Isaiah 7:14 – a Virgin Birth Prophecy?

Posted on by K.B. Vogelman

Isaiah 7:14 – a Virgin Birth Prophecy?

 

Isaiah 7:14 – the translation of one word, `almah, is the cause for one of the most controversial prophecies in the Bible. Jewish Bibles and a few Christian Bibles translate the word as “young woman” while most Christian Bibles translate the word as “virgin.”

“Virgin” vs. “young woman” – those who believe that Isaiah 7:14 is a messianic prophecy pointing to a miraculous birth of a son to a virgin vs. those who believe the prophecy is a short-term prediction about a young woman, not necessarily a virgin, who was to bear a son.[1]

In the full context of Isaiah chapter 7, the prophetic sign had to be boundless and miraculous so as to exceed God’s promise to King Ahaz:  “deep as Sheol or high as heaven.”

Septuagint LXX rendered only by Jewish experts translated Hebrew ha-almah into Greek as ha Parthenos meaning “the virgin.” A 1000 years later, the Masoretic text, used for the basis of Jewish Bibles, translates `almah as “young woman.”

Translation of ancient Hebrew text into English is not an exact science where there is not a word-for-word translation equivalent. Hebrew words can even serve as either a noun or a verb requiring the translator to take a more wholistic view of the text to understand the context.[3]

Key to unlocking the word definition code is to determine the intent of the speaker or writer. The meaning may not be the same as applied by the listener (or the reader or translator).

Word usage analysis can be used to decipher what is truly meant by the speaker or author. Language analysis is a more in-dept version of literary analysis that can be used to determine the intentional meaning by the speaker or author.[4]

Deciphering the meaning of `almah brings into play three Hebrew words. Lowest common denominator is the word is na`arah meaning “girl” or “young woman” where there is no specific implication of virginity.[5] Isaiah never once used the word na`arah.

Opposite of na`arah is bethulah explicitly meaning “virgin.” Appearing 50 times in Bible, the word commonly appears as a metaphor of a virgin in judgements, lamentations, or blessings. A separate category of bethulah is used in a legalistic context in the Law involving the strictest sense of a virgin.

Isaiah only used bethulah 5 times in either a metaphor or judgement of a city or nation. Since Isaiah never used the word na`arah, he did not use it with bethulah to define a female.

Next is the rarest of Hebrew words, `almah, appearing only 7 times in the entire Bible. It is a noun stemming from the Hebrew word `elem meaning “something kept out of sight.”[6]

As a standalone noun, unlike bethulah, none of the instances of `almah are used in metaphors, legalistic definitions, as adjectives or in adjective clauses;`almah does not need further clarification by an adjective or adjective clause; and `almah is never used as an adjective or within an adjective clause to define the subject.[7]

Earliest appearance of `almah is in Genesis, the only place in the Bible that contains all three Hebrew words in reference to the same female figure, Rebekah. As such, the passage in Genesis 24 makes it the codex for unlocking the meaning of these Hebrew female words.

Abraham had sent his servant back to his homeland to find a bride for his son Isaac. Beside being from his own tribe, Abraham gave the servant just one requirement:  she had to willingly agree to marry Isaac – ultimately her choice.

Being in a unfamiliar land and having no idea for whom he was searching, that was a big problem. It compelled the servant to pray for a very specific sign that would leave no doubt when it happened.

Later, he recounted his experiences to Rebekah’s family and used all three of these Hebrew words, plus a forth:

Gen. 24:16 “Now the young woman [na ‘arah] was very beautiful to behold, a virgin [bethulah]; no man had known her.”

Gen. 24:43 “behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass that when the virgin [`almah] comes out to draw water, and I say to her…”

Gen. 24:44 “let her be the woman [`ishshah] whom the LORD has appointed for my master’s son.” (NKJV)

Rebekah is first described in the servant’s story in the past tense using the combination of na ‘arah (girl/young woman) with bethulah (virgin). Her virginity is further emphasized by specifying that “no man had known her.”

Mentioned several times in the passage, Rebekah’s family included Laban. Josephus wrote in Antiquities that Rebekah viewed Laban as the “guardian of my virginity” after her father had died.[6]

Using present tense in Genesis 24:43 , the servant now refers to Rebekah by simply using one Hebrew word, hmleh or `hā-‘al-māh  (the virgin). Already defined as a “virgin”, Rebekah is described by the servant as a specific virgin,`hā-‘al-māh – the same specific Hebrew word used in Isaiah 7:14.

