Translations
Argument: “Your first point is that the child was already born which is a point I do not grant. If we take the Chabad English translation as the inspired word of God then I have no ground to stand on but the original was written in Hebrew. Various versions translate the verse in different ways…”
RESPONSE: I honestly do appreciate the fact that you are testing your faith and testing what you are being taught. That takes a lot of strength. As I stated in another video, all I ask is for people to read and study and learn – even if that ultimately leads someone to stay in Christianity.
I do NOT take the Chabad translation as the “inspired word of God.” That is just a silly and disingenuous statement. I use Chabad because it has the Hebrew on the site as well as the translation. I don’t use it exclusively but I do use it for convenience.
Isaiah 7:14
I’m guessing the argument is based on the 1917 JPS translation which is completely different than the translation that I have from JPS (1999)
The 1999 translation reads: Assuredly, my Lord will give you a sign of His own accord! Look, the young woman is with child and about to give birth to a son. Let her name him Immanuel.
Translations are pitfalls for everyone so let’s look at the actual Hebrew (which is available on the Chabad site – that’s why I use it)
Isaiah 7:14 (Chabad): Therefore, the Lord, of His own, shall give you a sign; behold, the young woman is with child, and she shall bear a son, and she shall call his name Immanuel.
What is a sign?
First, what is a sign? A sign is something that must be able to be seen or otherwise able to be sensed with our human senses (like a stop sign).
Therefore, the sign in this passage cannot possibly be the ‘virginity’ of the woman because virginity cannot be seen (outside of a medical context which is not even full proof).
Also, what is the actual sign that is referenced in this chapter of Isaiah?
The actual sign is in the very next two verses!
Isaiah 7:15-16 (Chabad): Cream and honey he [Immanuel] shall eat when he knows to reject bad and choose good. For, when the lad does not yet know to reject bad and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread, shall be abandoned.
Alma
Second, the word ‘alma’ is used to refer to the woman. Alma means young woman. The Hebrew word ‘betulah’ would be used if a ‘virgin’ was meant in this passage.
Genesis 24:43 (Chabad): Behold, I am standing by the water fountain. When a maiden [ha-almah] comes out to draw [water], I will say to her, ‘Please, give me a little water to drink from your pitcher.’
Genesis 24:43 (1917 JPS): …behold, I stand by the fountain of water; and let it come to pass, that the maiden that cometh forth to draw, to whom I shall say: Give me, I pray thee, a little water from thy pitcher to drink;…
Genesis 24:43 (NIV): See, I am standing beside this spring. If a young woman comes out to draw water and I say to her, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar,”
Exodus 2:8 (Chabad): Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go!” So the girl [ha-almah] went and called the child’s mother.
Exodus 2:8 (1917 JPS): And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her: ‘Go.’ And the maiden went and called the child’s mother.
Exodus 2:8 (NIV): “Yes, go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother.
Proverbs 30:19 (Chabad): The way of the eagle in the heavens, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship in the heart of the sea, and the way of a man with a young woman [ha-almah].
Proverbs 30:19 (1917 JPS): The way of an eagle in the air; The way of a serpent upon a rock; The way of a ship in the midst of the sea; And the way of a man with a young woman.
Proverbs 30:19 (NIV): … the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a young woman.
Psalms 68:26 (Chabad): Singers went first, minstrels afterwards, in the midst of maidens [ha-almot – pl.] playing timbrels.
Psalms 68:26 (1917 JPS): The singers go before, the minstrels follow after, In the midst of damsels playing upon timbrels.
Psalms 68:25 (NIV): In front are the singers, after them the musicians; with them are the young women playing the timbrels.
Song of Songs 1:3 (Chabad): Because of the fragrance of your goodly oils, your name is ‘oil poured forth.’ Therefore, the maidens [ha-almot – pl.] loved you.
Song of Solomon 1:3 (1917 JPS): Thine ointments have a goodly fragrance; Thy name is as ointment poured forth; Therefore do the maidens love thee.
Song of Songs 1:3 (NIV): Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume poured out. No wonder the young women love you!
Song of Songs 6:8 (Chabad): There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and innumerable maidens [ha-almot – pl.].
Song of Solomon 6:8 (1917 JPS): There are threescore queens, And fourscore concubines, And maidens without number.
Song of Songs 6:8 (NIV): Sixty queens there may be, and eighty concubines, and virgins beyond number;
In addition, notice that in Isaiah there is a definitive article “THE” which means that a SPECIFIC woman (there at the time of the prophecy) was being referenced.
