virgin

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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 (Deuteronomy 22:20)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 22:20:

  • Kupsabiny: “But if what the man said was true, and there is nothing that shows that the woman had not been with another man,” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “But if evidence that the woman has not slept with anyone is not found, and if that man’s words are a true judgment,” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘But if what the husband is-saying is true and there was no evidence/proof that can-be-found that the woman was a virgin,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘But if what the man said is true, and there is nothing to prove that she was a virgin when he married her,” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 22:20 - 22:21

But if the thing is true: if, however, the father cannot prove that his daughter was a virgin when she was married, she must be put to death.

The door of her father’s house: because she belongs to her father.

The men of her city shall stone her to death: this was the punishment for adultery. For stone … to death, see 13.10.

Wrought folly in Israel: folly is not simply a foolish thing but an immoral action. The fool is someone who disregards God’s commands. Good News Translation has “She has done a shameful thing among our people”; or we may say “She has caused all of our people to be disgraced [or, lose face].”

By playing the harlot: meaning “being promiscuous” (New International Version). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “committing fornication,” New Revised Standard Version “prostituting herself,” Good News Translation “having intercourse before she was married,” Contemporary English Version “sleeping with someone before she got married.”

In her father’s house: this does not necessarily mean that she was at home when she had sexual intercourse with a man. Rather, she was still under her father’s care when she did this; she was still his daughter. Good News Translation expresses this well.

You shall purge the evil from the midst of you: see 13.5.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .