:3	הַ/בְּתוּלָה֙	habetulah	`HTd/Ncfsa`	the virgin	the set-apart young woman
`H1330-01`	Leviticus 21:14	בְּתוּלָ֥ה	betulah	`HNcfsa`	a virgin	set-apart maiden
`H1330-02`	Deuteronomy 22:19	בְּתוּלַ֣ת	betulat	`HNcfsc`	a virgin	set-apart young woman of
`H1330-12`	Deuteronomy 22:23	בְתוּלָ֔ה	vetulah	`HNcfsa`	virgin	set-apart maiden
`H1330-12`	Deuteronomy 22:28	בְתוּלָה֙	vetulah	`HNcfsa`	who is a virgin	set-apart maiden
`H1330-01`	Deuteronomy 32:25	בְּתוּלָ֔ה	betulah	`HNcfsa`	virgin	set-apart maiden
`H1330-06`	Judges 19:24	הַ/בְּתוּלָ֜ה	habetulah	`HTd/Ncfsa`	the virgin	the set-apart young woman
`H1330-12`	Judges 21:12	בְתוּלָ֔ה	vetulah	`HNcfsa`	virgins	set-apart maiden
`H1330-12`	2 Samuel 13:2	בְתוּלָ֖ה	vetulah	`HNcfsa`	a virgin	set-apart maiden
`H1330-07`	2 Samuel 13:18	הַ/בְּתוּלֹ֖ת	habetulot	`HTd/Ncfpa`	the-virgins	the set-apart maidens
`H1330-12`	1 Kings 1:2	בְתוּלָ֔ה	vetulah	`HNcfsa`	virgin	set-apart maiden
`H1330-02`	2 Kings 19:21	בְּתוּלַת֙	betulat	`HNcfsc`	the virgin	set-apart young woman of
`H1330-13`	Isaiah 23:4	בְתוּלֽוֹת	vetulot	`HNcfpa`	virgins	set-apart young women
`H1330-02`	Isaiah 23:12	בְּתוּלַ֣ת	betulat	`HNcfsc`	virgin	set-apart young woman of
`H1330-02`	Isaiah 37:22	בְּתוּלַת֙	betulat	`HNcfsc`	the virgin	set-apart young woman of
`H1330-02`	Isaiah 47:1	בְּתוּלַת֙	betulat	`HNcfsc`	virgin	set-apart young woman of
`H1330-01`	Isaiah 62:5	בְּתוּלָ֔ה	betulah	`HNcfsa`	virgin	set-apart maiden
`H1330-01`	Jeremiah 2:32	בְּתוּלָה֙	betulah	`HNcfsa`	a-virgin	set-apart maiden
`H1330-02`	Jeremiah 14:17	בְּתוּלַת֙	betulat	`HNcfsc`	virgin	set-apart young woman of
`H1330-02`	Jeremiah 18:13	בְּתוּלַ֖ת	betulat	`HNcfsc`	virgin	set-apart young woman of
`H1330-02`	Jeremiah 31:4	בְּתוּלַ֖ת	betulat	`HNcfsc`	O virgin	set-apart young woman of
`H1330-01`	Jeremiah 31:13	בְּתוּלָה֙	betulah	`HNcfsa`	the virgin	set-apart maiden
`H1330-02`	Jeremiah 31:21	בְּתוּלַ֣ת	betulat	`HNcfsc`	virgin	set-apart young woman of
`H1330-02`	Jeremiah 46:11	בְּתוּלַ֖ת	betulat	`HNcfsc`	O virgin	set-apart young woman of
`H1330-10`	Jeremiah 51:22	וּ/בְתוּלָֽה	uvetulah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and virgin	and set-apart maiden
`H1330-10`	Ezekiel 9:6	וּ/בְתוּלָה֩	uvetulah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and virgin	and set-apart maiden
`H1330-03`	Ezekiel 44:22	בְּתוּלֹ֗ת	betulot	`HNcfpa`	virgins	set-apart maidens
`H1330-08`	Joel 1:8	כִּ/בְתוּלָ֥ה	kivetulah	`HR/Ncfsa`	like a virgin	like a set-apart maiden
`H1330-02`	Amos 5:2	בְּתוּלַ֖ת	betulat	`HNcfsc`	virgin	set-apart young woman of
`H1330-07`	Amos 8:13	הַ/בְּתוּלֹ֧ת	habetulot	`HTd/Ncfpa`	the virgins	the set-apart maidens
`H1330-03`	Zechariah 9:17	בְּתֻלֽוֹת	betulot	`HNcfpa`	the young women	set-apart maidens
`H1330-03`	Psalms 45:15	בְּתוּל֣וֹת	betulot	`HNcfpa`	virgins	set-apart maidens
`H1330-11`	Psalms 78:63	וּ֝/בְתוּלֹתָ֗י/ו	uvetulotayv	`HC/Ncfpc/Sp3ms`	and their virgins	and his set-apart maidens
`H1330-03`	Psalms 148:12	בְּתוּל֑וֹת	betulot	`HNcfpa`	virgins	set-apart maidens
`H1330-01`	Job 31:1	בְּתוּלָֽה	betulah	`HNcfsa`	a-virgin	set-apart maiden
`H1330-05`	Lamentations 1:4	בְּתוּלֹתֶ֥י/הָ	betuloteyha	`HNcfpc/Sp3fs`	her virgins	her set-apart maidens
`H1330-09`	Lamentations 1:15	לִ/בְתוּלַ֖ת	livetulat	`HR/Ncfsc`	the virgin	maiden of
`H1330-04`	Lamentations 1:18	בְּתוּלֹתַ֥/י	betulotay	`HNcfpc/Sp1cs`	my-virgins	my set-apart maidens
`H1330-03`	Lamentations 2:10	בְּתוּלֹ֖ת	betulot	`HNcfpc`	virgins	set-apart maidens
`H1330-02`	Lamentations 2:13	בְּתוּלַ֖ת	betulat	`HNcfsc`	O virgin	set-apart young woman of
`H1330-04`	Lamentations 2:21	בְּתוּלֹתַ֥/י	betulotay	`HNcfpc/Sp1cs`	my-virgins	my set-apart maidens
`H1330-03`	Lamentations 5:11	בְּתֻלֹ֖ת	betulot	`HNcfpa`	virgins	set-apart maidens
`H1330-03`	Esther 2:2	בְּתוּל֖וֹת	betulot	`HNcfpa`	virgins	set-apart maidens
`H1330-12`	Esther 2:3	בְ֠תוּלָה	vetulah	`HNcfsa`	virgin	set-apart maiden
`H1330-07`	Esther 2:17	הַ/בְּתוּלֹ֑ת	habetulot	`HTd/Ncfpa`	the virgins	the set-apart maidens
`H1330-03`	Esther 2:19	בְּתוּל֖וֹת	betulot	`HNcfpa`	the virgins	set-apart maidens
`H1330-10`	2 Chronicles 36:17	וּ/בְתוּלָ֖ה	uvetulah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and-virgin	and set-apart maiden

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