Now when it is said, The Lord himself shall give you a sign, this must be something new
and amazing. But if, as the Jews think, a young woman or a girl gives birth,
and not a virgin, what kind of sign would it be, since this is a term
of age, not of integrity? And indeed, let us fight toe to toe with the Jews,
and in our tug-of-war let us offer them no occasion for laughter at our
ignorance.43 In Hebrew, a virgin is called bethula. This word is not used in the present passage, but instead alma is recorded, which everyone except
the Septuagint translated as “young girl.” Moreover, among them alma is an ambiguous word, for it is
used both of “young girl” and of one who is “hidden,” that is αποκρυφος. This is why even in
the heading of the ninth Psalm, where in Hebrew almanoth is recorded, the other translators rendered it, “for the
youth,” which the Septuagint translated, “for the hidden things” [cf. Ps 9:1].
And we read in Genesis, where Rebecca is called alma [cf. Gen 24:16, 43], that Aquila translated it neither as
“young girl” nor “girl,” but “hidden.” The Shunammite woman too who had lost
her son, when she prostrated herself at Elisha’s feet and Gehazi thrust her
away, heard from the prophet, “Dismiss her, for she is in grief, and the Lord
has hidden from me” [2 Kgs 4:27]. What is said in Latin as, “has hidden from
me,” is written in Hebrew as, eelim
memmenni. Therefore alma is said
not only of a “girl” or a “virgin,” but has an extension (cum επιτασει) of a “hidden” and
“secret” virgin, who has never been exposed to the sight of men, but who has
been guarded by her parents with great diligence. In the Punic language too,
which is derived from Hebrew sources, alma
is said of a virgin proper. And that we might offer an occasion for laughter to
the Jews, in our speech too alma
means “holy.” The Hebrews use words from nearly all languages; for example,
there is that word in the Song of Songs [cf. Song 3:9] from Greek, φοριον, that is, the “litter
Solomon made for himself,” which we read thus also in the Hebrew. In the same
manner and with the same meanings, the Hebrews also use the words nonsense50 and measure. And the more I struggle to
remember, the more I think that I have never read alma used in reference to a married woman, but in reference to one
who is a virgin. Consequently, she is not only a virgin, but a virgin of
younger age and in the years of her youth. For it can happen that a virgin is
old. But this virgin was in the years of her girlhood, or at least a virgin,
not a girl, and she was one who was not able to know a man yet, but was already
marriageable. Finally, even in Deuteronomy a virgin is understood by the term girl and young girl. It says,
If a man finds in the field a girl that is
betrothed, and overcoming her by force he sleeps with her, you will kill only
the man who lay with her, and you will do nothing to the girl; in the young
girl there is no sin [worthy] of death. For just as if someone rises up against
his neighbor and takes his life, so does this business come to pass. He found
her in the field; the betrothed girl cried out, and no one was found to help
her. [Deut 22:25–27]
And we read in the Book of Kings that they sought a
virgin girl by the name of Abishag and brought her in to the king, who slept
and kept him warm; and the girl was exceedingly beautiful and was serving him,
and the king did not know her [cf. 1 Kgs 1:1–4].
And what follows, And you shall call his name
Emmanuel, both the Septuagint and the three others have translated
similarly. In Matthew this is written as, “They
shall call” [cf. Matt 1:23], which is not found in the Hebrew. Therefore let
that child who will be born of a virgin, O house of David, now be called by you
Emmanuel, that is, God with us, since
by these facts you will prove that you have God present, having been delivered
from the two hostile kings [cf. Isa 7:1]. And let him who will later be called
Jesus, that is, Savior, in view of the fact that the whole human race will be
saved, now be called by you by the designation Emmanuel. The verb carathi,
which all have translated “you will call,” can be understood as “she will
call,” namely because the virgin herself, who will conceive and give birth,
will designate Christ by this name. One should pay very careful attention to
the fact that in many testimonies that the evangelists or apostles have adopted
from the old books, they did not follow the order of the words but the meaning.
This is why even in the present passage, in place of, she will conceive in the womb, Matthew recorded, “She will have in
the womb” [Matt 1:23]; and in place of, you
will call, “they will call.”
The Hebrews think this is prophesied about
Hezekiah son of Ahaz, because Samaria was captured when he was ruling. This
cannot be completely proven, if indeed Ahaz son of Jotham reigned over Judah
and Jerusalem for sixteen years [cf. 2 Kgs 16:1–2]. His son Hezekiah succeeded
him in the kingdom at the age of twenty-five years and reigned over Judah and
Jerusalem for twenty-nine [cf. 2 Kgs 18:1–2]. How then, granting that this
prophecy was made to Ahaz in his first year, is there talk of the conception
and birth of Hezekiah, when at that time when Ahaz began to reign, Hezekiah was
already nine years old, unless perchance they say that the sixth year of
Hezekiah’s rule [cf. 2 Kgs 18:10] when Samaria was captured was called his
infancy not in terms of his age but of his rule? It is plain even to fools that
this is a forced and violent interpretation.
Some of our own contend that Isaiah the
prophet had two sons, Jashub and Emmanuel; and Emmanuel was born from his wife,
a prophetess [cf. Isa 8:3], as a type of the Lord and Savior, so that the first
son Jashub [cf. Isa 7:3], which means “abandoned” or “turning,” signifies the
Jewish people, who were abandoned, and afterward will return; but the second,
that is Emmanuel and God with us, [signifies] the calling of the Gentiles,
after “the Word became flesh and dwelled among us” [John 1:14]. (St. Jerome's
Commentary on Isaiah: Including St. Jerome's Translation of Origen's Homilies
1-9 on Isaiah [trans. Thomas P. Scheck; Ancient Christian Writers 68;
Mahwah, N.J.: The Newman Press, 2015], 169-71)
