1Now in the days that Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, Rezin king of Aram marched up to wage war against Jerusalem. He was accompanied by Pekah son of Remaliah the king of Israel, but he could not overpower the city.
2When it was reported to the house of David that Aram was in league with Ephraim, the hearts of Ahaz and his people trembled like trees in the forest shaken by the wind.
3Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out with your son Shear-jashub to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct that feeds the upper pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field,
4and say to him: Calm down and be quiet. Do not be afraid or disheartened over these two smoldering stubs of firewood—over the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah.
5For Aram, along with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has plotted your ruin, saying:
6‘Let us invade Judah, terrorize it, and divide it among ourselves. Then we can install the son of Tabeal over it as king.’
7But this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘It will not arise; it will not happen.
8For the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered as a people.
9The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you do not stand firm in your faith, then you will not stand at all.’”
10Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying,
11“Ask for a sign from the LORD your God, whether from the depths of Sheol or the heights of heaven.”
12But Ahaz replied, “I will not ask; I will not test the LORD.”
13Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God as well?
14Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.
15By the time He knows enough to reject evil and choose good, He will be eating curds and honey.
16For before the boy knows enough to reject evil and choose good, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.
17The LORD will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since the day Ephraim separated from Judah—He will bring the king of Assyria.”
18On that day the LORD will whistle to the flies at the farthest streams of the Nile and to the bees in the land of Assyria.
19And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines and clefts of the rocks, in all the thornbushes and watering holes.
20On that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates—the king of Assyria—to shave your head and the hair of your legs, and to remove your beard as well.
21On that day a man will raise a young cow and two sheep,
22and from the abundance of milk they give, he will eat curds; for all who remain in the land will eat curds and honey.
23And on that day, in every place that had a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels of silver, only briers and thorns will be found.
24Men will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers and thorns.
25For fear of the briers and thorns, you will no longer traverse the hills once tilled by the hoe; they will become places for oxen to graze and sheep to trample.
Isaiah 7 Verse Notes
Isa 7:10
Prophetic Authorization Signs
Prophets performed signs to validate their divine authority and confirm the truth of their messages. Examples include Moses' staff turning into a snake or his hand becoming leprous, and Elijah calling down fire from heaven. Isaiah's prophecy of a child's birth also served as a sign to assure the king of military success, demonstrating that these acts were meant to authorize the prophet's words.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Why Were the Hebrew Prophets So Weird? · watch the clip
Isa 7:14
Trypho's objection to the Septuagint's 'virgin' in Isaiah 7:14
Fredriksen says that positing the pre-incarnate Christ as the God of Jewish revelation opened the whole Septuagint to Justin as a repository of types and symbols that, read correctly, prophesied Jesus' virgin birth, crucifixion and resurrection. Trypho objects to the Septuagint's well-known blunder in rendering the young girl of the Hebrew of Isaiah 7:14 as a virgin in Greek, and points out that pagans told similar stories about Perseus' birth from the virgin Danae. Justin strikes back that Trypho's objection calls the authority of the Septuagint translation into question, and that the virgin birth was given as a sign, which birth from a young girl would hardly fit.
Summarized by AI · Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years · Lecture 7: Jews and Heretics | Justin Martyr and Israel · watch the clip
Messiah born of a virgin
The prophecy that a virgin would conceive and bear a son, whose name would be 'God is with us,' was understood by early Christians as a prediction of the Messiah. This led to the belief in Jesus' virgin birth as a fulfillment of scripture.
Summarized by AI · Earliest Christian Heresies · Lecture 4: The Ebionites · watch the clip
Prophecy or Memory: Why Both Gospels Put Jesus' Birth in Bethlehem
Asked where the two birth narratives came from, Ehrman says neither evangelist copied the other or invented Bethlehem independently; over the fifty years before the gospels, people who knew the prophets' passage about a Messiah from Bethlehem, and who read Isaiah 7:14 as a virgin birth, told stories that Jesus must have been born there, and Matthew and Luke preserve two versions. Akin counters that if you do not credit the narratives there is no evidence for a first-century Jewish expectation of a Bethlehem Messiah apart from Matthew and John, and Luke never cites the prophecy, so a historical memory of the birth more likely drove Luke to the census and Matthew to Micah 5:2. Ehrman replies that Matthew's five problematic fulfillment citations in chapters 1 and 2, such as Herod's slaughter and the Nazarene prophecy, show his motive, that not naming prophecies is simply Luke's style, and that a real Bethlehem birth would not have produced two contradictory, implausible accounts.
Summarized by AI · Face to Face on the Bible: The Birth of Jesus · Was Jesus Really Born in Bethlehem? Bart Ehrman and Jimmy Akin · watch the clip
Matthew's Virgin Birth as Prophecy Fulfillment
Matthew presents Jesus' virgin birth as a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, specifically quoting Isaiah 7:14. This aligns with Matthew's broader theme of showing Jesus constantly fulfilling Jewish scriptures, including his birth in Bethlehem and the flight to Egypt.
