Mary, Virgin or Young Woman According to Isaiah 7:14?
As Christmas approaches, I thought it would be fitting to consider an issue I've heard raised in a few places over the years. The most famous example might be when the Hasidic-clad diamond thieves are discussing the Virgin Mary at the start of the movie, "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels", written and directed by Guy Ritchie who was married to Madonna at the time. I believe without a doubt that this was expressive of her view of Isaiah 7:14 as interpreted by the Kabbalah, which she was/is following. In any case, the issue, briefly summarized, is this. In Isaiah 7:14, the scripture says, "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." The Hebrew word here translated "virgin" is 'almah, which arguably means girl or young woman of marriageable age. So some have claimed that 'virgin' is not necessarily part of the essential meaning of the word and so it