Meaning
Bondmaid bond'-mad: Occurs but three times in the King James Version (Lev 19:20, Lev 25:44, Gal 4:22 (the Revised Version (British and American) "handmaid")). The first instance is that of Hebrew girl who has by birth, purchase or otherwise come into temporary slavery. The word here is shiphchah. It occurs often in the Old Testament, but is elsewhere translated "maid," "handmaid," "woman servant," "maidservant," etc. The other instance (Le 25:44) refers to foreign slave girls and has different word, 'amah, which also occurs number of times, but is elsewhere translated "handmaid," etc. The New Testament instance (Ga 4:22) refers to Hagar, Abraham's Egyptian slave girl. The original word paidiske, occurs several other times, but in the King James Version is elsewhere translated "maid," "damsel," etc. It means a slave girl.
See SLAVERY.
William Joseph McGlothlin
