A word used to describe women or metaphorically for places, nations, and the church. It describes a woman who is sexually mature but has not had sex. Mary, mother of Jesus, is an obvious example (Matthew 1:18–25).
The Old Testament puts a high value on remaining a virgin before marriage. One of Rebekah’s qualities that made her a suitable bride for Isaac was her virginity (Genesis 24:16). The law said that priests must marry only virgins (Leviticus 21:7, 13–14). They should be the men whose lives most closely conformed to God's standards.
This reflects the Bible's teaching on marriage. It idealizes exclusive faithfulness. The New Testament expresses that ideal by banning premarital sex (1 Corinthians 6:13, 18). It uses "virgin" to describe Christians who are faithful to their Lord (Revelation 14:4; compare 2 Corinthians 11:2).
Negatively, the Old Testament highlights the same principle in its penalties for losing a woman's virginity. If the man is morally responsible, he must either marry her or pay her father (Exodus 22:16–17). If the woman herself is to blame, the punishment is death (Deuteronomy 22:20–21). The Old Testament says little, however, to commend lifelong virginity. Jeremiah was told not to marry, only to reinforce God’s warning of coming judgment (Jeremiah 16:2). From the woman’s point of view, it was a tragedy to remain an unmarried virgin and childless for life (compare Judges 11:37).
The New Testament values marriage, but it more clearly shows the benefits of a commitment to virginity for Christian men and women. Celibacy, for some, is God’s gift, declared Paul, because it has positive gains for Christian service (1 Corinthians 7:7, 25–38). Jesus commended those who “live like eunuchs” for the kingdom of heaven’s sake (Matthew 19:12).