Bible Dictionary: Maiden

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (n.) An unmarried woman; a girl or woman who has not experienced sexual intercourse; a virgin; a maid.

2. (n.) A female servant.

3. (n.) An instrument resembling the guillotine, formerly used in Scotland for beheading criminals.

4. (n.) A machine for washing linen.

5. (a.) of or pertaining to a maiden, or to maidens; suitable to, or characteristic of, a virgin; as, maiden innocence.

6. (a.) Never having been married; not having had sexual intercourse; virgin; -- said usually of the woman, but sometimes of the man; as, a maiden aunt.

7. (a.) Fresh; innocent; unpolluted; pure; hitherto unused.

8. (a.) Used of a fortress, signifying that it has never been captured, or violated.

9. (v. t.) To act coyly like a maiden; -- with it as an indefinite object.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

MAID; MAIDEN

mad, mad'-'n: Used in the King James Version in the sense of a girl or young female; of an unmarried woman or virgin, and of a female servant or handmaid. Thus, it translates several Hebrew words:

(1) The more generic word is na`arah, "girl," feminine form of the common na`ar, "boy" (1 Samuel 9:11 2 Kings 5:2, 4 Esther 2:4, 7 Job 41:5 Amos 2:7) In several places masculine form na`ar, with feminine form of verb rendered "damsel" (Genesis 24:14, 16, 28, 55; Genesis 34:3, 12 Deuteronomy 22:15); compare he pais (Luke 8:51, 54); see also paidiske, diminutive (Sirach 41:22; Mark 14:66, 69 Luke 12:45; korasion, Septuagint for na`arah, "maid," in Matthew 9:24 with Job 6:12; Susanna verses 15, 19).

(2) The Hebrew `almah, also rendered "maid," refers to a woman of marriageable age (Exodus 2:8 Proverbs 30:19), whether married or not, whether a virgin or not. The same word is translated "virgin" in several places (Genesis 24:43 the King James Version; So 13; 6:08; Isaiah 7:14).

(3) The word bethulah, a common Hebrew word for "virgin," a chaste woman Septuagint parthenos), is frequently rendered "maid" and "maiden" (Exodus 22:16 Judges 19:24 2 Chronicles 36:17 Psalm 78:63; Psalm 148:12 Jeremiah 51:22 Lamentations 5:11 Ezekiel 9:6; Ezekiel 44:22 Zechariah 9:17; compare Deuteronomy 22:14, 17, having "the marks (tokens) of virginity"); bethulim, rendered "maid." See VIRGIN.

(4) Two Hebrew words covering the idea of service, handmaid, handmaiden, and in numerous passages so rendered:

(a) 'amah, translated "maid" (Genesis 30:3 Exodus 2:5; Exodus 21:20, 26 Leviticus 25:6 Ezra 2:65 Job 19:15 Nahum 2:7);

(b) shiphchah, "a family servant," "a handmaid," so rendered in numerous passages ("maid," "maiden," Genesis 16:2;; 29:24, 29; 30:7, 9, 10, 12, 18; Isaiah 24:2 Psalm 123:2 Ecclesiastes 2:7). In the King James Version they are variously translated "maid," "handmaid," etc.

(5) The rather rare word habra, "favorite slave," is rendered "maid" in Judith 10:2, 5; 13:09; 16:23; Additions to Esther 15:2, 7.

(6) doule, "female slave," in the King James Version Judith 12:49 (the Revised Version (British and American) "servant").

Maidservant means simply a female slave in the different positions which such a woman naturally occupies. They were the property of their masters; sometimes held the position of concubines (Genesis 31:33); daughters might be sold by their fathers into this condition (Exodus 21:7). It is regrettable that no uniform translation was adopted in the King James Version. And in the Revised Version (British and American) compare Tobit 3:7; Judith 10:10; Sirach 41:22.

"Maidservants" replaces "maidens" of the King James Version in Luke 12:45. Compare Job 31:13.