Summarized by AI · Jesus the (Actual) Son of Joseph: Evidence from the New Testament Itself · Lecture 1: The Human Father of Jesus · watch the clip
Matthew's Use of Old Testament Prophecy
Matthew frequently states that events in Jesus' birth narrative fulfill Old Testament prophecies, such as 'out of Egypt have I called my son' (Hosea 11:1) and 'a virgin shall conceive and bear a son' (Isaiah 7:14). However, these passages were not originally understood by Jews as messianic predictions. Matthew reinterprets them to show a fuller meaning, suggesting that Jesus' life is a new instantiation or climax of God's saving acts, even if the original context was different.
Summarized by AI · The Dark Side of Christmas · Lecture 2: Dealing With the Dark Side · watch the clip
Jesus' Virgin Birth as Fulfillment of Isaiah's Prophecy
Matthew explicitly states that Jesus' birth to a virgin fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah, where it was foretold that a virgin would conceive and bear a son named Emmanuel. Matthew presents this as a direct prediction and its literal fulfillment in Jesus' miraculous conception.
Summarized by AI · The Genius of the Gospel of Matthew: What Scholars Say About the First Gospel · Lecture 3: The Gospel in a Nutshell | Jesus as the “Fulfillment of Scripture” · watch the clip
Prophecy and Reinterpretation: The Example of Isaiah 7:14
The reinterpretation of biblical prophecies, such as Isaiah's prediction about the birth of Hezekiah being applied to Jesus, illustrates the extreme flexibility of meaning-making within reading communities. What might seem an unimaginable interpretation to ancient Israelites became a foundational reading for Christians. This demonstrates that while textual constraints exist, the scope for reinterpretation, especially across different religious traditions, can be vast.
Summarized by AI · The Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Literature of Ancient Israel · Lecture 28: Beyond Historical Criticism · watch the clip
Matthew's Use of Isaiah 7:14 and the Virgin Birth
Matthew quotes Isaiah 7:14 in Matthew 1:23 to explain the virgin birth, stating that 'a virgin shall conceive'. While some scholars suggest Matthew might have misinterpreted the Hebrew 'young woman' as 'virgin' from the Septuagint, it's also plausible he already knew the story of Jesus' birth and used the scripture to provide divine backing, particularly to highlight the 'God with us' (Emmanuel) theme that frames his Gospel.
Summarized by AI · The Mysteries of the Synoptic Gospels: Discovering Matthew, Mark, and Luke · Lecture 14: Did Matthew Try to "Re-Judaize" Jesus? · watch the clip
Matthew's account emphasizes prophecy fulfillment
In Matthew's Gospel, Mary is explicitly identified as a virgin who conceived by the Holy Spirit before cohabiting with Joseph. This event is presented as a direct fulfillment of the prophecy from Isaiah, which states that a virgin shall conceive and bear a son.
Summarized by AI · The Other Virgin Births in Antiquity · The Other Virgin Births in Antiquity · watch the clip
Matthew's virgin birth fulfills Old Testament prophecy
Matthew's Gospel also includes a virgin birth narrative, distinct from Luke's, but its primary purpose is to demonstrate that Jesus fulfills Old Testament prophecy. Specifically, Matthew cites Isaiah 7:14 to explain that Jesus' birth from a virgin fulfills what was spoken through the prophet.
