1331. bethulim

Lexicon

bethulim: Virginity

Original Word: בְּתוּלִים
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: bthuwliym
Pronunciation: beh-too-LEEM
Phonetic Spelling: (beth-oo-leem')
Definition: Virginity
Meaning: virginity, the tokens of it

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

maid, virginity

Masculine plural of the same as bthuwlah; (collectively and abstractly) virginity; by implication and concretely, the tokens of it -- X maid, virginity.

see HEBREW bthuwlah

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from the same as bethulah
Definition
virginity
NASB Translation
evidence of my virginity (1), virgin (5), virginity (4).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

בְּתוּלִים noun feminine virginity, plural absolute intensive Deuteronomy 22:14,17,20; construct בְּתוּלֵי Deuteronomy 22:15,17, all concrete, tokens of virginity; abstract, suffix בְּתוּלַי Judges 11:37; בְּתוּלֶיהָ Leviticus 21:13; Judges 11:38; Ezekiel 23:8; בְּתוּלֵיהֶן Ezekiel 23:3.

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the root בָּתַל (batal), which is related to the concept of separation or being untouched.

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • G3933: παρθένος (parthenos) • This Greek term is often used in the Septuagint and the New Testament to denote a virgin or maiden, corresponding to the Hebrew בְּתוּלָה (bethulah) and related to בְּתוּלִים in meaning and usage.

Usage: The word בְּתוּלִים is used in the Hebrew Bible to describe the state of virginity, particularly in the context of marriage and sexual purity. It is often associated with the physical evidence of virginity, which was culturally significant in ancient Israelite society.

Context: בְּתוּלִים appears in several key passages within the Hebrew Bible, often in legal and narrative contexts. In Deuteronomy 22:14-21, the term is used in the laws concerning accusations against a bride's virginity, where the "tokens of virginity" (בְּתוּלִים) serve as evidence of her purity. This passage underscores the importance of virginity in marital arrangements and the severe consequences of false accusations or proven impurity.

In Genesis 24:16, the term is used to describe Rebekah, emphasizing her purity and suitability as a bride for Isaac: "Now the girl was very beautiful, a virgin (בְּתוּלָה), and no man had had relations with her." This usage highlights the cultural value placed on virginity as a desirable trait in a bride.

The concept of בְּתוּלִים also appears in poetic and prophetic literature, symbolizing purity and the ideal state of Israel as a nation. In Lamentations 1:15, the term is used metaphorically to describe the destruction and defilement of Jerusalem: "The Lord has rejected all the mighty men in my midst; He has summoned an army against me to crush my young men. The Lord has trampled the virgin daughter of Judah as in a winepress."

Overall, בְּתוּלִים is a term rich with cultural and religious significance, reflecting the values and social norms of ancient Israelite society regarding purity, marriage, and covenantal faithfulness.

Forms and Transliterations

בְּתוּלִ֔ים בְּתוּלִֽים׃ בְּתוּלֵ֣י בְּתוּלֵ֧י בְּתוּלֵיהֶֽן׃ בְּתוּלֶ֖יהָ בְּתוּלַ֔י בְתוּלִ֖ים בְתוּלֶ֑יהָ בִבְתוּלֶ֖יהָ בבתוליה בתולי בתוליה בתוליהן׃ בתולים בתולים׃ bə·ṯū·lay bə·ṯū·lê bə·ṯū·le·hā ḇə·ṯū·le·hā bə·ṯū·lê·hen bə·ṯū·lîm ḇə·ṯū·lîm betuLai bəṯūlay bəṯūlê bəṯūlehā ḇəṯūlehā bəṯūlêhen betuLei betuLeiha betuleiHen betuLim bəṯūlîm ḇəṯūlîm ḇiḇ·ṯū·le·hā ḇiḇṯūlehā vetuLeiha vetuLim vivtuLeiha

Englishman's Concordance

Leviticus 21:13
HEB: וְה֕וּא אִשָּׁ֥ה בִבְתוּלֶ֖יהָ יִקָּֽח׃
NAS: He shall take a wife in her virginity.
KJV: a wife in her virginity.
INT: he A wife her virginity shall take

Deuteronomy 22:14
HEB: מָצָ֥אתִי לָ֖הּ בְּתוּלִֽים׃
NAS: her, I did not find her a virgin,'
KJV: to her, I found her not a maid:
INT: did not find A maid

Deuteronomy 22:15
HEB: וְהוֹצִ֜יאוּ אֶת־ בְּתוּלֵ֧י [הַנַּעַר כ]
NAS: out the [evidence] of the girl's virginity to the elders
KJV: [the tokens of] the damsel's virginity unto the elders
INT: mother and bring virginity damsel to

Deuteronomy 22:17
HEB: מָצָ֤אתִי לְבִתְּךָ֙ בְּתוּלִ֔ים וְאֵ֖לֶּה בְּתוּלֵ֣י
NAS: your daughter a virgin. But this
KJV: not thy daughter a maid; and yet these [are the tokens of] my daughter's
INT: find your daughter A virgin this is the evidence

Deuteronomy 22:17
HEB: בְּתוּלִ֔ים וְאֵ֖לֶּה בְּתוּלֵ֣י בִתִּ֑י וּפָֽרְשׂוּ֙
NAS: But this is the evidence of my daughter's
KJV: and yet these [are the tokens of] my daughter's virginity. And they shall spread
INT: A virgin this is the evidence of my daughter's shall spread

Deuteronomy 22:20
HEB: לֹא־ נִמְצְא֥וּ בְתוּלִ֖ים [לַנַּעַר כ]
NAS: that the girl was not found a virgin,
KJV: be true, [and the tokens of] virginity be not found
INT: was not found A virgin damsel

Judges 11:37
HEB: וְאֶבְכֶּה֙ עַל־ בְּתוּלַ֔י אָנֹכִ֖י [וְרַעִיתִי
NAS: because of my virginity, I and my companions.
KJV: and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.
INT: and weep because of my virginity I fellow

Judges 11:38
HEB: וַתֵּ֥בְךְּ עַל־ בְּתוּלֶ֖יהָ עַל־ הֶהָרִֽים׃
NAS: because of her virginity.
KJV: and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.
INT: and wept because of her virginity because the mountains

Ezekiel 23:3
HEB: עִשּׂ֔וּ דַּדֵּ֖י בְּתוּלֵיהֶֽן׃
NAS: and there their virgin bosom
KJV: the teats of their virginity.
INT: was handled bosom their virgin

Ezekiel 23:8
HEB: עִשּׂ֖וּ דַּדֵּ֣י בְתוּלֶ֑יהָ וַיִּשְׁפְּכ֥וּ תַזְנוּתָ֖ם
NAS: with her, and they handled her virgin bosom
KJV: the breasts of her virginity, and poured
INT: handled bosom her virgin and poured their lust

10 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 1331
10 Occurrences

bə·ṯū·lay — 1 Occ.
bə·ṯū·lê — 2 Occ.
bə·ṯū·le·hā — 1 Occ.
bə·ṯū·lê·hen — 1 Occ.
bə·ṯū·lîm — 2 Occ.
ḇə·ṯū·le·hā — 1 Occ.
ḇə·ṯū·lîm — 1 Occ.
ḇiḇ·ṯū·le·hā — 1 Occ.