Edward Bagby Pollard

Greek

3933. parthenos -- a maiden, a virgin
... a maiden, a virgin. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: parthenos Phonetic
Spelling: (par-then'-os) Short Definition: a virgin Definition: a maiden ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3933.htm - 7k

5008. talitha -- maiden
... maiden. Part of Speech: Aramaic Transliterated Word (Indeclinable) Transliteration:
talitha Phonetic Spelling: (tal-ee-thah') Short Definition: little girl ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5008.htm - 6k

2877. korasion -- girl
... Transliteration: korasion Phonetic Spelling: (kor-as'-ee-on) Short Definition: a
girl, little girl Definition: a little girl, a young girl; a girl, maiden. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2877.htm - 6k

3816. pais -- a child, boy, youth
... 1), servant (12), servants (2), slaves* (1), son (1). child, maiden, servant,
young man. Perhaps from paio; a boy (as often beaten ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3816.htm - 7k

3814. paidiske -- a young girl, maidservant
... bondmaid, damsel, maiden. Feminine diminutive of pais; a girl, ie (specially), a
female slave or servant -- bondmaid(-woman), damsel, maid(-en). see GREEK pais. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3814.htm - 6k

735. Artemis -- Artemis, the name of the Gr. goddess of the hunt
... Definition: Artemis, a goddess, worshipped principally at Ephesus, typifying fertility
(she had no relation with the other Artemis, the maiden huntress, to ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/735.htm - 6k

Strong's Hebrew

5291. naarah -- a girl, maiden
... naarah. 5292 . a girl, maiden. Transliteration: naarah Phonetic Spelling:
(nah-ar-aw') Short Definition: girl. Word Origin fem. ... damsel, maiden, young woman. ...
/hebrew/5291.htm - 6k

3207. yaldah -- girl, maiden
... 3206, 3207. yaldah. 3208 . girl, maiden. Transliteration: yaldah Phonetic
Spelling: (yal-daw') Short Definition: girl. Word Origin fem. ...
/hebrew/3207.htm - 6k

7361. rachamah -- damsel
... Word Origin the same as rechem, qv. damsel Feminine of racham; a maiden -- damsel.
see HEBREW racham. 7360, 7361. rachamah. 7362 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/7361.htm - 5k

5959. almah -- a young woman, a virgin
... Word Origin fem. of elem Definition a young woman, a virgin NASB Word Usage girl
(1), maid (1), maiden (1), maidens (3), virgin (1). damsel, maid, virgin. ...
/hebrew/5959.htm - 6k

7358. rechem -- womb
... Word Origin from an unused word Definition womb NASB Word Usage birth (3), born*
(1), maiden (1), maidens (1), mother (1), womb (22), wombs (1). matrix, womb. ...
/hebrew/7358.htm - 6k

7356. racham -- compassion
... From racham; compassion (in the plural); by extension, the womb (as cherishing the
fetus); by implication, a maiden -- bowels, compassion, damsel, tender love ...
/hebrew/7356.htm - 6k

Library

The Story of a Maiden of Corinth, and a Certain Magistrianus.
... Fragments from Other Writings of Hippolytus. The story of a maiden of
Corinth, and a certain Magistrianus. The account given by ...
/.../the extant works and fragments of hippolytus/the story of a maiden.htm

How He Healed a Sick Maiden by his Prayers. [705 AD ]
... BOOK V CHAP. III. How he healed a sick maiden by his prayers. [705 AD]. ...
And what can I do for the maiden if she is like to die?' ...
/.../bede/bedes ecclesiastical history of england/chap iii how he healed.htm

Ave Maria! O Maiden, O Mother
... No. 74 Ave Maria! O Maiden, O Mother. THE BLESSED VIRGIN Ave Maria! O Maiden, O
Mother Star of the Sea. Sister M. From a Slovak Hymnal Arr. by NAM. ...
/.../various/the st gregory hymnal and catholic choir book/no 74 ave maria o.htm

One who had Betrothed a Maiden, Corrupted Her Sister...
... Canon XXV. One who had betrothed a maiden, corrupted her sister� One who had
betrothed a maiden, corrupted her sister, so that she conceived. ...
/.../schaff/the seven ecumenical councils/canon xxv one who had.htm

About the Young Man who Killed the Maiden.
... Acts of the Holy Apostle Thomas, When He Came into India, and Built the Palace
in the Heavens. About the Young Man Who Killed the Maiden. ...
/.../unknown/acts of the holy apostle thomas/about the young man who.htm

Being Urged by his Mother to Take a Wife, He Sought a Maiden that ...
... Book VI. Chapter XIII."Being Urged by His Mother to Take a Wife, He Sought
a Maiden that Was Pleasing Unto Him. 23. Active efforts ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/chapter xiii being urged by his.htm