Summarized by AI · The Unknown Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John · Lecture 6: Embracing the Differences · watch the clip
Jesus's Birthplace and Nazareth Prophecy
Matthew's Gospel attempts to connect Jesus's residence in Nazareth with Old Testament prophecy, stating 'he shall be called a Nazarene.' However, the speaker points out that no such prophecy exists in the Hebrew Bible. This suggests that while there were theological motivations for Jesus to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), his association with Nazareth was likely historical fact, not a fulfillment of prophecy, as Nazareth is not mentioned in the Hebrew Bible or other contemporary historical sources.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Why Bart really lost his faith. & what came after · watch the clip
Old Testament Prophecies of Jesus
Evangelicals believe that Old Testament passages clearly and unequivocally predict Jesus. For example, Isaiah 53 is seen as a direct prophecy of Jesus' suffering and crucifixion, and Isaiah 7:14 about a virgin conceiving is understood as foretelling Jesus' birth. This interpretation leads to confusion about why Jewish people do not recognize these prophecies as referring to Jesus.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · 5 Evangelical Truisms that Aren't True · watch the clip
Isaiah 7:14 and the Septuagint Translation
Early Christians, particularly Matthew and Luke, claimed that Isaiah 7:14 prophesied a virgin birth. This claim stemmed from the Greek Septuagint translation of the Hebrew word 'alma' (young woman) as 'parthenos' (virgin or young maiden). The original Hebrew text, however, refers to a young woman who has already conceived and will bear a son as a sign for King Ahaz, not a future Messiah.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · The Real Story Behind the Virgin Birth in Christianity · watch the clip
Matthew's Reason for the Virgin Birth
In Matthew's Gospel, the virgin birth serves to fulfill scripture, specifically the interpretation of Isaiah 7:14. This narrative aims to demonstrate that Jesus is the Messiah by aligning his birth with what Matthew understood as prophetic fulfillment.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · The Real Story Behind the Virgin Birth in Christianity · watch the clip
The Greek word 'parthenos' in Matthew and Luke
In Matthew 1:23 and Luke 1:27, Mary is referred to by the Greek word 'parthenos', often translated as 'virgin'. While it can mean virgin, it also commonly referred to an unmarried young woman or maiden, implying she was not sexually active rather than strictly a virgin in the modern theological sense.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Did Jesus Have Brothers and Sisters? · watch the clip
The Prophecy of Emmanuel and Jesus' Name
The prophecy in Matthew states that Jesus' name 'will be called Emmanuel,' meaning 'God with us,' rather than being his literal given name. This signifies that Jesus would be understood as God's presence among humanity, aligning with how other New Testament passages use similar metaphorical naming conventions.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Why are the Gospels so Late? · watch the clip
Messianic Prophecies in Isaiah
Messianic prophecies in Isaiah, such as those in chapters 40-55 (Second Isaiah), are often interpreted as predictions of a future king. However, the speaker suggests that these passages, written after the Babylonian captivity, are likely focused on the imminent return of the Jewish people to Judah and the rebuilding of the land, rather than distant future messianic figures. Similarly, Isaiah 7:14, often cited as a prophecy of a virgin birth, is argued to refer to a child born of a young woman in Isaiah's own time.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Did Jesus Actually Claim to be God? · watch the clip
Matthew's Jesus as Fulfillment of Jewish Scripture
Matthew emphasizes Jesus as the Jewish Messiah, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies. His birth is presented as fulfilling Isaiah 7:14 (virgin birth) and Micah 5:2 (born in Bethlehem), and his flight to Egypt fulfills Hosea 11:1.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · How Many Jesuses Are in the New Testament? · watch the clip
Modern Christian Use of the Old Testament
Modern Christians largely inherit the proto-orthodox view of the Old Testament: it's part of the Bible, but its laws aren't strictly followed. Many evangelicals read it to find predictions of Jesus, often focusing on specific verses like Isaiah 7:14 without broader contextual reading. In worship, Old Testament readings are common but rarely the subject of sermons, serving mainly to set up New Testament themes.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Why Early Christians Kept the Old Testament · watch the clip
Theological motivation for Jesus' birth in Bethlehem
Early Christians believed Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecies, including the Messiah being born in Bethlehem, as stated in Micah 5:2. Both Matthew and Luke, despite knowing Jesus was from Nazareth, constructed narratives to ensure his birth occurred in Bethlehem, thereby affirming his messianic identity.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Was Jesus Really Born in Bethlehem? · watch the clip
Matthew's Fulfillment of Scripture Motif
Matthew repeatedly emphasizes that events surrounding Jesus's birth fulfill Old Testament prophecies. For example, Jesus's birth in Bethlehem fulfills Micah 5:2, his birth to a virgin fulfills Isaiah 7:14, and the flight to Egypt fulfills Hosea 11:1. This motif underscores that Jesus's life aligns with God's divine plan as revealed in scripture.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Gospel Discrepancies: Why Matthew and Luke Tell Different Christmas Stories · watch the clip
Isaiah 7:14 and the virgin birth
Early Christians, such as Justin Martyr, used Isaiah 7:14 to argue that Jesus's birth from a virgin fulfilled prophecy. However, the original Hebrew text of Isaiah 7:14 does not refer to a 'virgin' but to a 'young woman,' and the context does not support a messianic prophecy of a virgin birth.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · How to Weaponize the Bible · watch the clip
