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[[File:RebeccaAtTheWell Giovanni.jpg|thumb|[[Laban (Bible)|Laban]] and [[Rebecca]] at the well, by [[Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini]]. Rebecca is described as an ''almah'' ([[Book of Genesis|Genesis]] 24:43)]] |
[[File:RebeccaAtTheWell Giovanni.jpg|thumb|[[Laban (Bible)|Laban]] and [[Rebecca]] at the well, by [[Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini]]. Rebecca is described as an ''almah'' ([[Book of Genesis|Genesis]] 24:43)]] |
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'''''Almah''''' ({{Script/Hebrew|עַלְמָה}} ''‘almāh'', plural: {{Script/Hebrew|עֲלָמוֹת}} ''‘ălāmōṯ'', from a root implying the vigour of puberty {{sfn|Childs|2001|p=66}}) is a [[Biblical Hebrew language|Hebrew]] word for |
'''''Almah''''' ({{Script/Hebrew|עַלְמָה}} ''‘almāh'', plural: {{Script/Hebrew|עֲלָמוֹת}} ''‘ălāmōṯ'', from a root implying the vigour of puberty {{sfn|Childs|2001|p=66}}) is a [[Biblical Hebrew language|Hebrew]] word for virgin. Claims to the contrary literally assert that Isiah 7:14 should be translated as follows: Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: a young woman of child-bearing age will conceive and give birth to a son..." Think about that for a moment. The miraculous sign was something that literally happens every day. This is NOT a serious claim. |
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== Etymology and social context == |
== Etymology and social context == |
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''Almah'' derives from a root meaning "to be full of vigour, to have reached puberty".{{sfn|Childs|2001|p=66}} 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).{{sfn|Leeb|2002|p=unspecified}} Scholars thus agree that ''almah'' refers to a woman of childbearing age without implying virginity.{{sfn|Sweeney|1996|p=161}} From the same root, the corresponding masculine word ''elem'' עֶלֶם 'young man' also appears in the Bible,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Strong's Hebrew: 5958. עָ֫לֶם (elem) -- a young man|url=https://biblehub.com/hebrew/5958.htm|access-date=2020-08-01|website=biblehub.com}}</ref> as does ''alum'' (used in plural עֲלוּמִים) used in the sense '(vigor of) adolescence',<ref>{{Cite web|title=Strong's Hebrew: 5934. עֲלוּם (alumim) -- youth, youthful vigor|url=https://biblehub.com/hebrew/5934.htm|access-date=2020-08-01|website=biblehub.com}}</ref> in addition to the post-Biblical words ''almut'' (עַלְמוּת) and ''alimut'' (עֲלִימוּת)<ref>Even-Shoshan Dictionary, entries עַלְמוּת and עֲלִימוּת</ref> 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'<ref>{{Cite web|title=Klein Dictionary, אלם ᴵᴵᴵ 1|url=https://www.sefaria.org/Klein_Dictionary,_אלם_ᴵᴵᴵ.1|access-date=2020-08-02|website=www.sefaria.org}}</ref>). |
''Almah'' derives from a root meaning "to be full of vigour, to have reached puberty".{{sfn|Childs|2001|p=66}} 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).{{sfn|Leeb|2002|p=unspecified}} Scholars thus agree that ''almah'' refers to a woman of childbearing age without implying virginity.{{sfn|Sweeney|1996|p=161}} From the same root, the corresponding masculine word ''elem'' עֶלֶם 'young man' also appears in the Bible,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Strong's Hebrew: 5958. עָ֫לֶם (elem) -- a young man|url=https://biblehub.com/hebrew/5958.htm|access-date=2020-08-01|website=biblehub.com}}</ref> as does ''alum'' (used in plural עֲלוּמִים) used in the sense '(vigor of) adolescence',<ref>{{Cite web|title=Strong's Hebrew: 5934. עֲלוּם (alumim) -- youth, youthful vigor|url=https://biblehub.com/hebrew/5934.htm|access-date=2020-08-01|website=biblehub.com}}</ref> in addition to the post-Biblical words ''almut'' (עַלְמוּת) and ''alimut'' (עֲלִימוּת)<ref>Even-Shoshan Dictionary, entries עַלְמוּת and עֲלִימוּת</ref> 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'<ref>{{Cite web|title=Klein Dictionary, אלם ᴵᴵᴵ 1|url=https://www.sefaria.org/Klein_Dictionary,_אלם_ᴵᴵᴵ.1|access-date=2020-08-02|website=www.sefaria.org}}</ref>). |
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When the Bible uses an unrelated word, ''betulah'' (בְּתוּלָה), to refer to a young woman, it goes on to clarify whether or not she is a virgin. For example, Joel 1:8 refers to a betulah who is also a widow; obviously, widows aren't virgins. The claim to the contrary is NOT a serious claim. |
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The Bible uses an unrelated word, ''betulah'' (בְּתוּלָה), to refer to a virgin,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Strong's Hebrew: 1330. בְּתוּלָה (bethulah) -- a virgin|url=https://biblehub.com/hebrew/1330.htm|access-date=2020-08-02|website=biblehub.com}}</ref> as well as the idea of virginity, ''betulim'' (בְּתוּלִים).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Strong's Hebrew: 1331. בְּתוּלִים (bethulim) -- virginity|url=https://biblehub.com/hebrew/1331.htm|access-date=2020-08-02|website=biblehub.com}}</ref> |
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== Bible usage == |