A fourth Hebrew word provides further validation when the servant referred to Rebekah in the future tense as `ishshah, meaning “woman,” hoping she would become the wife of Isaac.[8] In this context, Rebekah would be considered a married adult woman who is not a virgin, thus the use of na ‘arah, bethulah nor `almah would be applicable nor accurate.

Comparing the Genesis codex definition of `almah as “virgin” to the other 6 uses of `almah in the Bible reveals that in all instances `almah is always used as a standalone noun in the context of a virgin in a royal context, either Hebrew or Godly. Language analysis conclusion: the meaning of `almah exclusively means “virgin” – no adjectives or further clarifications are needed or expected.

Consider this prophecy from a different perspective. If `almah is translated as “a young woman” in the Isaiah 7:14 where the state of virginity is not certain, it is not an impressive prophecy that rises to the level of God’s parameters. In this interpretation, the female subject, who may already be pregnant or will soon be and has a 50-50 chance of giving birth to a boy.

Conversely, if `almah is translated as the “virgin” who would conceive a son, it creates a miraculous prophecy where the possibility of that scenario would be unthinkable – a virgin conceiving and giving birth to a boy.

Which interpretation if Isaiah 7:14 – “young woman” vs. “virgin” – rises to the level off a boundless, miraculous prophecy? 

 

Updated June 10, 2024.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

REFERENCES:

[1] Isaiah 7:14. BibleHub. <https://biblehub.com/isaiah/7-14.htm>  Nahigian, Kenneth E. “A Virgin-Birth Prophesy?” Skeptic Tank Files. n.d. <http://www.skeptictank.org/files/sr/2virgi93.htm> Cramer, Robert Nguyen. “The Book of Isaiah.” The BibleTexts.com. 1998 <http://www.bibletexts.com/verses/v-isa.htm>  Cline, Austin. “Who Was Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus? Was She Really a Virgin?” <http://atheism.about.com/od/biblepeoplenewtestament/p/MaryVirgin.htm>  Yosef, Uri.  “Isaiah 7:14 – Part 1: An Accurate Grammatical Analysis.” 2011. <http://thejewishhome.org/counter/Isa714_1.pdf>  Bratcher, Dennis. “Isaiah 7:14: Translation Issues.” The Voice. 2014. <http://www.crivoice.org/isa7-14.html>  The Complete Jewish Bible with Rashi Commentary. Yeshayahu- Isaiah 7:14.  “Who is the Almah’s son?”  Teshuvas HaMinim. 2011. <http://web.archive.org/web/20120425022737/http://www.teshuvashaminim.com/isaiah714.html>  Robinson, B.A. “Isaiah 7:14 “Behold, a virgin shall conceive…”” 2007 <http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_proi.htm> “Isaiah 7:14-Deception In The Name Of Jesus.” Agnostic Review of Christianity. 2011. <http://ihuanedo.ning.com/group/religiousskeptism/forum/topics/isaiah-7-14-deception-in-the-name-of-jesus>
[2] Net.bible.org. Isaiah 7 Hebrew text. Miller. Fred P. “The Great Isaiah Scroll.” Column VI – The Great Isaiah Scroll 6:7 to 7:15. Moellerhaus Publisher. Directory. 1998. <http://www.moellerhaus.com/qumdir.htm>Miller. Fred P.  “The Translation of the Great Isaiah Scroll.” “The Translation of the Great Isaiah Scroll “Dead Sea Scrolls Bible Translations.” 2016. <http://dssenglishbible.com/scroll1QIsaa.htm>  PostBarthian. image. 2022. <https://postbarthian.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/virgin-or-young-woman-litmus-test-bible-translations.jpg> [3] Benner, Jeff A.  “Introduction to the Hebrew Bible.” Ancient Hebrew Research Center. 2013.  <https://www.ancient-hebrew.org/introduction.htm>
[4] Sapir, Avinoam. LSI Laboratory for Scientific Interrogation. Language analysis courses.  <http://www.lsiscan.com/id37.htm>  “Scientific Content Analysis (SCAN).” Personal Verification LTD. Updated 15 November 2016. <http://www.verify.co.nz/scan.php>
[5] “na`arah <05291>” NetBible.org. 2019. <http://classic.net.bible.org/strong.php?id=05291> Mishneh Torah, Forbidden Intercourse 17.” Sefaria.org. Footnotes #48 & 49. n.d. <https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh_Torah%2C_Forbidden_Intercourse.17.13?lang=bi&with=Navigation&lang2=en>
[6] BibleHub.com. Isaiah 7:14 Hebrew text. 2018. <https://biblehub.com/text/isaiah/7-14.htm>  “5959. almah” BibleHub.com. 2018. <https://biblehub.com/hebrew/5959.htm>; “5958. elem” <https://biblehub.com/hebrew/5958.htm>; “5956. alam.” <https://biblehub.com/hebrew/5956.htm>.  “`almah  <5959>” Lexicon-Concordance. n.d. <http://lexiconcordance.com/hebrew/5959.html>  “`elem <5956>” Lexicon-Concordance. n.d. <http://lexiconcordance.com/hebrew/5956.html>
[7] Josephus, Flavius. Antiquities of the Jews. Trans. and commentary. William Whitson.  The Complete Works of Josephus. 1850.  Book I, Chapter XV.2. <http://books.google.com/books?id=e0dAAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false>
[8]“802. נָשִׁים (ishshah) BibleHub.com. 2018. ” <https://biblehub.com/hebrew/strongs_802.htm> “H802.” Lexicon-Concordance. n.d. <http://lexiconcordance.com/hebrew/080.html#02>

