Many Christian missionaries frequently quote Isaiah 7:14 as a so-called messianic prophecy:
“Behold, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: A virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
This verse is commonly cited to support the Christian doctrine of the virgin birth, claiming that Jesus uniquely fulfilled it. They argue that the name Immanuel, meaning “God is with us”, confirms Jesus’ divine nature.
But does Isaiah 7:14 really predict a miraculous birth? And does it refer to the Messiah at all?
Let’s take a careful look—within context, language, and the Jewish understanding of scripture.
The Gospel Narrative and Its Internal Contradictions
According to Matthew 1:18–25, Mary becomes pregnant by the Holy Spirit before having marital relations with Joseph.
“Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:18, NASB)
Joseph initially plans to divorce her quietly but is stopped by an angel, who explains:
“Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife… for the Child… is of the Holy Spirit… to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they shall name Him Immanuel.’” (Matthew 1:20–23)
Yet this claim raises a serious problem. If the prophecy in Isaiah were truly so clear and central, why did Joseph, a descendant of David, not recognize it? His reaction—planning to separate from Mary—implies he saw no connection to any messianic prophecy. This strongly suggests that no one in that time period interpreted Isaiah 7:14 as a prophecy of a virgin birth.
Historical Context of Isaiah 7
Isaiah 7 is not a standalone oracle—it is part of a narrative during a time of military crisis.
Israel was divided into two kingdoms:
- Judah, in the south, ruled by King Ahaz, with its capital in Jerusalem.
- Israel, in the north, ruled by King Pekah, with its capital in Samaria.
North of both was Aram (Syria), ruled by King Rezin, based in Damascus. These two northern kings formed an alliance against Judah to overthrow Ahaz.
God sends the prophet Isaiah, along with his son, to deliver this message:
“Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted because of these two stubs of smoldering firebrands…” (Isaiah 7:4)
Isaiah assures Ahaz that their plot will fail. He adds:
“Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken, so that it is no longer a people.” (Isaiah 7:8)
God then offers Ahaz a sign of reassurance. Ahaz refuses, so Isaiah declares:
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: behold, the young woman (הָעַלְמָה ha-almah) will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)
The Word “Almah” – What It Really Means
The word “almah” (עַלְמָה) does not mean “virgin.” It means a young woman of marriageable age. If Isaiah had intended to speak of a virgin, the precise term would have been “betulah” (בְּתוּלָה), which refers to virginity:
“Now the young woman was very beautiful, a virgin (בְּתוּלָה), and no man had had relations with her.” (Genesis 24:16)
Later, when Eliezer retells the story, he says:
“Let it be that the young woman (הָעַלְמָה) to whom I say…” (Genesis 24:43)
Eliezer calls her almah because he knew she was young, but not her sexual status.
The word almah appears in several other key places where it clearly does not mean virgin:
- Proverbs 30:18–20 compares the “way of a man with an almah” to that of an adulterous woman who wipes her mouth and says, “I have done no wrong.” This implies physical intimacy without leaving evidence, which is inconsistent with virginity and directly linked to almah.
- Song of Songs 6:8 describes: “There are sixty queens, and eighty concubines, and young women (עֲלָמוֹת alamot) without number.”
These alamot are clearly not virgins if grouped among concubines. - 1 Samuel 17:56 describes David as a youth using the masculine form: “Inquire whose son the young man (הָעֶלֶם ha-alem) is.”
Just as alem means “young man” and not “virgin man,” almah simply means “young woman.”
The Greek Mistranslation and the Septuagint Issue
Missionaries often cite the Septuagint (LXX) translation, where almah is rendered as parthenos (παρθένος), typically translated “virgin.” However:
- In Genesis 34:3, parthenos is used for Dinah, who had just been raped: “And he was deeply attracted to Dinah… and loved the young woman (παρθένος).”
- According to Jewish sources like Talmud Megillah 9a and the Letter of Aristeas, the Septuagint produced by the 70 elders only translated the Torah, not Isaiah or other prophetic books.
- Today’s LXX versions are based on later Christian manuscripts and do not reflect the original Jewish translation. Even Christian scholars recognize this. The Zondervan Septuagint acknowledges: “The Pentateuch is the best executed part, while Isaiah is the worst.”
Thus, missionary reliance on parthenos in Isaiah 7:14 is misplaced and flawed.
What Is the Real Sign? A Natural Birth
The Hebrew words used in Isaiah 7:14—“harah” (conceived) and “yoledet” (will give birth)—are used throughout the Tanakh to describe natural births:
“And the man knew Eve his wife, and she conceived (וַתַּהַר) and gave birth (וַתֵּלֶד) to Cain.” (Genesis 4:1)
Nothing in the text implies a supernatural event.
Furthermore, a sign meant to reassure King Ahaz about a present military threat would be pointless if its fulfillment were delayed 700 years. The sign had to be immediate and relevant.
The Fulfillment: Isaiah’s Own Son
In Isaiah 8:3–4, the sign is fulfilled:
“So I approached the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. Then the Lord said to me: ‘Name him Maher-shalal-hash-baz… for before the boy knows how to cry out “my father” or “my mother,” the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away.’”
This child is Isaiah’s son, born in that generation. In Isaiah 8:18, the prophet declares:
“Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel.”
This explicitly confirms that Isaiah’s children—including the one from 7:14—were living, natural signs to the people of that time.
What About the Name “Immanuel”?
The name Immanuel (עִמָּנוּ אֵל) means “God is with us”, but it does not mean that the child is divine. Biblical names often include references to God:
- Daniel – “God is my judge”
- Elijah – “My God is YHWH”
- Hezekiah – “God strengthens”
Isaiah reaffirms the meaning:
“Devise a plan, but it will fail… for God is with us (עִמָּנוּ אֵל).” (Isaiah 8:10)
This was a message of divine protection, not incarnation.
The Virgin Birth Is a Pagan Inheritance
The idea of a virgin birth is not unique to Christianity. Greco-Roman myths long before Jesus included figures like Tammuz, Attis, and Mithras, who were born of virgins. As James Frazer documents in The Golden Bough, these stories were widespread. Christianity adopted this motif from pagan culture, not from Jewish tradition.
Final Thoughts
Isaiah 7:14 is not a messianic prophecy. It refers to:
- A natural birth during the reign of Ahaz,
- A specific young woman, not a virgin,
- A child who served as a sign of divine protection during a military crisis.
The word “Messiah” does not appear in this chapter, and nothing in Isaiah 7–8 points to a future redeemer or divine incarnation.
“This is yet another example of the fundamental difference between Christianity and Judaism.”
The Jewish approach—especially for those of us in the rationalist tradition—is rooted in the text itself, the Hebrew language, and the historical setting. Isaiah 7:14 cannot be used as evidence for a virgin birth or Jesus’ messiahship without twisting the meaning far beyond its original context.
A Jewish Change 