m Reverted edits by 72.80.139.114 (talk) to last version by SkiMaskA Tag: Rollback |
72.80.139.114 (talk) Editors lying about the citations, which actually state the opposite. Tag: Reverted |
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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 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.{{sfn|Sweeney|1996|p=161}} It occurs nine times in the Hebrew Bible.{{sfn|Byrne|2009|p=155}} |
'''''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 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.{{sfn|Sweeney|1996|p=161}} It occurs nine times in the Hebrew Bible. {{sfn|Byrne|2009|p=155}} Please note that this citation, like all the citations in this article, actually says the opposite, but Wikipedia's editors count on you being too lazy to double-check their work, so go with it. Hopefully, you'll cite this somewhere and make a fool of yourself. Try explaining to people why you think a young healthy woman becoming pregnant via intercourse constitutes a "miracle," as this article insists, and you'll have loads of fun at parties. |
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According to this article, Isiah 7:14 should be translated as follows: "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: a young healthy woman of child-bearing age will conceive (through sexual intercourse) and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." According to this article, this is the ONLY plausible translation of the verse because divine signs must take the form of everyday occurrences. According to this article, generations of Jewish, Christian and Muslim scholars mistranslated this verse for no particular reason because the only plausible translation is that the prophet was predicting God would send a divine sign in the form of an everyday occurrence. Presumably, the next divine sign was that someone would be hungry or that someone else would fall asleep. Again, you should not doubt this translation because random Wikipedia editors are infallible. |
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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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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> |
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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When the Bible refers to a betulah, it adds that she has not known any men because the Bible assumes you wouldn't know what a virgin is unless it defined the term. Again, you can't doubt that betualah means virgin because random Wikipedia editors told you that's what it means. |
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== Bible usage == |
== Bible usage == |
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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. |
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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Most scholars believe this, but none of the scholars cited here believe this - we're just counting on you being too lazy to check the cites, which actually translate the word as "virgin." Such silliness is why Wikipedia is a joke. |
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== References == |
== References == |
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{{reflist|2}} |
{{reflist|2}} |
Revision as of 01:55, 29 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] Please note that this citation, like all the citations in this article, actually says the opposite, but Wikipedia's editors count on you being too lazy to double-check their work, so go with it. Hopefully, you'll cite this somewhere and make a fool of yourself. Try explaining to people why you think a young healthy woman becoming pregnant via intercourse constitutes a "miracle," as this article insists, and you'll have loads of fun at parties.
According to this article, Isiah 7:14 should be translated as follows: "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: a young healthy woman of child-bearing age will conceive (through sexual intercourse) and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." According to this article, this is the ONLY plausible translation of the verse because divine signs must take the form of everyday occurrences. According to this article, generations of Jewish, Christian and Muslim scholars mistranslated this verse for no particular reason because the only plausible translation is that the prophet was predicting God would send a divine sign in the form of an everyday occurrence. Presumably, the next divine sign was that someone would be hungry or that someone else would fall asleep. Again, you should not doubt this translation because random Wikipedia editors are infallible.
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].
When the Bible refers to a betulah, it adds that she has not known any men because the Bible assumes you wouldn't know what a virgin is unless it defined the term. Again, you can't doubt that betualah means virgin because random Wikipedia editors told you that's what it means.
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] Most scholars agree[19] that the author of the Hebrew text of Isaiah 7:14 'a young woman shall conceive and bear a son' 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.
Most scholars believe this, but none of the scholars cited here believe this - we're just counting on you being too lazy to check the cites, which actually translate the word as "virgin." Such silliness is why Wikipedia is a joke.
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}}
: 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)