What Happens When GOD Names Someone?

Posted on by K.B. Vogelman

What Happens When GOD Names Someone?

 

When God named someone the few times in Hebrew history, it was associated with greatness and long-term blessings. What does that say about Jesus of Nazareth?

According to the Book of Genesis, God may have named the first man, “Adam,” but he is not recorded as being specifically named by God. “Eve,” on the other hand, was named by Adam.[1] The first persons named by God came not until after the days of Noah.

As a 75-year old man, God instructed Abram to move with his family to the land of Canaan promising “…and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”[2] Faithfully, Abram complied and eventually settled near the city of Salem and the mounts of Moriah.

Abram and his wife, Sarai, decided that due to their old age, the only way for them to have a son was to father a child with Sarai’s servant, an Egyptian named Hagar.[3] Once Hagar became pregnant, both women despised each other placing Hagar in difficult position.

Sarai blamed Abram of creating the situation by making Hagar pregnant. Abram responded by telling telling Sarai that since Hagar was her servant, she could do with Hagar as she wished.

Consequently, Hagar was treated harshly to the point she ran away. God then sent an angel to Hagar telling her to return and obey Saria and then she would be blessed through her son whom God named Ishmael:

Gen. 16:11-13 “And the Angel of the LORD said to her: ‘Behold, you are with child, And you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, Because the LORD has heard your affliction…Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand… I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.’”(NKJV) [4]

Hagar had given birth to Ishmael when Abram was 86 years old and he lived as part of Abram’s family for more than 13 years until the time came for the next chapter in Abram’s life. [5] Ishmael went on to marry an Egyptian girl and was blessed with 12 sons who would become princes of their tribes.[6]

At the age of 99, God appeared to Abram confirming His promise 24 years earlier.[7] Adding to the promise, the message from God was 3-fold:

Gen. 17:5-6 “No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham; For I will make you the father of a multitude of nations.  I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you.” (NASB)

Gen. 17: 15-16 “…As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”

Gen. 17:19 “…Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.”

Isaac married Rebekah to whom were born twins, Esau and Jacob. A famine came upon the land and God warned Isaac not to go to Egypt as his father had once done to escape a famine meanwhile assuring Isaac of His blessing:

Gen. 26:3 “Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”

Hiding in exile for 20 years because Esau wanted to kill Jacob for stealing his firstborn birthright blessing, Jacob decided to go back home. Before entering the land of Abraham, Jacob’s family camped at a place called Bethel.[8] That night, Jacob wrestled with a Man whom, at the end of the night, said:

Gen. 32:28 “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”(NKJV)[9]

Peace came unexpectedly with Esau who actually greeted Jacob with open arms and he decided to settle in the land of Canaan. God later sent Jacob back to Bethel instructing him to build an altar. Returning home, he received another reaffirming message from God:

Gen. 35: 10-12 “God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall you be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” … “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall spring from you. The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.”(NRSV)

Gabriel, known in Biblical history as the archangel messenger of God, appeared to Daniel to interpret his visions. Centuries later, Gabriel appeared to Zechariah; to Mary in Luke: then to Joseph in Matthew.[10]

Zechariah was a priest serving in the Temple and was chosen to represent his “division” of priests to burn incense to God. Gabriel later appeared to Zechariah in the Temple and delivered a message from God:  Elizabeth would become pregnant and they were to name their son, “John” (later known as John the Baptist).

