reintroduced well-sourced content deleted by Achar Sva, while reorganizing so that it concerns all instances of the word Almah in general, not only the Isaiah 7:14 occurence. All occurences are listed so it makes complete sense to mention the translation of those occurrences, it's part of the point of the article as mentioned in the introduction Tags: nowiki added Visual edit |
72.80.139.114 (talk) Corrects citation, which actually says the opposite of what's been claimed. Tag: Reverted |
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== Translation == |
== Translation == |
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The [[Septuagint]] translates most occurrences of ''almah'' into a generic word ''neanis'' νεᾶνις meaning 'young woman',<ref>{{Cite web|title=Strong's Greek: 3494. νεανίας (neanias) -- a young man|url=https://biblehub.com/greek/3494.htm|access-date=2020-08-02|website=biblehub.com}}</ref><ref>https://www.blueletterbible.org/lxx/sng/1/3/s_672003</ref> or to ''neotes νεότης'' meaning 'youth',<ref>https://www.blueletterbible.org/lxx/pro/30/19/s_658019</ref> both words being derived from ''neos'' 'new' and unrelated to virginity.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Greek Word Study Tool|url=http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=%CE%BD%CE%B5%CF%8C%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82&la=greek|access-date=2020-11-16|website=www.perseus.tufts.edu}}</ref> Two occurrences, in the Genesis verse concerning Rebecca<ref>https://www.blueletterbible.org/lxx/gen/24/1/t_conc_24043</ref> and in Isaiah 7:14, are translated into ''parthenos'' (παρθένος),<ref>https://www.blueletterbible.org/lxx/isa/7/1/t_conc_686014</ref> the basic word associated with virginity in Greek (it is a title of [[Athena Parthenos|Athena]] 'The Virgin Goddess') but still occasionally used by the Greeks for a unmarried woman who is not a virgin.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Greek Word Study Tool|url=http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%81%CE%B8%CE%B5%CE%BD%CE%BF%CF%82&la=greek#lexicon|access-date=2020-08-02|website=www.perseus.tufts.edu}}</ref> |
The [[Septuagint]] translates most occurrences of ''almah'' into a generic word ''neanis'' νεᾶνις meaning 'young woman',<ref>{{Cite web|title=Strong's Greek: 3494. νεανίας (neanias) -- a young man|url=https://biblehub.com/greek/3494.htm|access-date=2020-08-02|website=biblehub.com}}</ref><ref>https://www.blueletterbible.org/lxx/sng/1/3/s_672003</ref> or to ''neotes νεότης'' meaning 'youth',<ref>https://www.blueletterbible.org/lxx/pro/30/19/s_658019</ref> both words being derived from ''neos'' 'new' and unrelated to virginity.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Greek Word Study Tool|url=http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=%CE%BD%CE%B5%CF%8C%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82&la=greek|access-date=2020-11-16|website=www.perseus.tufts.edu}}</ref> Two occurrences, in the Genesis verse concerning Rebecca<ref>https://www.blueletterbible.org/lxx/gen/24/1/t_conc_24043</ref> and in Isaiah 7:14, are translated into ''parthenos'' (παρθένος),<ref>https://www.blueletterbible.org/lxx/isa/7/1/t_conc_686014</ref> the basic word associated with virginity in Greek (it is a title of [[Athena Parthenos|Athena]] 'The Virgin Goddess') but still occasionally used by the Greeks for a unmarried woman who is not a virgin.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Greek Word Study Tool|url=http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%81%CE%B8%CE%B5%CE%BD%CE%BF%CF%82&la=greek#lexicon|access-date=2020-08-02|website=www.perseus.tufts.edu}}</ref> According to the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges more fully cited below, most scholars agree agree<ref>Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges |
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https://biblehub.com/commentaries/isaiah/7-14.htm</ref> that the author of the Hebrew text of Isaiah 7:14 '''a young VIRGIN shall conceive and bear a son''<nowiki/>'. Furthermore, predicting that a woman of child-bearing age would have a son would be ludicrous in this context since the prophet was allegedly referring to an event so improbable that its occurrence would be sufficient to constitute a divine sign. If, as some allege, the prophet was referring to a woman of child-bearing age having a son, the meaning of the verse would be precisely the opposite, as it would necessarily imply that God did not intend to provide any sign that anyone would understand as a sign. To illustrate the point by analogy, no one prophesizes that the sun will rise in the East because no one would understand that event to constitute a divine sign; conversely, one might prophesies that this sun will rise in the West precisely because such an event would be sufficiently unusual so as to constitute a divine sign. Since this particular verse clearly references an unusual event that should be understood as a divine sign, this verse necessarily references a virgin birth (which would be miraculous), rather than an ordinary birth (which would be anything but divine). |
