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  • From: "JAMES CHRISTIAN READ" <JCR128 AT student.anglia.ac.uk>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] virginity
  • Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2007 21:28:03 +0100

Hi Tony,

as you can see from other posts I completely agree with
your notions on 'alma' demonstrably not being an equal
of English 'virgin'.

However, when I read this:

TONY WROTE
Yes, and I could cite many more. The question is does PARQENOS always
mean "virgin" and the answer is no. If it means "virgin" in Isa. vii
14 (LXX) prove that please without Matthew.
END QUOTE

I went away and read the English NWT rendition:

NWT Isaiah 7:13-16:
And he proceeded to say: “Listen, please, O house of David. Is it such a
little thing for YOU to tire out men, that YOU should also tire out my God?
14 Therefore Jehovah himself will give YOU men a sign: Look! The maiden
herself will actually become pregnant, and she is giving birth to a son, and
she will certainly call his name Im·man´u·el. 15 Butter and honey he will
eat by the time that he knows how to reject the bad and choose the good. 16
For before the boy will know how to reject the bad and choose the good, the
ground of whose two kings you are feeling a sickening dread will be left
entirely.
END QUOTE

And I have to say I am left a little speechless. I think
it's just one of those things. You either see it or
you don't see it. And won't I don't see is a nation of
educated adults saying in amazement 'Praised be YHWH,
I've never seen a young woman get pregnant and have a
kid that eats butter and honey before!!!'.

At this point you really have to ask yourself what is
so amazing about what is being described in the text.
Is it amazing to be called Immanuel?
Is it amazing to eat honey and butter as a child?
Is it all that amazing for a young (unmarried) woman to
get pregnant? (it certainly isn't in my (current) home
county Herts/Essex)
Or is it amazing that a woman who hasn't had sex yet
can get pregnant?

We are, of course, all free to decide which of the aspects
conveyed are amazing. The combination of them all is
amazing to me. But far more amazing that all of them
is the aspect of a virgin girl getting pregnant without
aid of a man. You either see it or
you don't see it. And won't I don't see is a nation of
educated adults saying in amazement 'Praised be YHWH,
I've never seen a young woman get pregnant and have a
kid that eats butter and honey before!!!'.

At this point you really have to ask yourself what is
so amazing about what is being described in the text.
Is it amazing to be called Immanuel?
Is it amazing to eat honey and butter as a child?
Is it all that amazing for a young (unmarried) woman to
get pregnant? (it certainly isn't in my (current) home
county Herts/Essex)
Or is it amazing that a woman wh





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