LK 1:13 “But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.” (NRSV)

Six months later, Gabriel appeared to Mary with a message saying she would miraculously conceive a baby by the Holy Spirit who was to be named “Jesus,” the promised Messiah. Three months later Joseph, her betrothal, received a similar message from Gabriel telling him that Mary’s surprise pregnancy was by the Holy Spirit and the baby was to be named “Jesus”:

LK 1:26-33 “Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, ‘Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.’ … ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.’ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.’” (NASB)

MT 1:20-21 “…behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (NASB)

Separate messages from God to both Mary and Joseph instructed each of them to name their baby, “Jesus.” What does this say about the significance of God naming Jesus?

 

Updated February 18, 2023.

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REFERENCES:

[1] Genesis 2:20, 3:20. Edersheim, Alfred. The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. 1883. Book II, Chapter 4. <http://philologos.org/__eb-lat/default.htm>
[2] Genesis 12 ; Genesis 12:3. NASB, NKJV, NRSV.
[3] Genesis 25.
[4] CR Genesis 17, 21.
[5] Genesis 16.
[6] Genesis 16, 25; I Chronicles 1. “The 12 Tribes of Ishmael.” Nabatea.net. n.d. <http://nabataea.net/12tribes.html>
[7] “Abraham.”  BBC | Religion. 2009. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/history/abraham_1.shtml>  “Analysis: Story of Abraham and His Relevance to Islam, Judaism and Christianity.” NPR. 2018. <https://www.npr.org/programs/totn/transcripts/2002/sep/020924.feiler.html> “Why do so many people have the same names?” Connected Isolation. photo. 2016. <https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v9_D0TUdo2w/V8MBqiMgC1I/AAAAAAAABII/K5yN7DmpERIVf-1i-Txwkr4jkdPHgss0ACLcB/s1600/names.png> 
[8] Genesis 33, 35.
[9] CR Genesis 35.
[10] Luke 1; Daniel 8, 9. “Uriel.” Jewish Encyclopedia. 2011. <http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/14606-uriel>  “Gabriel (Archangel).” New World Encyclopedia. 2017. <http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Gabriel_(Archangel)>

Jacob – Connection to the Messiah

Posted on by K.B. Vogelman

Jacob – Connection to the Messiah?

 

Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, is far removed from Jesus of Nazareth having lived some 2000 years earlier. Two millennia later, there was still a strong connection of Jacob to the Messiah and the story of Jesus of Nazareth.

Knowing how God viewed Jacob is key, first demonstrated by God’s introduction of Himself. Five times in Exodus this phase is stated with a reference to God:  “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”[1]

Moses was hesitant about being sent to confront Pharaoh and deliver the Hebrews from the bondage of Egypt. When he ventured to ask the Voice coming from the burning bush what he should say if asked who sent him to lead Israel out of Egypt, God’s resounding response:

EX 3:14-15 “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.” God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’”. (NASB)

Jesus himself quoted these same words from Exodus as proof of resurrection of the dead when God spoke of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the present tense: 

MK 12:26 “…Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’”(NKJV)[2]

Promises made, promises not forgotten. As the backdrop, God had promised Jacob the same blessings given to his father, Isaac, and grandfather, Abraham. Blessing Jacob, God also changed his name: [3]

Gen. 35:10-11 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob. Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” And He named him Israel. And God said to him, “I am the Almighty God; be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a multitude of nations shall come into existence from you, and kings shall come forth from your loins.(CJV)

Jacob would be called Israel, in Hebrew, Yisra’el, meaning “God Prevails.”[4] As time went on, Israel’s sons would become known as the fathers of the 12 tribes Israel.[5] To this day 4000 years later, Israel is the name of the Hebrew nation.

Jacob’s role in the story of the Messiah includes a specific blessing and prophecy of his own. Before he died, Jacob blessed each of his sons and foretold their future. Specifically for Judah:[6]

Gen. 49:8-10 Judah, [as for] you, your brothers will acknowledge you. Your hand will be at the nape of your enemies, [and] your father’s sons will prostrate themselves to you. A cub [and] a grown lion is Judah. From the prey, my son, you withdrew. He crouched, rested like a lion, and like a lion, who will rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the student of the law from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him will be a gathering of peoples. (CJV)

Rabbi Rashi, one of Judaism’s most revered scriptural interpreters, identified “Shiloh” as the “King Messiah, to whom the kingdom belongs” and “the scepter” refers to the royal lineage of “David and thereafter.” [7] According to Rashi, the prophetic blessing of Judah by his father Jacob was a pretext to the establishment of the kingdom of David.

