Biblical Hebrew Forum

["George Athas" <gathas AT globalfreeway.com.au>]

BETULIM and BETULAH, although related words, have slightly different 
connotations, but
there is still a huge amount of overlap (as is to be expected of related 
words).

BETULIM implies "virginity" the same as we would see it -- that is, someone 
who has had no
previous sexual experience - someone who is physically a virgin.

A BETULAH is a "single woman". Considering the society of the ancient Near 
East, this
meant more often than not that the single woman was also physically a virgin. 
However,
physical virginity is not the prime focus of the word BETULAH; rather, the 
focus is on
social virginity -- someone available for marriage (or remarriage).

A study on the contextual usage of the word BETULAH shows this. Often, the 
explicit
statement is made, of a BETULAH that she "had known no man" (or another 
similar
expression). If BETULAH purely alluded to physical virginity (and not social 
virginity),
then the statement becomes redundant through tautology. The fact that BETULAH 
has a
socio-relational focus means that if the woman were a physical virgin, then 
it would need
to be pointed out in addition to simply naming her as a BETULAH.

The word (ALMAH has a different connotation again. It refers to a young girl. 
Again, by
social implication, such a young girl would presumably be a physical virgin. 
(ALMAH
probably corresponds to our modern expression "young lady", which is usually 
reserved for
school-going teens -- that is, physically developed, but young in age.


Best regards,

GEORGE ATHAS
(Sydney, Australia)
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