Analysis of Isaiah 7:14: The Virgin Birth Controversy
📌 The core debate centers on Isaiah 7:14, specifically the Hebrew word 'Alma', with anti-missionaries claiming it only means "young woman," not "virgin," thus invalidating the New Testament's use regarding Mary.
👩‍🏫 The New Testament (Matthew 1 and Luke 1) clearly interprets the passage as referring to the supernatural virgin pregnancy of Mary, Jesus's mother.
📜 Two main anti-missionary arguments are addressed: the mistranslation of 'Alma' (claiming 'Betulah' should have been used) and the claim that the prophecy was ripped out of context, needing fulfillment during Ahaz's time (related to the defeat of Samaria and Iran).

Linguistic Examination of Hebrew Terms
📌 The word 'Betulah' appears over 50 times in Biblical Hebrew and clearly signifies a woman who has not known a man (virgin), as seen in Exodus 22:16.
🤔 The word 'Alma' is used rarely (about 9 times) and its meaning is not always explicit (used in unclear psalm superscriptions), but in every clear case (e.g., Rebecca in Genesis 24:43, Miriam), it refers to a young woman who is a virgin.
⚖️ Scholars like Rico and Gentry argue that 'Alma' specifically denotes a woman who is both young and a virgin, distinct from 'Betulah', which applies to any virgin regardless of age.

Contextual Interpretation of Isaiah and Messianic Prophecies
📌 Isaiah 54:4-5 serves as a key textual commentary, defining the "shame of your youth being an 'Alma'" as the shame of a woman without children because she has not yet been taken by a husband (a 'Ba'al'), contrasting this with the shame of a widow ('Almanah').
🏛️ The argument that Isaiah 7:14 cannot be Messianic because the context mentions the Assyrian threat (Ahaz's time) is refuted by citing other agreed-upon Messianic prophecies, such as Isaiah 11, which are also situated within the Assyrian context (Isaiah 10).
📜 Jewish commentators, including Rashi and the Talmud (Sanhedrin 93b), interpret Isaiah 11 as Messianic despite its Assyrian context, indicating that historical enemies like Assyria can serve as types for eschatological enemies in prophetic projection.

Key Points & Insights
➡️ The textual evidence strongly supports that 'Alma' in its clear usages refers to a young, unmarried virgin woman, confirming the Gospel writers' understanding.
➡️ Claims that the prophecy was out of context due to Assyria are inconsistent, as other accepted Messianic passages (like Isaiah 11) share the same immediate historical context.
➡️ Scripture itself provides the best commentary; Isaiah 54 defines 'Alma' contextually as a woman whose shame stems from never having been married or known by a husband.
➡️ Believers can trust the interpretation provided by the New Testament writers regarding the Hebrew Scriptures, as their understanding aligns with deep internal textual analysis and historical Jewish interpretation of other prophecies.

📸 Video summarized with SummaryTube.com on Jan 02, 2026, 05:21 UTC