Biblical Hebrew Forum

["JAMES CHRISTIAN READ" <JCR128 AT student.anglia.ac.uk>]

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