The Fan-Bearer's Quest
... Hotep halted him. "Was there a guest with the fair-haired Israelite maiden last
night?" the scribe asked. ... "We do not concern ourselves with the maiden. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xxii the fan-bearers quest.htm

Whether Rape is a Species of Lust, Distinct from Seduction?
... Reply to Objection 3: The rape of a maiden who is promised in marriage is to
be judged differently from that of one who is not so promised. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether rape is a species.htm

At this Time the Nation of the Northumbrians, that Is...
... to ask her in marriage of her brother Eadbald, who then reigned in Kent, he received
the answer, "That it was not lawful to give a Christian maiden in marriage ...
/.../bede/bedes ecclesiastical history of england/chap ix at this time.htm

A Hymn Concerning Her.
... the high God comes. "A hallowed maid gives birth to Him Who gave the world
its being; Mary, the gate of God, a maiden gives Him, birth. ...
/.../bede/bedes ecclesiastical history of england/chap xx a hymn concerning.htm

Thesaurus

Maiden (40 Occurrences)
... 4. (n.) A machine for washing linen. 5. (a.) of or pertaining to a maiden, or to
maidens; suitable to, or characteristic of, a virgin; as, maiden innocence. ...
/m/maiden.htm - 24k

Maiden's (2 Occurrences)
...Maiden's (2 Occurrences). Luke 1:27 to a maiden betrothed to a man of the name of
Joseph, a descendant of David. The maiden's name was Mary. (WEY). ...
/m/maiden's.htm - 7k

Virginity (12 Occurrences)
... husband of her youth," but the word is probably due to a wish to allude to the title
"virgin daughter of Zion" (the translation "a betrothed maiden" is untrue ...
/v/virginity.htm - 15k

Maid (57 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) An unmarried woman; usually, a young unmarried
woman; esp., a girl; a virgin; a maiden. ... MAID; MAIDEN. ...
/m/maid.htm - 27k

Marriage (74 Occurrences)
... the beginning for fathers to select wives for their sons (Genesis 24:3; 38:6).
Sometimes also proposals were initiated by the father of the maiden (Exodus 2:21 ...
/m/marriage.htm - 62k

Maidens (40 Occurrences)
... the women. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS RSV). Esther 2:9 The maiden pleased
him, and she obtained kindness from him. He quickly gave ...
/m/maidens.htm - 18k

Maids (28 Occurrences)
... Esther 2:9 And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he
speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged to ...
/m/maids.htm - 14k

Ointments (9 Occurrences)
... Esther 2:9 And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he
speedily gave her her things for purification, with her portions, and the seven ...
/o/ointments.htm - 9k

Jairus (6 Occurrences)
... Entering into the chamber of death, accompanied by Peter and James and John and
the father and mother of the maiden, he went forward to the bed whereon the ...
/j/jairus.htm - 10k

Fastened (43 Occurrences)
... Genesis 34:3 And his soul fastened on Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved
the maiden, and spoke consolingly to the maiden. (DBY). ...
/f/fastened.htm - 19k

Bible Concordance

Maiden (40 Occurrences)

Matthew 1:23 "Mark! The maiden will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call His name Immanuel" --a word which signifies 'God with us'.
(WEY)

Luke 1:27 to a maiden betrothed to a man of the name of Joseph, a descendant of David. The maiden's name was Mary.
(WEY)

Luke 8:51 And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.
(KJV ASV WBS)

Luke 8:54 But he, taking her by the hand, called, saying, Maiden, arise.
(ASV)

1 Corinthians 7:28 Yet if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a maiden marries, she has not sinned. Such people, however, will have outward trouble. But I am for sparing you.
(WEY)

Genesis 24:14 And let it come to pass, that the maiden to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink, and who will say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also, be she whom thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and hereby I shall know that thou hast dealt kindly with my master.
(DBY RSV)

Genesis 24:16 And the maiden was very fair in countenance; a virgin, and no man had known her. And she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.
(DBY RSV)

Genesis 24:28 And the maiden ran and told these things to her mother's house.
(DBY RSV)

Genesis 24:43 behold, I am standing by this spring of water. Let it happen, that the maiden who comes forth to draw, to whom I will say, "Give me, I pray you, a little water from your pitcher to drink,"
(WEB JPS ASV NAS NIV)

