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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> |
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Obviously, Isiah 7:14 refers to a miraculous conception |
Obviously, Isiah 7:14 refers to a miraculous conception because 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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== References == |
== References == |
Revision as of 16:29, 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]
Obviously, Isiah 7:14 refers to a miraculous conception because 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.
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(help) - Childs, Brevard S (2001). Isaiah. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664221430.
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(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.
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(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.
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(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)