The meaning of Handmaid in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
hand'-mad: Which appears often in the Old Testament, but seldom in the New Testament, like bondmaid, is used to translate two Hebrew words (shiphchah, and 'amah) 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; II 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 Ruth 2:13; I Samuel 1:18; I Samuel 28:21; II Samuel 14:6; II Kings 4:2, II Kings 4:16; it translates the latter word in the same sense in Ruth 3:9; I Samuel 1:16; I Samuel 25:24, I Samuel 25:28, I Samuel 25:31, I Samuel 25:41; II Samuel 20:17; I Kings 1:13, I Kings 1:17; I 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, I Samuel 1:11; Psalms 86:16; Psalms 116:16.
In the New Testament it occurs 3 t, in a religious sense, as the translation of doule, "a female slave" (Luke 1:38, Luke 1:48; Acts 2:18), and twice (Galatians 4:22-23) as the translation of paidiske, the King James Version "bondmaid."
William Joseph McGlothlin
See more on the meaning of Handmaid in the Bible:
Handmaid {Easton's Bible Dictionary}
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