Genesis 24:55 And her brother and her mother said, Let the maiden abide with us some days, or say ten; after that she shall go.
(DBY RSV)

Genesis 24:57 And they said, Let us call the maiden and inquire at her mouth.
(DBY RSV)

Genesis 30:18 And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.
(KJV WBS)

Genesis 34:3 And his soul fastened on Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the maiden, and spoke consolingly to the maiden.
(DBY RSV)

Genesis 34:4 Shechem spoke to his father, Hamor, saying, "Get me this young lady as a wife."
(See RSV)

Genesis 34:12 Impose on me very much as dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say to me; but give me the maiden as wife.
(DBY RSV)

Exodus 2:8 Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go." The maiden went and called the child's mother.
(WEB JPS ASV)

Judges 5:30 Are they not finding and dividing the spoil? --A maiden or two for every man; spoil of dyed stuffs for Sis'era, spoil of dyed stuffs embroidered, two pieces of dyed work embroidered for my neck as spoil?'
(DBY NAS RSV)

Judges 19:24 Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing.
(KJV WBS)

Ruth 2:5 And Boaz said to his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose maiden is this?
(DBY RSV)

Ruth 2:6 And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish maiden who came back with Naomi out of the fields of Moab;
(DBY RSV)

1 Kings 1:2 Therefore his servants said to him, "Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and cherish him; and let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may keep warm."
(See RSV)

1 Kings 1:3 So they sought for a beautiful young lady throughout all the borders of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
(See RSV)

1 Kings 1:4 The young lady was very beautiful; and she cherished the king, and ministered to him; but the king didn't know her intimately.
(See RSV)

2 Kings 5:2 The Syrians had gone out in bands, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maiden; and she waited on Naaman's wife.
(WEB ASV)

2 Kings 5:4 Someone went in, and told his lord, saying, "The maiden who is from the land of Israel said this."
(WEB ASV RSV)

2 Chronicles 36:17 Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand.
(KJV JPS DBY WBS)

Esther 2:4 and let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti." The thing pleased the king, and he did so.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS RSV)

Esther 2:7 He brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter; for she had neither father nor mother. The maiden was fair and beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daughter.
(WEB JPS ASV DBY RSV)

Esther 2:9 The maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness from him. He quickly gave her cosmetics and her portions of food, and the seven choice maidens who were to be given her out of the king's house. He moved her and her maidens to the best place in the women's house.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS RSV)

Esther 2:12 Now when the turn of every maiden was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that it had been done to her according to the law for the women twelve months ( for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odors and with the things for the purifying of the women ),
(ASV DBY JPS RSV)

Esther 2:13 Then thus came every maiden unto the king; whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king's house.
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS RSV)

Psalms 123:2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.
(KJV JPS DBY WBS)

Proverbs 30:19 The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent on a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maiden.
(WEB ASV RSV NIV)

Song of Songs 7:1 How beautiful are your feet in their shoes, O king's daughter! The curves of your legs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a good workman:
(See RSV)

Song of Songs 7:6 How beautiful and how sweet you are, O love, for delight.
(See RSV)

Isaiah 62:5 For as a young man takes a virgin for his wife, so will your maker be married to you: and as a husband has joy in his bride, so will the Lord your God be glad over you.
(See NIV)

Jeremiah 2:32 Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number.
(See RSV NIV)

Jeremiah 51:22 And with thee will I shatter man and woman, and with thee will I shatter the old man and the youth, and with thee will I shatter the young man and the maid;
(See RSV NIV)

Ezekiel 9:6 Slay utterly the old man, the young man, and the maiden, and little children, and women; but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the elders who were before the house.
(DBY JPS NAS RSV NIV)

Amos 2:7 They trample on the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and deny justice to the oppressed; and a man and his father use the same maiden, to profane my holy name;
(WEB ASV RSV)

Subtopics

Maiden

Related Terms

Maiden's (2 Occurrences)

Virginity (12 Occurrences)

Maid (57 Occurrences)

Marriage (74 Occurrences)

Maidens (40 Occurrences)

Maids (28 Occurrences)

Ointments (9 Occurrences)

Jairus (6 Occurrences)

Fastened (43 Occurrences)