Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, April 26th, 2025
Saturday in Easter Week
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort! Bible Encyclopedias
Handmaid
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Search for…
or
hand´mād : Which appears often in the Old Testament, but seldom in the New Testament, like bondmaid, is used to translate two Hebrew words ( שׁפחה , shiphḥāh , and אמה , 'āmāh ) both of which normally mean a female slave. It is used to translate the former word in the ordinary sense of female slave in Genesis 16:1; Genesis 25:12; Genesis 29:24 , Genesis 29:29; Proverbs 30:23; Jeremiah 34:11 , Jeremiah 34:16; Joel 2:29; to translate the latter word in Exodus 23:12; Judges 19:19; 2 Samuel 6:20 . It is used as a term of humility and respectful self-depreciation in the presence of great men, prophets and kings, to translate the former word in Rth 2:13; 1 Samuel 1:18; 1 Samuel 28:21; 2 Samuel 14:6; 2 Kings 4:2 , 2 Kings 4:16; it translates the latter word in the same sense in Rth 3:9; 1 Samuel 1:16; 1 Samuel 25:24 , 1 Samuel 25:28 , 1 Samuel 25:31 , 1 Samuel 25:41; 2 Samuel 20:17; 1 Kings 1:13 , 1 Kings 1:17; 1 Kings 3:20 . It is also used to express a sense of religious humility in translating the latter word only, and appears in this sense in but three passages, 1 Samuel 1:11; Psalm 86:16; Psalm 116:16 .
In the New Testament it occurs 3 t, in a religious sense, as the translation of δούλη , doúlē , "a female slave" ( Luke 1:38 , Luke 1:48; Acts 2:18 ), and twice (Galatians 4:22 , Galatians 4:23 ) as the translation of παιδίσκη , paidı́skē , the King James Version "bondmaid."
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain and were generously provided by the folks at WordSearch Software.
Bibliography Information
Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. Entry for 'Handmaid'. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/isb/h/handmaid.html. 1915.
