The noun hā’almâ has motivated scholars,
students, and popular writers alike to produce pages of script; some, however,
made only a brief statement, expressing a preference or an opinion. The
translators of the Septuagint chose the Greek noun Parthenos, which has
the specific meaning of “virgin” (A, Symmachys, and Theodotian read Gk. neanis,
“young woman,” which can refer to a virgin or a young married woman). Matthew,
the Evangelist, translates the passage, via the Septuagint, as Greek parthenos,
“virgin.” A second and more common noun (bētûlâ), usually rendered “virgin,”
can also designate a betrothed or married young woman who has “known,” that is,
had had intimate sexual relationships with a man. If all Old Testament passages
with Hebrew alma are examined—both in the singular: Rebeka (Gen. 24:32
[NIV maiden; RSV young woman; KJV virgin], also bētûlâ 24:16 [RSV
maiden; KJV, NIV virgin]) and Miriam (Exod. 2:8 [NIV, NRSV girl]), and in the expression
of the way of a man with a maiden (Prov. 30:19), and in the plural (Ps. 68:25 [MT
26]; Song of Sol. 1:3 [NIV, RSV maidens]; 6:8 [1 Chron. 15:20; Ps. 46:1 (‘alāmôt,
suggested to be related to alma, is of uncertain meaning, possibly a
musical term, so NIV mg.])—one must conclude that alma points primarily
to a virgin like Rebekah or Miriam or to virgins, possibly to married young
female singers, though there is no concrete evidence of this claim.
Much discussion has taken place on the
use and meaning of the Ugaritic term ǵlmt located in a few of the Rash
Shamra documents. The weight of evidence is in favor of the term meaning “virgin,”
‘galmatu resembling alma. Some scholars have argued that the context
does not provide conclusive evidence, while others consider the evidence to
support the meaning of virgin.
A view of the materials available to students
and scholars alike, and briefly summarized above, leads to the sure conclusion
that on the basis of the use of the term in both Hebrew and Ugaritic, the
Hebrew term ‘almâ must be translated “virgin.” The Septuagint gives full
support to this and the New Testament’s testimony (Matt. 1:23) gives the final
word. Isaiah said and meant virgin (cf. KJV, NIV, RSV mg.).
One more factor must be mentioned.
Isaiah uses a definite article hā’almâ, the virgin. This means
that he speaks of a woman who was well known to both him and Ahaz. It has been
suggested that the generic use of the definite articles is to be preferred; it
could then be used to differentiate between females—those who had intimately
known a male and those who had not. The general use of the definite article and
the context here, of giving a confirmatory sign, support the preference for the
view that Isaiah spoke of a specific unmarried woman. Hārâ has the
meaning of being pregnant; normally it refers to one who had had sexual relations
with a man and has conceived but has not yet given birth to a child. This is
the obvious meaning of the term in Genesis 16:11: hinnāk hārâ “behold
(you are) pregnant,” and this is followed by the same verb and its form as in
the Isaianic passage,” and you shall bear.” The question not be considered is:
As in the case of Hagar who was already pregnant, because Abraham had “slept”
with her (NIV), must we also consider Isaiah to be speaking of the virgin who
is already pregnant and will give birth?
The predicate hārâ points
either to “he” (masc.) or to a verbal adjective; the text does not contain the
pronoun she (fem.), hārātâ as one would expect. Should the
feminine participle hôrâ be used, the word could be interpreted to
express the act or condition without reference to time altogether. Edward J.
Young has interpreted the term as “is pregnant” but added that the messianic interpretation
has encouraged the use of the future tense, and then, significantly, he
admitted that the Hebrew could possibly bear the meaning of “will become
pregnant.” It is obvious that Matthew understood the term to have a future reference
(Matt. 1:23). If the term is to be understood to have a future reference in the
context of Isaiah speaking to Ahaz, the phrase could be translated as follows:
See this: the virgin, now not pregnant, or even married, but, nevertheless (as
a sign to you) in the not too distant future, pregnant, and in due time giving
birth to a sin. (Gerard Van Groningen, Messianic Revelation in the Old
Testament, 2 vols. [Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1990 repr.,
Eugene, Oreg.: Wipf and Stock, 1997], 2:529-31)