“Now Avshalom the son of David had a beautiful sister named Tamar. Some time after the previous events, Amnon the son of David fell in love with her. Amnon became so obsessed with his sister Tamar that he became ill, for she was a virgin, and Amnon thought it would be impossible to approach her.”-2 Samuel 13:1-2
The opening verses of 2nd Samuel Chapter 13 inform us of two things.
First, they tell us Amnon fell in love with Tamar.
Second, we’re told it was a burning erotic spirit of lust that overtook Amnon.
The last thing on Amnon’s mind was marrying Tamar and starting a healthy family.
We’re also told Tamar was a virgin.
Now, what a virgin means in our day is quite different than what it meant back then.
The Scriptural definition of a virgin is comprised of three parts.
First, “virgin” status only applied to females.
Dudes were never called virgins.
Second, a virgin meant a young girl.
You know that famous Isaiah prophecy:
“Therefore, the Lord himself
shall give you a sign;
Behold, a virgin shall conceive,
and bear a son,
and shall call his name Immanuel.”
-Isaiah 7:1
That actual Hebrew word is ALMAH or עַלְמָה.
ʿAlmāh refers to a young woman of marriageable age…
And is usually presumed to be a virgin…
But the word itself does not explicitly mean virgin.
The technical term for a young woman who has never had sexual intercourse is BETULAH or בְּתוּלָה.
Some argue that since almah (not betulah) is used…
Yeshua wasn’t born of a virgin by the Holy Spirit.
I think the argument is moot.
ALMAH ALWAYS implies virginity…
Especially in a culture where a young unmarried woman was expected to be a virgin.
ALMAH appears 7 times in the Hebrew Bible:
Genesis 24:43, Exodus 2:8, Proverbs 30:19, Psalm 68:25, Song 1:3, Song 6:8, and Isaiah 7:14…
And in every case, it refers to a young, unmarried woman.
Onward.
Finally, a virgin was a girl still living in her father’s household.
This meant two things.
It meant she was under her father’s authority…
And that she had never been married.
Let’s stop here and transition over to the takeaway.
So here’s what’s coming to me.
In a world where sexual pleasure and orgasms are idolized…
And virginity is shrugged off like it’s nothing…
Tamar’s story reminds us of just how important sexual sanctity is.
It wasn’t just about sex
It was about identity, honor, family, and future.
Tamar wasn’t just some young girl.
She was a daughter under her father’s care…
Set apart…
Protected…
And waiting for the right time…
The right man…
And the right covenant.
This is a reminder that we can’t let the world define purity for us…
Virginity isn’t something to be embarrassed about.
It’s something to be respected…
Guarded…
And yes…
Even celebrated.
It still matters.
Ya feel me?
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