“The scepter” (also interpreted as “the staff”) reappears over 400 years later in another prophecy tied to Jacob. Moab King Balak, an enemy of Israel, sought to have a curse placed on the Hebrew nation by the prophet Balaam. Instead, the response from God through Balaam was a prophecy linked to Jacob, a Star and the Scepter:

Num 24:17 “”I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; a Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and batter the brow of Moab, and destroy all the sons of tumult.” (NKJV)

In Balaam’s prophecy, Rashi interpreted “the scepter” referred to King David. “The Star” shooting forth from Jacob he interpreted to mean, “As the Targum [Onkelos] renders, an expression similar to ‘He has bent his bow’ (Lam. 2:4), for a star shoots out like an arrow; in old French, destent, as if to say, his good fortune shall rise [prosper].”[8]

Promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were partially fulfilled when Israel conquered the land of Canaan and established a kingdom ruled by King David from the tribe of Judah.[9] Prophet Nathan prophesied to David that his kingdom would become the throne for the kingdom of God forever. [10]

Hebrew prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zechariah, Ezekiel, Micah and Malachi would add more specific details about the One who would come forth from Jacob.[11] They would include characteristics of the Messiah and predict the circumstances of his birth, life and death.

One more prophecy brought together the promises and predictions about the house of Jacob – Israel. It came from God’s own personal messenger, the archangel Gabriel, who announced to Mary:

LK 1:31-33 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”

Gabriel proclaimed, according to Luke, that the promise made to Jacob and the prophecies from the prophets would be fulfilled when Mary would give birth to the Son of God who would be given the throne of David to reign over the house of Jacob forever.

Jacob’s name is woven into the story of the Messiah from start to finish. Where would the promise of the Messiah be without a connection to Jacob?

 

Updated November 25, 2023.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Translations:

NASB: New American Standard Bible
NET: NetBible
NIV: New International Version
NLT: New Living Translation
NKJV: New King James Version
NRSV: New Revised Standard Version

REFERENCES:

[1] Exodus 3:6, 14-16; 4:5; 33:1. NET, NIV, NASB, NLT, NRSV, NKJV.
[2] Matthew 22:31-32; Luke 20:36-38. CR Matthew 8; Luke 13.
[3] CR Genesis 50; Exodus 33; Deuteronomy 1, 9, 30; I Chronicles 16; Jeremiah 33.
[4] NetBible.org. Hebrew text. Yisra’el <03478> Lexicon-Concordance Online Bible. n.d <http://lexiconcordance.com/hebrew/3478.html>  CR Isaiah 43, 45.
[5] I Chronicles 2:1-12; 2 Kings 17.  “Twelve Tribes of Israel.” Encyclopædia Britannica. 2018. <https://www.britannica.com/topic/Twelve-Tribes-of-Israel>  Posner, Yecheskel. “12 Tribes of Israel: The Shevatim.” n.d. <https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3798842/jewish/12-Tribes-of-Israel-The-Shevatim.htm>  “Ancient Jewish History: The Twelve Tribes of Israel.” Jewish Virtual Library. 2018. <https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-twelve-tribes-of-israel>
[6] Genesis 49. Lion of Judah (no title). Dahsom’s Blog. photo. 2019. <https://www.morninghope.com/genesis-49-jacob-blesses-his-sons-and-dies> 
[7] Genesis 49:10. Rashi commentary. The Compete Jewish Bible – with Rashi Commentary. <https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/8244#showrashi=true> Mindel, Nissan. “Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki).” <http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/111831/jewish/Rabbi-Shlomo-Yitzchaki-Rashi.htm>
[8] Numbers 24:17 Rashi commentary. Complete Jewish Bible with Rashi Commentary. <https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/9952#showrashi=true>
[9] 2 Samuel 5; 1 Chronicles 11.  Josephus. Antiquites of the Jews. Book VII, Chapter III.2.
[10] 2 Samuel 7:12 CR I Chronicles 17.
[11] Isaiah 2, 9, 10, 11, 20, 44, 46, 49, 58, 59, 60. Jeremiah 23, 30, 31, 33; Zechariah 3, 6, 12. Ezekiel 39. Micah 5. Malachi 3.