Isaiah 7:14 Facts for Kids

Illustration of Book of Isaiah Chapter 7

Isaiah 7:14 is a Bible verse found in the seventh chapter of the Book of Isaiah. In this verse, the prophet Isaiah speaks to King Ahaz of Judah. Isaiah promises that God will defeat the king's enemies. This will happen before a child born to an almah is old enough to stop needing milk from their mother.

The Hebrew word עַלְמָה‎ (‘almāh) means "young woman." However, when the Hebrew Bible was translated into Koine Greek (called the Septuagint), this word became παρθένος (parthenos). This Greek word means "virgin." Later, the Gospels of Matthew and Luke used this Greek translation. They saw it as a prophecy about the Virgin birth of Jesus. Because of this, many Christians believe Isaiah 7:14 refers to Jesus' birth.

Jewish people generally understand the verse to mean "young woman" only. Most experts agree that Isaiah was talking about a young woman who could have children, not necessarily a virgin. They also think "parthenos" in the Septuagint likely meant "young woman" at that time. Many English Bibles use "virgin" in this verse. But some, like the Revised Standard Version, use "young woman." This difference makes Isaiah 7:14 one of the most debated Bible verses.

Isaiah's Message to King Ahaz
Isaiah in the Gospel of Matthew
- Matthew's Use of Isaiah's Prophecy
- The "Young Woman" Debate
Uses of Isaiah 7:14
- Music
See also

Isaiah's Message to King Ahaz

The Story: Isaiah 7:1-25

The Book of Isaiah was put together over many years. The first part, chapters 1-39, mainly talks about events from the 700s BCE. However, Isaiah 7:1-25 was likely edited later, around the time of King Josiah (about 640–609 BCE).

These verses show King Ahaz (who ruled around 732–716 BC) as a king who didn't trust God. He rejected God's promise to protect his family and city. But the original story from the 700s BCE had a different goal. It aimed to stop Ahaz's son, Hezekiah, from joining other kingdoms. These kingdoms wanted to fight against the Assyrian Empire, which was very powerful back then.

God's Promise: Isaiah 7:1-10

Isaiah 7:1 to 8:15 describes how the prophet Isaiah tried to convince King Ahaz. Isaiah wanted Ahaz not to join the kings of Israel (also called Ephraim) and Syria (Aram-Damascus). These kings were rebelling against their Assyrian rulers. Isaiah 7:1-8 explains that Israel and Syria had surrounded Jerusalem. They wanted to remove Ahaz and put a new king on the throne who would join their fight.

When Ahaz was king of Judah, Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah, king of Israel, attacked Jerusalem. But they could not win. When Ahaz's family heard that Syria had joined with Ephraim, they and their people were very scared. But the Lord told Isaiah, "Go meet Ahaz, you and your son Shearjashub. Tell him, 'Be strong and stay calm.' God tells Ahaz, 'It will not work, it will not happen.'"

A Special Sign: Isaiah 7:11-16

After giving God's message, Isaiah told Ahaz to ask for a sign. This sign would prove that Isaiah's words were true. It meant Ahaz was being asked to trust God's promise to his family, which was threatened by the enemy kings. But Ahaz refused to ask for a sign. So, Isaiah replied that Ahaz would get a sign anyway:

7:11 יא שְׁאַל-לְךָ אוֹת, מֵעִם יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ; הַעְמֵק שְׁאָלָה, אוֹ הַגְבֵּהַּ לְמָעְלָה.‎

"Ask for a sign from the Lord your God. Ask for it from the deepest Sheol (the grave) or from the highest heaven."

7:12 יב וַיֹּאמֶר, אָחָז: לֹא-אֶשְׁאַל וְלֹא-אֲנַסֶּה, אֶת-יְהוָה.‎

But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, and I will not test the Lord."

7:13 יג וַיֹּאמֶר, שִׁמְעוּ-נָא בֵּית דָּוִד: הַמְעַט מִכֶּם הַלְאוֹת אֲנָשִׁים, כִּי תַלְאוּ גַּם אֶת-אֱלֹהָי. ‎

Then Isaiah said, "Listen, family of David! Is it not enough to make people tired? Will you also make my God tired?

