The Virgin Birth

Much has been made of the "virgin birth". Both the Nicene & Apostle's creed acknowledge it. But what's the deal? Is it significant to a believer's theology? It's certainly not a prerequisite for salvation. So, did the Messiah have to be born of a virgin? Was it prophesied? The answer is Yes & No. The only prophesy regarding the "birth" of the Messiah is found in Isaiah.

Isaiah 7:14, "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin (עַלְמָה, ’almah) shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel."

The Hebrew word used here (עַלְמָה, ’almah) can sometimes refer to a woman who is a virgin (Gen 24:43), however it does not carry this meaning inherently. The word is simply the feminine form of the corresponding masculine noun עֶלֶם (’elem, “young man”; 1 Sam 17:56; 20:22). The Aramaic and Ugaritic cognate terms are both used of women who are not virgins. The word seems to pertain to age, not sexual experience, and would normally be translated “young woman.”

Matthew's interpretation (Matt 1:22-23) of this passage has several problems, the largest hanging on the Hebrew word 'almah. Writing in Greek, the gospel author turned almah into parthenos, a word usually (but not always) meaning "virgin." In fact, there was a precedent for this; the Septuagint, a translation of the Old Testament used by Greek-speaking Jews of the day, did indeed use parthenos in the Isaiah passage. But the Septuagint was for the most part a notoriously sloppy translation, and its version of Isaiah was generally more error-ridden than the rest. By the Middle Ages, the Jews had abandoned the Septuagint, and later Greek translations, by Aquila, Theodotion, Lucien and others, did not use the word parthenos.

All things considered, words and expressions being mistranslated or a bit out of context is not surprising. What is surprising is that this literary sleight of hand grew to become such a cornerstone of Christendom. That being said, it is still possible that Mary was a "virgin" in every sense of the word. However little can be assumed with the limited information we we're given. I encourage everyone to re-read these passages in context.