Chizuk Emunah Under the Microscope: Chapter 21

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

 In Chapter 21, Troki disputes whether this verse is about a virgin, or about a young woman.

The word is עַלְמָה Strong's H5959, and is referenced exactly seven times in the Bible.

behold, I am standing by the spring of water. Let the virgin who comes out to draw water, to whom I shall say, “Please give me a little water from your jar to drink,” (Genesis 24:43)

 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go." So the girl went and called the child's mother. (Exodus 2:8)

 the singers in front, the musicians last, between them virgins playing tambourines: (Psalm 68:25)

 the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a virgin. (Proverbs 30:19)

your anointing oils are fragrant; your name is oil poured out; therefore virgins love you. (Song of Songs 1:3)

 There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and virgins without number. (Song of Songs 6:8)

These are the six other verses. The word is quite rare, and refers to a young woman of marriageable age. Song of Songs 6:8 contrasts virgins with the king's concubines.

There is an objection that Proverbs 30:19 speaks of a woman who is not a virgin. After all, an eagle in the sky, a serpent on a rock, and a ship on the high seas leave no trace. In fact, the next verse states "This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, 'I have done no wrong'"

The problem with this line of reasoning is that the interpretation is forced. The way of an adulteress does leave a trace, but she then erases the evidence. The other three have other things in common as well. They are about things that travel. Are we then to suggest the way of a man with a virgin is supposed to be about travel as well?

The commentaries on the verse that I have read state that these things are amazing to him. The eagle is amazing because it is this massive creature that can fly higher than the other birds, and even pick up large prey while in flight. The serpent on a rock is amazing because it's amazing that a creature with no arms or legs can move, especially with no dirt to push off of. The ship is amazing because it is larger than any land vehicle, and yet it floats on water.

Just as amazing to the author of the proverbs, is the night where the new husband consummates the marriage, breaking the woman's virginity.

R. Laird Harris pulls no punches

"There is no instance where it can be proved that 'almâ designates a young woman who is not a virgin. The fact of virginity is obvious in Gen 24:43 where 'almâ is used of one who was being sought as a bride for Isaac." (R. Laird Harris, et al. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, p. 672.)

The question is then asked: why not use בְּתוּלָה which is the legal term for virgin? That word is Strong's H1330. It occurs 50 times in the Tanakh. The problem is that it does not always mean virgin.

Consider Joel 1:8 "Lament like a virgin wearing sackcloth for the bridegroom of her youth." The word for "bridegroom" is בַּעַל which in this context means "husband." The problem with translating בְּתוּלָה as "one who has never copulated" is that a man cannot be her בַּעַל until after consummation.

The other issue is that בְּתוּלָה can be used in both the masculine and feminine sense.

Fire devoured their young men, and their young women had no marriage song. (Psalm 78:63)

 Young men and maidens together, old men and children! (Psalm 148:12)

 Be ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea has spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying: "I have neither labored nor given birth, I have neither reared young men nor brought up young women." (Isaiah 23:4)

 with you I break in pieces man and woman; with you I break in pieces the old man and the youth; with you I break in pieces the young man and the young woman; (Jeremiah 51:22)

"The LORD is in the right, for I have rebelled against his word; but hear, all you peoples, and see my suffering; my young women and my young men have gone into captivity. (Lamentations 1:8)

Women are raped in Zion, young women in the towns of Judah. (Lamentations 5:11)

The contrast in Jeremiah is particularly telling. It contrasts the old man and the old woman to the young man and young woman. Virginity is not consistent with the context here. Lamentations 5 states young women as being raped, so it is questionable whether virginity is the context here as well.

I think Troki is right in that the common sense meaning of the verse does not describe Jesus. Troki writes:

Had it been the purpose of inspired writ to announce, as the Christians maintain, the advent of Jesus, how could Ahaz be concerned in a sign that could only be realized many centuries after his death, or how could any promise cheer his heart that was not to be fulfilled in his own days?

This is the issue with New Testament prooftexting. The authors are not making the case that the one and only meaning of these passages is Jesus. That would have made announcements like Isaiah's announcement unintelligible for his immediate audience.

The problem with interpreting this as Isaiah's son is that in 8:8, Immanuel is said to be the owner of the land. As Rabbi David Kimchi (a.k.a. The Redak) stated "this cannot apply to the son of Isaiah."

 So the language may apply to immediate purposes, but it is a bit too strong to think that it is meant only for that. A birth from an ordinary woman who was not a virgin is hardly a sign. It happens all the time. Only a virginal conception would be a sign in the highest and fullest sense of the word.