virgin

Click here to view graphically

The Hebrew and Greek that is mostly translated as “virgin” in English can be translated as “woman that is untouched” in Batak Toba or “a woman with a whole (i.e. unopened) body” in Uab Meto.

“Similar words for ‘girl,’unmarried young woman,’ suggesting virginity without explicitly stating it, are found in Marathi, Apache, or Kituba. Cultural features naturally influence connotations of possible renderings, for instance, the child marriage customs in some Tboli areas, where the boy and girl are made to sleep together at the initial marriage, but after that do not live together and may not see each other again for years. Hence, the closest attainable equivalent, ‘female adolescent,’ does not imply that a young girl is not living with her husband, and that she never had a child, but leaves uncertain whether she has ever slept with a male person or not. Accordingly, in Luke one has to depend on Luke 1:34 to make clear that Mary and Joseph had not had sexual intercourse. A different problem is encountered in Pampanga, where birhen (an adaptation of Spanish virgen — ‘virgin’), when standing alone, is a name of the ‘Virgin Mary.’ To exclude this meaning the version uses “marriageable birhen,” thus at the same time indicating that Mary was relatively young.” (Source: Reiling / Swellengrebel, see here)

In Navajo (Dinė), the term that is used is “no husband yet” (Source: Wallis, p. 106) and in Gola the expression “trouser girl.” “In the distant past young women who were virgins wore trousers. Those who were not virgins wore dresses. That doesn’t hold true anymore, but the expression is still there in the language.” (Source: Don Slager)

The term in Djimini Senoufo is katogo jo — “village-dance-woman” (women who have been promised but who are still allowed to go to dances with unmarried women). (Source: Übersetzung heute 3/1995)

In Igbo translations, typically a newly-created, multi-word phrase is used that very explicitly states that there has not been any sexual relations and that translates as “a woman (or: maiden) who does not know a man.” This is in spite of the fact that there is a term (agb͕ọghọ) that means “young woman” and has the connotation of her not having had sexual relations (this is for instance used by the Standard Igbo Bible of the Bible Society of Nigeria for Isaiah 7:14). Incidentally, the euphemistic expression “know” (ma in Igbo) for “having sex” has become a well-known euphemism outside of Bible translation. (Source: Uchenna Oyali in Sociolinguistic Studies Vol. 17 No. 1-3 (2023): Special Issue: Gender and sexuality in African discourses )

In Chichewa, it is translated as namwali which is used to refer to a girl who has reached puberty stage and is ready to get married. Apart from the physical aspect, the word also has social implications in the sense that it is used to recognize the fact that the girl has become responsible enough to make informed decisions and take care of herself and others. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

See also virgins (Revelation 14:4) and complete verse (Matthew 1:23).

complete verse (Genesis 24:16)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 24:16:

  • Kankanaey: “She was a very-good-looking young-lady whom no one had yet touched. She went-downhill to the location of the spring and drew-water. When she then returned,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Before he was finished praying, a beautiful woman who had not yet been married came bringing a pitcher to get water. That woman was Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel, son of Nahor, Abraham’s younger brother. Nahor’s wife was Milcah. Going before him, Rebekah went to the well. Then, having drawn water, [she] was about to go back.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Rebeka was a beautiful young-single-lady and still a virgin. She went-down to the well and she filled her jar with water. Then she came-up to go-home.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “She was very beautiful and still a virgin. She went down to the edge of the well, filled her jar with water, and then came back up.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 24:16

The maiden was very fair to look upon: maiden translates the feminine form of the word used for Abraham’s young men in 14.24; the same Hebrew word appears in verse 14. She has reached marriageable age. Very fair to look upon is literally “very fair of face,” which may be rendered, for example, “She was a very pretty girl,” “… a lovely young woman,” “… had an attractive appearance.”

A virgin refers, as the context makes clear, to a young woman who has not had sexual intercourse.

Whom no man had known: known as an expression for sexual relations was used in 4.1. See there for comments. In this context Good News Translation says “and still a virgin,” which clearly means that she had not yet had sexual relations.

She went down to the spring: spring again replaces “well.” See recommendation in verse 13. The spring or well is located in an area lower than the place where the servant is.

Filled her jar: it is not stated whether this is done by lowering the jar into the well or dipping from it.

And came up: that is, came back up to the place she had gone down from.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .