Prophecy 16 of 30 · Birth
The almah will bear a son: Immanuel
A sign to the house of David: the almah will conceive and bear a son, called Immanuel, "God with us".
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Hebrew · Leningrad Codexעִבְרִית
14לָ֠כֵן יִתֵּ֨ן אֲדֹנָ֥י ה֛וּא לָכֶ֖ם א֑וֹת הִנֵּ֣ה הָעַלְמָ֗ה הָרָה֙ וְיֹלֶ֣דֶת בֵּ֔ן וְקָרָ֥את שְׁמ֖וֹ עִמָּ֥נוּ אֵֽל׃lakhen yitten adonay hu lakhem ot hinne ha'alma hara veyoledet ben vekarat shemo immanu el
JPS 1917 · Jewish translation
14Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: behold, the young woman shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
World Messianic Bible
14Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14. Transliteration simplified. Read the whole chapter
Fulfilment · New CovenantWMB
Matthew 1:22-23 Now all this has happened that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall give birth to a son. They shall call his name Immanuel,” which is, being interpreted, “God with us.”
How rabbinic tradition reads it
Almah means a young woman; betulah is the usual word for virgin. Rashi and others read the sign as a child born in King Ahaz's day (perhaps Hezekiah or Isaiah's son).
Why Messianic Jews read it as Yeshua
Almah is used of unmarried young women (Rebekah, Genesis 24:43; Miriam, Exodus 2:8), and the Jewish translators of the Septuagint, two centuries before Jesus, chose parthenos, "virgin". The sign is given to "the house of David", and chapters 8-9 continue with a child called "Mighty God".
Look at the text for yourself
Read Isaiah 7:14 slowly, in the Hebrew and the JPS translation above. Then ask the question the Ethiopian official asked: "Who is the prophet talking about?"
Sources
- Septuagint, Isaiah 7:14
- Rashi on Isaiah 7:14
- Genesis 24:43; Exodus 2:8
- Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), via OpenScriptures. English: JPS 1917; World Messianic Bible (public domain).
