Is the "virgin" in Isaiah 7:14 a mistranslation of "young woman"? ISAIAH 7:14—ALMAH: VIRGIN OR YOUNG WOMAN? Canonical Text “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) The Hebrew Lexeme ‘almah • ‘Almah occurs seven times in the Hebrew Bible (Genesis 24:43; Exodus 2:8; Psalm 68:25; Proverbs 30:19; Songs 1:3; 6:8; Isaiah 7:14). • In every context the noun denotes a sexually mature female who has not yet borne children; no occurrence demonstrably refers to a married or sexually experienced woman. • Genesis 24:43 equates Rebekah as ‘almah with the explicitly virginal “woman who has not had relations with a man” (24:16). • Ugaritic cognate ʿlmṯ likewise marks youthful virginity (KTU 1.23.16). • The definite article in ha‘almah (“the ‘almah”) identifies a specific, noteworthy individual, not merely any young woman. ‘Almah versus betulah • Betulah most often means “virgin,” yet Joel 1:8 and Deuteronomy 22:19 show betulah may describe a married woman; semantic overlap, not categorical division, exists. • The argument that Isaiah would have used betulah if strict virginity were intended fails because: – Moses in Genesis 24:16 employs betulah then immediately clarifies “no man had known her,” implying betulah alone was not unequivocal. – ‘Almah never requires such clarification and is never used of a non-virgin. Septuagint Evidence (c. 3rd–2nd cent. BC) • Jewish translators render ha‘almah with Greek parthenos, the standard term for “virgin.” • LXX predates Christian usage; therefore the choice cannot be a Christian interpolation. • Parthenos in classical and Koine usage connotes virginity (e.g., Homer, Herodotus, Matthew 1:23). Dead Sea Scrolls and Masoretic Stability • 1QIsaʾa (Great Isaiah Scroll, 2nd cent. BC) reads identical consonants, ʿlmh. • No DSS variant, Samaritan tradition, or Masoretic margin suggests an alternative lexeme. • The textual tradition is unanimous; debate centers on meaning, not manuscript. Contextual Demand for a Supernatural Sign • Isaiah 7:11 invites King Ahaz to request a sign “as deep as Sheol or as high as heaven.” A merely natural conception offers no miraculous confirmation. • The immediate child of Isaiah 8:3 (“I went to the prophetess, and she conceived”) is clearly distinguished; thus 7:14 anticipates a greater, future fulfillment. New Testament Reception • Matthew cites LXX verbatim: “ἰδοὺ ἡ παρθένος” (Matthew 1:23). • Luke corroborates a virginal conception, explicitly recording Mary’s question, “How will this be, since I have not been with a man?” (Luke 1:34). • The earliest Christian confessions (1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Philippians 2:6-11) presuppose miraculous incarnation, aligning with Isaiah’s prophecy. Early Jewish and Patristic Witness • 2nd-century BCE Jewish work “Wisdom of Solomon” (cf. 7:5) assumes messianic expectation of an extraordinary birth. • Church Fathers Justin Martyr (Dialogue 43), Irenaeus (Adv. Haer. 3.21.4), and Augustine (City 17.3) uniformly interpret Isaiah 7:14 as virgin conception, citing both Hebrew and Greek texts. • Jewish scholar Rashi (11th cent.) still admits messianic reference though he rejects Jesus as fulfillment, evidencing continuity of interpretive tradition. Linguistic Usage Outside Scripture • Akkadian cognate almattu appears in Nuzi tablets for a nubile yet unmarried girl. • Egyptian loanword ’almnt in Aramaic papyri (5th cent. BC) designates a virgin dancer in sacred procession, reinforcing cultic purity connotation. Archaeological & Historical Corroboration • Qeiyafa ostracon (10th cent. BC) employs root ʿlm for young unmarried female in military‐protective formula, confirming contemporaneous semantics. • First-century inscription at Caesarea Maritima quotes Isaiah 7:14 in Greek, using parthenos; its synagogue context attests pre-Christian Jewish expectation. Philosophical and Theological Significance • A supernatural birth coheres with the larger redemptive narrative: Genesis 3:15’s “seed of the woman,” miraculous births of Isaac, Samson, Samuel as typological foreshadows, culminating in the incarnate Immanuel (“God with us,” Isaiah 8:10). • The unique conception authenticates Jesus’ divine identity and sinless humanity, essential for substitutionary atonement (2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15). Answer to the Objection • Lexical evidence demonstrates ‘almah naturally conveys virginity; semantic objections rest on modern linguistic projection, not ancient usage. • Septuagint translators—unconstrained by Christian doctrine—chose parthenos, confirming contemporaneous Jewish understanding. • Manuscript tradition is unanimous; no textual grounds exist for “young woman” in lieu of “virgin.” • Context demands an extraordinary sign, fulfilled historically in the virgin conception of Jesus of Nazareth. Therefore, “virgin” in Isaiah 7:14 is not a mistranslation but the most accurate rendering of ha‘almah within its linguistic, textual, historical, and theological setting. |
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