Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: BETHULAH - virgin

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "George Athas" <gathas AT globalfreeway.com.au>
  • To: "Biblical Hebrew" <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: BETHULAH - virgin
  • Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 02:23:50 +1100


Shoshanna,

I think Liz was responding not to your statement, but to my statement that
any woman,
whether previously married or not, who was eligible for marriage, was a
BETULAH. That is,
women who were married, but had not given birth to children and yet whose
husbands had
died, went back to their paternal household and became "virgins" again --
that is, they
could remarry. That is essentially what Naomi urges Ruth and Orpah to do.
Naomi, however,
who has given birth, cannot return to her paternal house for remarriage. She
can no longer
be a "virgin" -- that is, a single woman eligible for marriage -- she is now
a widow.
"Widow" refers to a woman whose relatives have died so that she is no longer
attached to
any household. Hence, the need to defend the orphan and the widow -- those
who had no
social protection in the ancient world.

Joel 1:8 is the classic example of a married woman whose husband is dead
being called a
BETULAH.


Best regards,

GEORGE ATHAS
(Sydney, Australia)
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tel Dan Inscription Website
http://members.nbci.com/gathas/teldan.htm
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page