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https://biblehub.com/commentaries/isaiah/7-14.htm</ref> that the author of the Hebrew text of Isaiah 7:14 '''a young woman shall conceive and bear a son''<nowiki/>' did not intend to convey any miraculous conception, so that the Septuagint translators used the Greek word ''parthenos'' there, as in the Genesis occurrence concerning Rebecca, generically for an unmarried young woman, whose probable virginity (as unmarried young women were ideally seen at the time) was incidental. |
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Similarly, it's wildly improbable that Abraham would have directed his servant to seek-out a young non-virgin for his son to marry; thus, it's clear that the word "almah" refers to a virgin, rather than a young woman, since the verses that use the word "almah" would be ridiculous if the word merely implies the woman was young, rather than virginal. |
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== References == |
== References == |
Revision as of 06:04, 28 December 2020
Almah (עַלְמָה ‘almāh, plural: עֲלָמוֹת ‘ălāmōṯ, from a root implying the vigour of puberty [1]) is a Hebrew word for a young woman of childbearing age; despite its importance to the account of the virgin birth of Jesus in the gospel of Matthew, scholars agree that it has nothing to do with virginity.[2] It occurs nine times in the Hebrew Bible.[3]
Etymology and social context
Almah derives from a root meaning "to be full of vigour, to have reached puberty".[1] In the ancient Near East girls received value as potential wives and bearers of children: "A wife, who came into her husband's household as an outsider, contributed her labor and her fertility ... [h]er task was to build up the bet 'ab by bearing children, particularly sons" (Leeb, 2002).[4] Scholars thus agree that almah refers to a woman of childbearing age without implying virginity.[2] From the same root, the corresponding masculine word elem עֶלֶם 'young man' also appears in the Bible,[5] as does alum (used in plural עֲלוּמִים) used in the sense '(vigor of) adolescence',[6] in addition to the post-Biblical words almut (עַלְמוּת) and alimut (עֲלִימוּת)[7] both used for youthfulness and its strength (distinct from post-Biblical Alimut אַלִּימוּת 'violence' with initial Aleph, although Klein's Dictionary states this latter root is likely a semantic derivation of the former, from 'strength of youth' to 'violence'[8]).
The Bible uses an unrelated word, betulah (בְּתוּלָה), to refer to a virgin,[9] as well as the idea of virginity, betulim (בְּתוּלִים).[10]
Bible usage
The word almah occurs nine times in the Hebrew Bible:[3]
- A servant of Abraham tells his master how he met Rebecca. He prayed to the Lord that if an almah came to the well and he requested a drink of water from her, that should she then provide him with that drink and also water his camels; he would take that as a sign that she was to be the wife of Isaac. Rebecca, a young, unmarried girl, is that almah.
- Miriam, an almah, is entrusted to watch the baby Moses; she takes thoughtful action to reunite the baby with his mother by offering to bring the baby to a Hebrew nurse maid (her mother).
- In 1 Chronicles 15:20 and Psalm 46 heading a psalm is to be played "on alamot". The musical meaning of this phrase has become lost with time: it may mean a feminine manner of singing or playing, such as a girls' choir, or an instrument made in the city of "Alameth".
- In a victory parade in Psalm 68:25, the participants are listed in order of appearance: 1) the singers; 2) the musicians; and 3) the "alamot" playing cymbals or tambourines.
- The Song of Songs 1:3 contains a poetic chant of praise to a man, declaring that all the alamot adore him. In verse 6:8 a girl is favorably compared to 60 Queens (wives of the King), 80 Concubines, and numberless alamot.
- In Proverbs 30:19, concerning an adulterous wife, the Hebrew text and the Greek Septuagint differ: both begin by comparing the woman's acts to things the author claims are hard to predict: a bird flying in air, the movement of a snake over a rock, the path of a ship through the sea; but while the Hebrew concludes with the way of a man with an almah, the Greek reads "and the way of a man in his youth".
