"almah" עַלְמָ֗ה is a Hebrew word for “young woman" or "virgin.” There is much controversy over the translation of this word as “virgin.” Hebrew scholar Michael L. Brown has pointed out that a young maiden in Isaiah’s time was expected to be a virgin. Another Hebrew word, “betulah” בְּתוּלָ֕ה (used in Genesis 24:16) more properly means “virgin” but can also mean “young woman” or “maiden.”
Many Jews point out that
the context of the verse seems to show this as being a sign given to Ahaz, King
of Judah, who lived centuries before Jesus. (Ahaz was a descendent of the line
of David, as was Jesus). They also say the prophecy cannot refer to Jesus
because He was not named Immanuel.
Professor Brown answers
that Ahaz was addressed in two verses in the plural. (The divine right of kings
or were two persons being addressed?).
Brown sees this as “a promise to the house of David as a whole” and says
that “the birth of Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz seems to take the place of the
Immanuel prophecy in terms of the immediate historical context.”
The “virgin” translation
was used in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures which
was in use during New Testament times.
The Greek word used here is “parthenos” ( “παρθένος” ; “virgin”). The Septuagint was translated hundreds
of years before Jesus was born and was quoted by Matthew.
That not all Jews object
to the translation of “almah” as “virgin” is shown by a quotation from the
respected rabbi Rashi: :”And some interpret that this is the sign, that she was
a young girl and incapable of giving birth.” Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitschaki, 1040-1105) did not himself
believe that Isaiah predicted a virgin birth.
(A Jewish rabbi discusses
this question here.)
(A Christian response.)
It is true that Jesus was not literally named Immanuel (Eμμανουηλ), which in Greek means “God with us,” but this
is exactly what Christians believe about Jesus.
“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring
forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is,
God with us.” Matthew 1:23, KJV
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The Virgin Birth narratives occur in Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:26-38. Michael L. Brown is quoted from The Case for the Real Jesus (2007) by Lee Strobel.
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The Virgin Birth narratives occur in Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:26-38. Michael L. Brown is quoted from The Case for the Real Jesus (2007) by Lee Strobel.
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