Harah
Third, the Hebrew word ‘harah’ is translated as ‘conceived’ or ‘shall bear a child’ in this passage. Even in the translations that use the future tense, it is understood that it will occur imminently – not hundreds of years in the future.
This gets into Hebrew grammatical territory so I’ll try to be concise and as non-technical as I am able to.
The term ‘harah’ is used 12 times in the Tanach. When this Hebrew word is used in reference to a female, the Hebrew ‘harah’ is an adjective that describes the noun of the sentence. The relevant verb is the PRESENT tense of the verb ‘li’h’yot’ – to be.
Exodus 21:22 (Chabad): And should men quarrel and hit a pregnant woman [harah], and she miscarries but there is no fatality, he shall surely be punished, when the woman’s husband makes demands of him, and he shall give [restitution] according to the judges’ [orders].
Exodus 21:22 (1917 JPS): And if men strive together, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart, and yet no harm follow, he shall be surely fined, according as the woman’s husband shall lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.
Exodus 21:22 (NIV): “If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows.
Judges 13:5,7 (Chabad): Because you shall conceive [harah], and bear a son; and a razor shall not come upon his head, for a Nazirite to God shall the lad be from the womb; and he will begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.” … And he said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive [harah] and bear a son; and now do not drink wine and strong drink, and do not eat any unclean (thing), for a Nazirite to God shall the lad be, from the womb until the day of his death.’ “
[Note, this was about an imminent pregnancy – just like the 1917 JPS translation of Isaiah 7.]
Judges 13:5,7 (1917 JPS): For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come upon his head; for the child shall be a Nazirite unto God from the womb; and he shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.’ … but he said unto me: Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing; for the child shall be a Nazirite unto God from the womb to the day of his death.’
Judges 13:5,7 (NIV): You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.” … But he said to me, ‘You will become pregnant and have a son. Now then, drink no wine or other fermented drink and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite of God from the womb until the day of his death.’”
Jeremiah 31:7 (Chabad): Behold I bring them from the north country and gather them from the uttermost ends of the earth, the blind and the lame amongst them, the woman with child and she who travails with child [harah] all together; a great company shall they return there.
Jeremiah 31:8 (1917 JPS): Behold, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the uttermost parts of the earth, And with them the blind and the lame, The woman with child and her that travaileth with child together; A great company shall they return hither.
Jeremiah 31:8 (NIV): See, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the ends of the earth. Among them will be the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labor; a great throng will return.
Amos 1:13 (Chabad): So said the Lord: For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, yea for four, I will not return them: Because they ripped up the pregnant women [harot – pl.] of Gilead, in order to enlarge their border.
Amos 1:13 (1917 JPS): Thus saith the LORD: For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, yea, for four, I will not reverse it: because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border.
Amos 1:13 (NIV): This is what the Lord says: “For three sins of Ammon, even for four, I will not relent. Because he ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders,…
Qara
Fourth, the Hebrew verb ‘qara’ means to call or announce and appears 738 times in the Tanach. In Isaiah 7 it is the conjugated second-person, singular feminine tense. Due to the vav at the beginning of the verb, it defaults to meaning “shall call.”
Genesis 16:11 (Chabad): And the angel of the Lord said to her, “Behold, you will conceive and bear a son, and you shall name him [v’qarat] Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your affliction.
Genesis 16:11 (1917 JPS): And the angel of the LORD said unto her: ‘Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son; and thou shalt call his name Ishmael, because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
Genesis 16:11 (NIV): The angel of the Lord also said to her: “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery.
Isaiah 60:18 (Chabad): Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, neither robbery nor destruction within your borders, and you shall call [v’qarat] salvation your walls and your gates praise.
Isaiah 60:18 (1917 JPS): Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, Desolation nor destruction within thy borders; But thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, And thy gates Praise.
Isaiah 60:18 (NIV): No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.
Immanuel
Lastly, the name Immanuel appears only twice in the Tanach – both times in Isaiah. It also appears as a two-word phrase in Isaiah. Immanuel means “God is with us.”
Isaiah 8:10 (Chabad): Take counsel and it will be foiled; speak a word and it will not succeed, for God is with us [immanu el].
Isaiah 8:10 (1917 JPS): Take counsel together, and it shall be brought to nought; Speak the word, and it shall not stand; For God is with us.
Isaiah 8:10 (NIV): Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us.