The Biblical Argument for the Virgin Birth

So now we have another area of conflict. There are those who want to teach that the Hebrew word, almah, does not mean “virgin”, but “young woman” or “maid” when translated in Isaiah 7:14.

virgin: 5959

But what they fail to explain is how this would be used as a sign. A young woman giving birth to a child is not a sign because it happens all the time.

In other passages where the Hebrew word “almah” is used as virgin, it clearly means virgin, like in Genesis 24:43 when referring to Rebekah, but Isaiah 7:14 is the only verse that seems to attract the attention of those that want scrutinize the language. But the Greek word “Parthenos” used for virgin in Matthew 1:23 & Luke 1:27 clearly means a woman who has never had sexual intercourse with a man.

virgin: 3933

The Jewish scholars, who first translated the Torah into Koine Greek in the third century BC, when translating the Hebrew word “almah”, used the same Greek word “Parthenos” in Isaiah 7:14 that was used in Matthew 1:23, which clearly indicates a woman who has never had sexual intercourse with a man. So clearly the Jewish scholars who translated the Septuagint recognized that the correct translation of the Hebrew word “almah” to mean a woman who has never had sexual intercourse with a man. Matthew and Luke were quoting directly from the Septuagint when writing their Gospels.

The only other Hebrew word used for virgin, bĕthuwlah, is also translated as maid seven times, and maiden five times in scripture. And when bĕthuwlah was used for virgin in Genesis 24:16, the words “neither had any man known her” had to be added in order to reiterate her virginity. In Joel 1:8, bĕthuwlah refers to a widow grieving for her husband. Those who deny the virgin birth claim that if Isaiah 7:14 were speaking of a woman who never had sexual intercourse, it would have used bĕthuwlah instead of almah. But if bĕthuwlah were used in Isaiah 7:14 instead of almah, then those who would want to deny the virgin birth would simply apply the other definitions of the word bĕthuwlah instead of virgin.

virgin: 1330

Before I go on, if this sounds too confusing, I’m going to break it down and simplify it. There are two Hebrew words, and one Greek word that we should learn when it comes to being familiar with this argument.

-         The first Hebrew word is “almah” H5959. It means virgin. It is translated as virgin four times, but it is also translated as maid two times and damsel one time. Each time it is used as maid and damsel, it can still mean virgin.

-         The second Hebrew word is “bĕthuwlah” H1330. It means virgin. It is translated as virgin thirty-eight times, but it is also translated as maid seven times, and maiden five times in scripture. And when bĕthuwlah was used for virgin in Genesis 24:16, the words “neither had any man known her” had to be added in order to reiterate her virginity. In Joel 1:8, bĕthuwlah refers to a widow grieving for her husband.

-         The Greek word is “Parthenos” G3933. There is no other definition to the Greek word Parthenos except for virgin. It is always used a woman who has never had sexual intercourse with a man, except for when it mentions a man that has never had sexual intercourse with a woman. (Revelation 14:4)

Some of the adversaries to the virgin birth have even attacked the scholarship of Matthew and Luke for using the Greek word Parthenos when referring to the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 because Parthenos truly means virgin, but that was the exact word chosen by the Jewish scholars who translated the Septuagint from the Hebrew language to the Koine Greek, three centuries before the birth of Christ, which means that every Jew at the time who studied scripture knew that the Messiah was going to be brought into the world by a virgin birth.

The difference between almah and bĕthuwlah, the two Hebrew words that are used for virgin, is that “almah” is used for a virgin that is mature and ready for marriage, and “bĕthuwlah” is used for a virgin living with her parents or not betrothed, or pledged to be married. In the case of Joel 1:8, bĕthuwlah refers to a widow grieving for her husband, so a grieving widow would not be someone considered to be betrothed or pledged to be married.

There is one more Hebrew word, na`arah, which is used as damsel, maid, maiden, and young woman, but does not indicate weather the woman being spoken of is a virgin or not, so this word would not be used to describe a miraculous sign. It would be like saying “young woman” in the English language.

Is any thing too hard for the LORD? That is the question that is asked in Genesis 18:14.

How powerful is your God? The true and living God is omnipotent which means he is all powerful. So the question isn’t could He? But did He make a virgin conceive? The answer to that question is yes.

The prophecy of the miraculous birth in Isaiah 7:14 was the explanation of the mystery in Genesis 3:15. The Messiah will enter the world by the means of a virgin birth.