7:14 יד לָכֵן יִתֵּן אֲדֹנָי הוּא, לָכֶם--אוֹת: הִנֵּה הָעַלְמָה, הָרָה וְיֹלֶדֶת בֵּן, וְקָרָאת שְׁמוֹ, עִמָּנוּ אֵל.‎

So the Lord himself will give you a sign: the maiden is pregnant and will give birth to a son. She will name him Immanuel (which means 'God is with us')."

7:15 טו חֶמְאָה וּדְבַשׁ, יֹאכֵל--לְדַעְתּוֹ מָאוֹס בָּרָע, וּבָחוֹר בַּטּוֹב.‎

"By the time he learns to refuse what is bad and choose what is good, he will be eating curds and honey."

7:16 טז כִּי בְּטֶרֶם יֵדַע הַנַּעַר, מָאֹס בָּרָע--וּבָחֹר בַּטּוֹב: תֵּעָזֵב הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה קָץ, מִפְּנֵי שְׁנֵי מְלָכֶיהָ.‎

"For before the child knows to refuse what is bad and choose what is good, the land of the two kings you fear will be deserted."

A "sign" in this part of the Bible means a special event that proves a prophet's words are true. Ahaz's sign was the birth of a son to an almah. This child would be named Immanuel, meaning "God is with us." The important part of the sign wasn't who the child or mother was. It was the meaning of the name and how it showed when God would defeat the enemy kings (before the child could tell right from wrong).

What Happened Next: Isaiah 7:17-25

Ahaz decided to ask Assyria for help against Israel and Syria. But this came at a high cost: he had to become a servant to Assyria. His son, Hezekiah (who ruled around 715-686 BCE), later rebelled. But the Assyrians destroyed much of Hezekiah's kingdom and surrounded Jerusalem. Hezekiah only saved himself by paying a large tribute (a payment to a ruler).

About 100 years later, during King Josiah's time, Isaiah's prophecy was changed. It now showed Ahaz as a king who didn't trust God. Because of this, God brought Assyria to destroy the land. This destruction would last until a new, faithful king (likely Josiah) would appear to bring peace. Verses 7:17–25 describe this future destruction. It says, "In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines... will be turned over to thorns and briars."

Isaiah in the Gospel of Matthew

Matthew's Use of Isaiah's Prophecy

The Gospel of Matthew shows that many events in Jesus' life fulfilled prophecies from Isaiah. During Jesus' time, Jewish people in Palestine didn't speak Hebrew much. So, Isaiah's writings were translated into Greek (the Septuagint) and Aramaic.

The Greek translation, the Septuagint, translated the word almah as parthenos. While almah means a young woman who hasn't given birth yet, parthenos means virgin. This translation gave the writer of Matthew a way to connect Jesus to the prophecy. Matthew presents Jesus as Immanuel, "God is with us" (Matthew 1:23). This shows Jesus as God's representative on Earth and highlights his status as the "Son of God" (Matthew 1:25).

The "Young Woman" Debate

In 1952, when the Revised Standard Version (RSV) of the Bible was translated, it used "young woman" for almah. This immediately caused a lot of debate among some Christians. They strongly believed that this verse predicted the virgin birth of Jesus. The RSV quickly became popular in many churches. But some fundamentalist American Christians argued that in the Old Testament, an almah always meant a young unmarried girl. One pastor even burned a copy of the RSV in public. Isaiah 7:14 became a test of belief for many conservative Christians. However, most modern Bible translations today use "young woman."

A New Testament scholar named Bart D. Ehrman has explained that the original meaning of parthenos in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible by Jewish scholars) was "young woman," not "virgin." He says the word's meaning changed over time. So, the writers of Matthew and Luke likely believed Isaiah had predicted a virgin birth for the coming Messiah, based on how the word was understood in their time.

Uses of Isaiah 7:14

Music

The version of this verse from the King James Version is used in the famous English musical work "Messiah" by George Frideric Handel.

Isaiah 7:14 facts for kids

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