Was Jesus born of a virgin? Isaiah and Matthew reply.

Was Jesus born of a virgin?
Why Matthew applied Isaiah 7:14 to Jesus
Bible quotations from English Standard Version (2016)
Music by Natrix

Was Jesus born of a virgin? Atheists and scoffer say, No. But what do they know that they do not believe by faith?

Seriously, though, does the Bible really teach that Jesus was born of a virgin?

Scoffers frequently attack the Gospel of Matthew (1st century CE) for its citing of the Prophet Isaiah’s (8th century BCE) prediction of a child’s birth, as if his prediction were fulfilled by Jesus’ birth.

Here is what Isaiah had written:

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and shall call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

And here is what Matthew wrote:

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). Matthew 1:22-23

So what is the problem? Well, critics remain quick to point out several issues :

1. Isaiah’s prophecy applied to King Ahaz, not to events that would happen eight hundred years later.

2. Matthew, writing in Greek, called the woman a παρθένος (parthenos), which can mean ‘virgin’ whereas Isaiah, writing in Hebrew, had called her a עַלְמָה (‘almah), which means a young woman who has not yet borne a child.

3. Matthew did not cite the Hebrew text of Isaiah, but a faulty translation made in Greek about three centuries earlier.

4. Whereas Isaiah had said that the child would be called עִמָּנוּאֵל (‘Immanuel), which means ‘God with us,’ Jesus was actually called יְהוֹשׁוּעַ (Yehôshûa‘) in Hebrew or Ἰησοῦς (Iésous) in Greek.

Those scoffers’ very logical conclusion implies that Matthew was wrong about Isaiah and was wrong about Jesus:

1. Jesus was not born of a virgin.
2. Jesus was not God with us.

But wait, is there anything to be said in Matthew’s defense. Is there another legitimate way in which to understand Matthew’s use of Isaiah?

Please, consider the six following observation:

1. The Greek translation of the Book of Isaiah was made by Jews who knew very well both Hebrew and Greek, interpreting עַלְמָה (‘almah) to mean παρθένος (parthenos) in this context.

2. The word עַלְמָה (‘almah) can very well apply to a virgin, as in Genesis chapter 24 in the case of Rebekah who was a young woman (verse 14), a virgin (16) and a ‘almah (43).

3. In a royal household, young women were kept separated for a year before the king took them as a concubine or a wife, to ensure that they were not already pregnant. Song of Solomon 6:8 and Esther 2:14

4. Matthew did not say that Jesus’ virgin birth was the only fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, but that it was a fulfillment. Jews in those days appreciated such interpretations by analogy, and Matthew was writing for Jews.

5. Matthew had met Jesus’ mother Mary, and had learned from her how Jesus was conceived while she was still a virgin.

6. That Jesus is God incarnate in a sinless man is a truth learned from other Scripture, apart from Isaiah 7:14.

Thus, the parallels between the events of Isaiah’s prophecy and the events of Jesus’ birth can prove quite striking:

1. Both births were predicted by a messenger from God.
2. Both children received their name by revelation.
3. Both names teach about the God who is with us.
4. Both children were associated with blessing for the nation.
5. Both mothers were virgins when married.
6. Both husbands were descendants of King David.
7. Both accounts are recorded in holy Scripture.

Conclusion

Far from being an ignorant blunder, Matthew’s citing of Isaiah’s prophecy underscores how the God of the Bible reveals his will for every generation to find eternal life through faith in his promises.

[RoseSharon]

Matthew was not even the author of the book.