Reference: Handmaid, Handmaiden
Morish
These words often refer in scripture to a female slave, as applied to Hagar the Egyptian, Ge 25:12; but were also used by women themselves as a term of humility, as when Hannah spake to Jehovah and to Eli, 1Sa 1:11,16,18; as Abigail to David, 1Sa 25:24-41; and by Mary and Elizabeth as handmaids of the Lord. Lu 1:38,48.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Now, these, are the generations of Ishmael son of Abraham, - whom hagar the Egyptian woman the handmaid of Sarah bare to Abraham;
And she vowed a vow, and said - Yahweh of hosts! If thou wilt, look, upon the humiliation of thy handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thy handmaid, but wilt give unto thy handmaid a man-child, then will I give him unto Yahweh, all the days of his life, and no, razor, shall come upon his head.
Do not count thy handmaid for an abandoned woman, - for, out of the abundance of my grief and my vexation, have I spoken, hitherto.
And she said: Let thy serving-woman find favour, in thine eyes. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and, her countenance, was sad no longer.
yea she fell at his feet, and said - On me, even me, my lord, be the transgression, - But, I pray thee, let thy handmaid speak in thine ears, and hear thou the words of thy handmaid. Let it not be, I pray thee, that my lord regard this abandoned man - Nabal; For, as his name is, so, is he. Nabal, is his name, and, baseness, is with him, - But, I, thy handmaid, saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send. read more. Now, therefore, my lord - By the life of Yahweh, and by the life of thine own soul, - seeing Yahweh hath withholden thee from coming in with bloodshed, and from saving thyself, with thine own hand, now, therefore, like Nabal, be thine enemies, and they who are making search for my lord, wrongfully. Now, therefore, this blessing which thy maid-servant hath brought to my lord, let it even be given unto the young men who are going to and fro at the feet of my lord. Forgive, I pray thee, the trespass of thy handmaid, - for Yahweh, will certainly make, for my lord an assured house, for, the battles of Yahweh, is my lord fighting, and, wrong, shall not be found in thee, all thy days; yea, though there hath arisen a sun of earth to pursue thee, and to seek thy life, yet shall the life of my lord be bound up in the bundle of the living, with Yahweh thy God, but, as for the life of thine enemies, he shall sling it out with the middle of the hollow of the sling. And it shall be, when Yahweh shall do for my lord, according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, - and shall put thee in charge as leader over Israel, then shall this not become to thee a staggering and stumbling of heart, unto my lord - that thou didst either shed blood without need, or that the hand of my lord saved himself. And, when Yahweh hath dealt well with my lord, then remember thou thy handmaid. Then said David unto Abigail, - Blessed, be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who hath sent thee this day, to meet me; and, blessed, be thy discreet judgment, and, blessed, be thou thyself, - who hast kept me, this day, from coming in with bloodshed, and from saving myself, with mine own hand. Nevertheless, by the life of Yahweh, God of Israel, who hath restrained me from harming, thee, surely, except thou hadst hastened and come to meet me, there had not been left unto Nabal, by the light of the morning, so much as a little boy. So David received at her hand, that which she had brought him, - and, unto herself, he said - Go up, in peace, unto thy house, see! I have hearkened unto thy voice, and accepted thy person. And, when Abigail came unto Nabal, lo! he, had a banquet in his house, like the banquet of a king, and, the heart of Nabal, was glad accordingly, he having drunk deeply, - so she told him nothing - less or more, until the light of the morning. And it came to pass, in the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, and his wife told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became like a stone. And it came to pass, in about ten days, that Yahweh smote Nabal, that he died. And, when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said - Blessed, be Yahweh, who hath maintained the plea of my reproach, at the hand of Nabal, and hath restrained, his servant, from wrong, yea, the wrong of Nabal, hath Yahweh turned back on his own head. Then sent David, and spake with Abigail, to take her to himself wife. And the servants of David came unto Abigail the Carmelitess, - and spake unto her, saying, David, hath sent us unto thee, to take thee to himself to wife. And she arose, and bowed herself down with her face to the earth, - and said - Lo! thy handmaid, as serving-woman to bathe the feet of the servants of my lord.
And Mary said - Lo! the handmaid of the Lord! Might it come to pass unto me, according to thy declaration. And the messenger departed from her.
Because he hath looked upon the humbling of his handmaid; for lo! from the present time, all the generations, will pronounce me happy.