I came across this in my daily reading:
In Esther 2:17, 19, the Hebrew word betulah seems to refer to married women:
In 2:2 and 2:3 the king's advisors advise to gather naaroth bethuloth נְעָרֹות בְּתוּלֹות for the king. The word naaroth leaves no doubt that the women are unmarried.
In 2:4, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13 before the consumation of the marriage, the young women are just called naaroth נְעָרֹות by the Bible narrative.
In 2:14-16 their marriages to the king are consumated
In 2:17, & 19 they are called בְּתוּלֹות but never again נְעָרֹות by the Bible narrative.
The Septuagint translates bethuloth in 2:14 as parthenos. 2:19 does not exist in the Septuagint.
These go along with Joel 1:8 & Deut 22:19.
-Steve Miller
Detroit
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