- The verses surrounding Isaiah 7:14 tell how Ahaz, the king of Judah, is told of a sign to be given in demonstration that the prophet's promise of God's protection from his enemies is a true one. The sign is that an almah is pregnant and will give birth to a son who will still be very young when these enemies will be destroyed.[11]
Translation
The Septuagint translates most occurrences of almah into a generic word neanis νεᾶνις meaning 'young woman',[12][13] or to neotes νεότης meaning 'youth',[14] both words being derived from neos 'new' and unrelated to virginity.[15] Two occurrences, in the Genesis verse concerning Rebecca[16] and in Isaiah 7:14, are translated into parthenos (παρθένος),[17] the basic word associated with virginity in Greek (it is a title of Athena 'The Virgin Goddess') but still occasionally used by the Greeks for a unmarried woman who is not a virgin.[18] According to the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges more fully cited below, most scholars agree agree[19] that the author of the Hebrew text of Isaiah 7:14 'a young VIRGIN shall conceive and bear a son'. Furthermore, predicting that a woman of child-bearing age would have a son would be ludicrous in this context since the prophet was allegedly referring to an event so improbable that its occurrence would be sufficient to constitute a divine sign. If, as some allege, the prophet was referring to a woman of child-bearing age having a son, the meaning of the verse would be precisely the opposite, as it would necessarily imply that God did not intend to provide any sign that anyone would understand as a sign. To illustrate the point by analogy, no one prophesizes that the sun will rise in the East because no one would understand that event to constitute a divine sign; conversely, one might prophesies that this sun will rise in the West precisely because such an event would be sufficiently unusual so as to constitute a divine sign. Since this particular verse clearly references an unusual event that should be understood as a divine sign, this verse necessarily references a virgin birth (which would be miraculous), rather than an ordinary birth (which would be anything but divine).
Similarly, it's wildly improbable that Abraham would have directed his servant to seek-out a young non-virgin for his son to marry; thus, it's clear that the word "almah" refers to a virgin, rather than a young woman, since the verses that use the word "almah" would be ridiculous if the word merely implies the woman was young, rather than virginal.
References
- ^ a b Childs 2001, p. 66.
- ^ a b Sweeney 1996, p. 161.
- ^ a b Byrne 2009, p. 155.
- ^ Leeb 2002, p. unspecified.
- ^ "Strong's Hebrew: 5958. עָ֫לֶם (elem) -- a young man". biblehub.com. Retrieved 2020-08-01.
- ^ "Strong's Hebrew: 5934. עֲלוּם (alumim) -- youth, youthful vigor". biblehub.com. Retrieved 2020-08-01.
- ^ Even-Shoshan Dictionary, entries עַלְמוּת and עֲלִימוּת
- ^ "Klein Dictionary, אלם ᴵᴵᴵ 1". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2020-08-02.
- ^ "Strong's Hebrew: 1330. בְּתוּלָה (bethulah) -- a virgin". biblehub.com. Retrieved 2020-08-02.
- ^ "Strong's Hebrew: 1331. בְּתוּלִים (bethulim) -- virginity". biblehub.com. Retrieved 2020-08-02.
- ^ Preuss 2008, p. 461.
- ^ "Strong's Greek: 3494. νεανίας (neanias) -- a young man". biblehub.com. Retrieved 2020-08-02.
- ^ https://www.blueletterbible.org/lxx/sng/1/3/s_672003
- ^ https://www.blueletterbible.org/lxx/pro/30/19/s_658019
- ^ "Greek Word Study Tool". www.perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
- ^ https://www.blueletterbible.org/lxx/gen/24/1/t_conc_24043
- ^ https://www.blueletterbible.org/lxx/isa/7/1/t_conc_686014
- ^ "Greek Word Study Tool". www.perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved 2020-08-02.
- ^ Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges https://biblehub.com/commentaries/isaiah/7-14.htm
Bibliography
- Byrne, Ryan (2009). "Anatomy of a Cargo Cult". In Byrne, Ryan; McNary-Zak, Bernadette (eds.). Resurrecting the Brother of Jesus: The James Ossuary Controversy and the Quest for Religious Relics. University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 9780807895498.
{{cite book}}
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(help) - Childs, Brevard S (2001). Isaiah. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664221430.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Gravett, Sandra L.; Bohmbach, Karla G.; Greifenhagen, F.V.; Polaski, Donald C. (2008). An Introduction to the Hebrew Bible: A Thematic Approach. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664230302.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Leeb, C.S. (2002). "The widow: homeless and post-menopausal". Biblical Theology Bulletin. 32 (4): 160–162. doi:10.1177/014610790203200403. S2CID 169057204. Archived from the original on 2013-01-03.
{{cite journal}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Preuss, Horst Dietrich (1974). "Isaiah". In Botterweck, Gerhard Johannes; Ringgren, Helmer (eds.). Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament. Vol. I. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802823250.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help) - Sweeney, Marvin A. (1996). Isaiah 1-39: With an Introduction to Prophetic Literature. William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co. ISBN 9780802841001.
{{cite book}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(help)