Question
In Isaiah 7:14, it says that “a virgin” will give birth to a son. I‘m arguing with my friends and they say the word means nothing other than “young” in the old Hebrew. Is that true? They also say that my translation comes from some misunderstanding based on the Latin translation of the Greek translation of the verse. Can you please help me with the Greek word if possible?
Answer
The word, in the original Hebrew of Isaiah, is “almah” which means “a young woman.” The same word is used in Proverbs 30:19 where it cannot be translated as virgin. The Greek translation used the word, “parthenos” which led to the Christian translation as “virgin”; but that is a mistake.