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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Isaiah 7

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  • From: Yigal Levin <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>
  • To: b-hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Isaiah 7
  • Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2007 18:55:24 +0300

Dear James,

This is where we disagree. I, for one, don't know how to know if a prophet has the ability to predict salvation. If it's belief we're discussing (which it should not be), then my belief is that the prophets that were accepted into the canon were included because their words were relevant for future generations. But if it's the actual literary context that we're talking about, then the "sign" is not that the woman, whoever she was, was pregnant. The sign was that by the time the yet unborn child could tell right from wrong, Aram and Israel would be gone. Now that's not a sign that would be recognized right away. Isaiah's message was "keep faith, things will work out for the better - eventually".

Yigal Levin

BTW, note that we're no longer discussing virginity, but the meaning of the "sign" in Isaiah 7: 7-17. Now that's very close to the edge, but I think that we can allow it as long as participants stick to the literary and linguistic issues and do not begin to debate messianic issues.




----- Original Message ----- From: "JAMES CHRISTIAN READ" <JCR128 AT student.anglia.ac.uk>

I agree that the prophecy is in connection with an act
of salvation. And I agree that the girls pregnancy was
a sign that this salvation would be coming quickly.

However, any speculation about who the woman was is
exactly that, pure speculation.

The context talks about a sign. We usually believe a
prophets ability to predict salvation if he can also
predict another event. Isaiah's ability to predict a
'alma' getting pregnant out of the blue proved his
ability to predict the salvation which would quickly
follow.

The sign would have no meaning if it were merely 'some
random woman who is already married will get pregnant'
to which you can imagine the sarcastic reaction of
critics would be 'Wow! Fancy that! A married woman
getting pregnant? Never before have I heard of such a
miraculous sign. You truly are god's spokesman Isaiah.
I can't believe I doubted you for a minute.'


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