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HOUSMAIL HM081 22
September 2001 BEHOLD A VIRGIN
SHALL CONCEIVE Matthew
quotes from Isaiah 7:14 to
point us to Isaiah's 700-year-old prophecy as being fulfilled by the miraculous
conception and virgin birth of Jesus. Bible
critics have often challenged this, by claiming Matthew got it wrong! They say
that the Hebrew word used by Isaiah (almah) does not mean «virgin»
but merely «a young woman», who may not necessarily be a virgin. It is
further claimed that if Isaiah had really meant to say «virgin», he
would have used the Hebrew word «Bethulah» which
does always mean «virgin». Where
then does the truth lie in the selective uses of «Almah» and Bethulah»? Can there be any doubt about what Isaiah intended
to say? 1. There
is no doubt at all that when Matthew quotes Isaiah in Greek
he uses the word parthenos which is never used
to mean anything else but « virgin». 2. There
is equally no doubt that when the Septuagint Greek translation was
made, the word used in Isaiah 7:14, was «parthenos». The Jews who
translated the LXX meant to say «virgin» -- not something else. 3. In
Genesis 24:14 Abraham's
servant prays for God to identify the «damsel» (Heb. «naarah»)
who will become Isaac’s wife. But in the same chapter in verse 43, the word used to describe
this «damsel» when referring to the very same prayer, is "virgin" ("almah").
And, given the importance which the Old Testament gives to virginity in selection
of a wife, there should be no doubt at all, that Abraham's servant had nothing
less than a true virgin in mind, when asking God's help to choose
a wife for Isaac. 4. Add
to this the fact that, although we cannot argue positively from absence,
there is no Old Testament occurrence of the word "almah",
where it can be shown that this word designates a young woman who is NOT
a virgin. (See footnote) Allon Footnote Young's Analytical Concordance says that the word "Almah"
is used only 7 times, as follows: virgin 4,
Genesis 24:43; Song of
Solomon 1:3, Song of Solomon 6:8, Isaiah 7:14. maid 2, Exodus 2:8; Proverbs 30:19. damsels 1;
Psalm 68:25. PS. There is still more to discuss about what
Isaiah meant to say to the King in his own time. That can wait till another time. |