== Bible usage == |
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The word ''almah'' occurs nine times in the Hebrew Bible:{{sfn|Byrne|2009|p=155}} |
The word ''almah'' occurs nine times in the Hebrew Bible:{{sfn|Byrne|2009|p=155}} |
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*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''. |
*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''. It is absurd and anachronistic to claim that Abraham was indifferent to his future daughter-in-law's sexual history. |
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*[[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). |
*[[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). |
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*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". |
*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". |
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*The verses surrounding [[Isaiah 7:14]] tell how [[Ahaz]], the king of [[Kingdom of Judah|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.{{sfn|Preuss|2008|p=461}} |
*The verses surrounding [[Isaiah 7:14]] tell how [[Ahaz]], the king of [[Kingdom of Judah|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.{{sfn|Preuss|2008|p=461}}. Again, to claim that "almah" means "young woman of child-bearing age" would be absurd in context because a young woman of child-bearing age giving birth to a son is the antithesis of a miraculous sign. |
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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> Most scholars agree<ref>Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges |
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> Most scholars agree<ref>Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges |
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Obviously, Isiah 7:14 refers to a miraculous conception as a young woman of child-bearing age giving birth to a son would be a regular occurrence, rather than a sign. |
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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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== References == |
== References == |
Revision as of 16:28, 28 December 2020
Almah (עַלְמָה ‘almāh, plural: עֲלָמוֹת ‘ălāmōṯ, from a root implying the vigour of puberty [1]) is a Hebrew word for virgin. Claims to the contrary literally assert that Isiah 7:14 should be translated as follows: Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: a young woman of child-bearing age will conceive and give birth to a son..." Think about that for a moment. The miraculous sign was something that literally happens every day. This is NOT a serious claim.
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).[2] Scholars thus agree that almah refers to a woman of childbearing age without implying virginity.[3] From the same root, the corresponding masculine word elem עֶלֶם 'young man' also appears in the Bible,[4] as does alum (used in plural עֲלוּמִים) used in the sense '(vigor of) adolescence',[5] in addition to the post-Biblical words almut (עַלְמוּת) and alimut (עֲלִימוּת)[6] 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'[7]).
When the Bible uses an unrelated word, betulah (בְּתוּלָה), to refer to a young woman, it goes on to clarify whether or not she is a virgin. For example, Joel 1:8 refers to a betulah who is also a widow; obviously, widows aren't virgins. The claim to the contrary is NOT a serious claim.
Bible usage
The word almah occurs nine times in the Hebrew Bible:[8]
- 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. It is absurd and anachronistic to claim that Abraham was indifferent to his future daughter-in-law's sexual history.
- 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.[9]. Again, to claim that "almah" means "young woman of child-bearing age" would be absurd in context because a young woman of child-bearing age giving birth to a son is the antithesis of a miraculous sign.
Translation
The Septuagint translates most occurrences of almah into a generic word neanis νεᾶνις meaning 'young woman',[10][11] or to neotes νεότης meaning 'youth',[12] both words being derived from neos 'new' and unrelated to virginity.[13] Two occurrences, in the Genesis verse concerning Rebecca[14] and in Isaiah 7:14, are translated into parthenos (παρθένος),[15] 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.[16] Most scholars agree<ref>Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Obviously, Isiah 7:14 refers to a miraculous conception as a young woman of child-bearing age giving birth to a son would be a regular occurrence, rather than a sign.
References
- ^ a b Childs 2001, p. 66.
- ^ Leeb 2002, p. unspecified.
- ^ Sweeney 1996, p. 161.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Byrne 2009, p. 155.
- ^ 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.
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}}
: Invalid|ref=harv
(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)