But while discussing the suggestion that “virgin” may be
changed to “young woman,” we are bound to affirm its utter inadmissibility from
a philological point of view. The word (almah) translated “virgin” in the
passage quoted from Isaiah, is never
translated “young woman,” and never used in any sense other than that of an
unmarried female. This may be seen by reference to the only places of its
occurrence, which are Gen. 24:43; Ex. 2:8; Ps. 68:25; Prov. 30:19; Cant. 1:3;
6:8; Isaiah 7:14. The word most frequently used for virgin (bethoolah) Gen. 24:16, is not the one
used in Is. 7:14. The word translated “young woman” (nagara)—(Ruth 4:12, ) is most frequently rendered “maiden” and
“damsel,” and it is probably this fact that has suggested the attempt to get
rid of Is 7:14, as a proof of Christ’s miraculous conception, by the assertion
that “young woman” (married or unmarried) is interchangable with the “virgin”
of the passage in question. The suggestion is entirely false. The word means a
young virgin female in the absolute sense; and we can only eliminate this idea
from the passage by deleting almah the word, and substituting nagara; and even then, the unscrupulous
critic who would dare upon such a liberty, would not be much assisted in his
designs, for even the substituted word would more naturally bear the
construction of “virgin” than “young woman.” (Robert Roberts, “The ‘Divine
Sonship of Christ,’” The Christadelphian 26, no. 301 [July 1, 1889]:
342)
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