The Hebrew word bethu·lahʹ signifies a woman who has never been united to a man in marriage and has never had sexual intercourse. (Ge 24:16; De 32:25; Jg 21:12; 1Ki 1:2; Es 2:2, 3, 17; La 1:18; 2:21)

Although the Hebrew word bethu·lahʹ means “virgin,” another term (ʽal·mahʹ) appears at Isaiah 7:14: “Look! The maiden [ha·ʽal·mahʹ] herself will actually become pregnant, and she is giving birth to a son, and she will certainly call his name Immanuel.” The word ʽal·mahʹ means “maiden” and can apply to a nonvirgin or a virgin. It is applied to “the maiden” Rebekah before marriage when she was also called “a virgin” (bethu·lahʹ). (Ge 24:16, 43)