Isaiah 7:14 and the Virgin Birth
First Isaiah, in chapter 7, describes a young woman conceiving and bearing a son as a sign to King Ahaz that the military threat he faces will not materialize. Christians, from the 2nd century onward, interpreted Isaiah 7:14, particularly as quoted in Matthew, as a prophecy of Jesus' virgin birth, despite its original context being a contemporary event for King Ahaz.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · What Did the Prophet Isaiah Say About Jesus? · watch the clip
Matthew's Use of 'Virgin' in Isaiah 7:14
The Gospel of Matthew, when quoting Isaiah 7:14 to describe Jesus' birth from a virgin, was likely relying on the Greek Septuagint translation of the Old Testament. The original Hebrew word in Isaiah 7:14, 'almah,' means 'young woman.' However, the Greek Septuagint translated this as 'parthenos,' which can mean 'young woman' but also 'virgin.' Matthew interpreted 'parthenos' as 'virgin,' thus seeing Jesus' virgin birth as a fulfillment of this prophecy.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Why Fundamentalism is Not (Always) Such a Bad Thing. Take Bart for example... · watch the clip
Matthew's Fulfillment of Prophecy
Matthew explains Mary's virginity as a fulfillment of prophecy, quoting Isaiah 7:14. Matthew's version, based on the Greek Septuagint, states 'a virgin shall conceive and bear a son,' linking Jesus' birth to Old Testament predictions.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Who Says Mary Was a Virgin? · watch the clip
Isaiah 7:14 Translation Discrepancy
Matthew's quotation of Isaiah 7:14 relies on the Greek Septuagint, which translates the Hebrew word 'alma' (young woman) as 'parthenos' (virgin). The original Hebrew text refers to a young woman who is already pregnant, not necessarily a virgin, and the prophecy concerns events in Isaiah's own time, not a future Messiah.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Who Says Mary Was a Virgin? · watch the clip
Fulfillment of Prophecy in Jesus' Birth Narrative
Matthew's infancy narrative highlights Jesus' fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. For instance, Jesus' virgin birth fulfills Isaiah 7:14, his birth in Bethlehem fulfills Micah 5:2, and his family's flight to Egypt and return fulfills Hosea 11:1. These 'fulfillment citations' underscore Jesus' role as the Jewish Messiah, whose life was preordained by God.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · The Gospel of Matthew is Pure Brilliance! · watch the clip
Isaiah 7:14 Translation Controversy
The King James Version translates Isaiah 7:14 as 'a virgin shall conceive and bear a son,' which was later used to support the virgin birth of Jesus in Matthew. However, the 1952 Revised Standard Version translated it as 'a young woman shall conceive,' causing significant controversy among those accustomed to the KJV's wording, who felt it removed the virgin birth from the Bible.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · What is the King James Version? · watch the clip
Isaiah 7:14 and the Hebrew Word for 'Virgin'
The King James Version's translation of Isaiah 7:14 as 'a virgin shall conceive' is based on a misunderstanding of the Hebrew. The Hebrew word used, 'alma,' means 'young woman,' not specifically 'virgin' ('bethulah'). The passage's context indicates a contemporary event where a young woman is already pregnant, and her child's age will mark the end of a siege, not a messianic prophecy.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · What is the King James Version? · watch the clip
The 'Young Woman' Prophecy is Not About Jesus
The prophecy in Isaiah 7:14, often translated as 'virgin shall conceive,' actually uses a Hebrew word meaning 'young woman.' In its original context, this sign was for King Ahaz during an international crisis, meant to reassure him of Yahweh's immediate help. Reading it as a prophecy about Jesus' birth 700 years later removes it from its historical context and Isaiah's original intent.
Summarized by AI · The Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Literature of Ancient Israel · Lecture 17: Isaiah | In Three Acts · watch the clip
Isaiah 7:14 Not a Prophecy of Jesus' Birth
The prophecy in Isaiah 7:14, often translated as 'the virgin shall conceive,' is not about Jesus. The Hebrew word means 'young woman,' and in its historical context, it serves as a sign for King Ahaz during an international crisis, proving that he should trust in Yahweh. A sign for Ahaz would not be the birth of Jesus 700 years later, but something relevant to his immediate decision.
Summarized by AI · The Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Literature of Ancient Israel · Lecture 17: Isaiah | In Three Acts · watch the clip
KJV's Theological Biases in Translation
The King James Version exhibits theological biases where translators allowed their own Christian views to influence the rendering of the text. For example, in Daniel, the appearance of a divine being in the fiery furnace is translated as 'the son of God,' implying Jesus, which is a mistranslation of the Hebrew 'divine being.' Similarly, Isaiah 7:14 is translated as 'a virgin shall conceive,' aligning with the Christian doctrine of the virgin birth, despite the Hebrew meaning 'young woman.'
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · The KJV is a Literary Masterpiece, And a Disaster Study Bible · watch the clip
Translation of 'Parthenos' in Isaiah 7:14
The translation of Isaiah 7:14, particularly the Hebrew word 'almah' and its Greek counterpart 'parthenos', has been a point of contention. The King James Version translates it as 'virgin,' aligning with the New Testament's quotation in Matthew. However, the Revised Standard Version (RSV) translated 'almah' as 'young woman,' sparking controversy among those who felt it undermined the doctrine of the Virgin Birth. This decision was a significant factor in the creation of alternative translations like the New International Version (NIV).
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · How to Translate the Bible: Problems and Pitfalls · watch the clip
