The Greatest Offer in History – Turned Down

Posted on by K.B. Vogelman

King Ahaz knew the reputation of prophet Isaiah who had prophesied to two previous kings, his father King Jotham and grandfather King Uzziah.^[1] When the prophet spoke, Ahaz was fully aware that Isaiah was speaking directly for God, yet the King turned down the greatest offer ever made by God to a man.

Ten generations earlier, the House of David was split by God as a punishment for worshiping pagan gods Sidonian goddess Astarte, Moabite god Chemosh and Ammonite god Milcom.^[2] God retained Jerusalem and split off 10 tribes of Israel whom He promised to bless if they followed God like David had done.^[3]

King Rehoboam, son of Solomon, ruled the nation of Judah from Jerusalem while 10 tribes followed Jeroboam, son of Nebat from the tribe of Ephraim, who became their King of the nation Israel.^[4]

Themselves becoming enemies among themselves, two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim, split off from Israel warring with each other.^[5] God even foretold Ephraim as a nation would be eliminated within 65 years.^[7]

During the reign of Ahaz, King Pekah of Ephraim allied with King Rezin of Syria (Aram or the Arameans) to attack Judah and besieged Jerusalem. Inside the city, Ahaz and the people were greatly distressed and in an effort to calm their fears, God sent Isaiah promising protection to Jerusalem and King Ahaz.^[6]

Assuring the shaken King of God’s promise of protection, Ahaz was given the unprecedented opportunity to ask for a miraculous sign with boundless limitations – any sign between Heaven and Hell to prove His promise was indisputable:

^{Is 7:11} “Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven.”_(NASB)

Ahaz said to Isaiah, “I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!”^[8] Unbelievably,the King refused to take the offer declining the unique opportunity to choose any sign between Heaven and Hell!

Knowing the true reason for Ahaz’ response and not taking kindly to this attitude, Isaiah’s response certainly didn’t ease the King’s anxieties: “Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well?”^[9]

No longer speaking just to the King, God’s response through Isaiah addressed a much broader audience, “Listen now, O house of David!”^[10] God’s response to Ahaz’ attitude was now broadened in effect saying, “now let me tell the whole kingdom of David about God’s marvelous sign!”

Unequivocal parameters of the sign had already been established with God’s initial offer to the King to choose any sign between Heaven and Hell. Now God now raised the bar even higher with a prophecy so fantastic, so exceptional, it would require a miracle:

^{Is 7:14:} “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” _(NKJV)

Seemingly impossible, Isaiah foretold of the virgin giving birth. Compounded by three requirements, it makes the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 very precise.

First, the prophecy precisely uses hā-‘al-māh specifically translated as the virgin. It is the only time “almah” terminology is used to refer to a female since the Law was handed down to Moses at Mt. Sinai.

Before the Law was given, in only two instances is a female specifically identified as a virgin – Rebekah, the virgin bride of Isaac, and Miriam, the virgin sister of Moses.^[11]

Two other specifics: Isaiah foretold the gender of the virgin’s child would be a boy and he was named by God, a Biblical rarity. In-spite-of specifics, detractors abound.

Various rationalizations by skeptics assert Isaiah 7:14 is not a Messiah prophecy with some arguing the prediction was really about an unidentified young female who was present with King Ahaz and Isaiah.^[12] Jewish sage Rabbi Rashi espoused the prophecy was about Manoah’s wife, mother of Sampson, the Biblical strongman.^[13]

Additional critics contend the Christian Bible is a mistranslation, a misinterpretation, or an error.^[14] A few go so far as to accuse Christians of a conspiracy to intentionally change the text as a false means to support beliefs of Christianity.

Science discoveries and technology advancements debunk some of these charges, especially the Christianity accusations. Qumran discovery of the complete Great Isaiah Scroll, written in ancient Hebrew in 125 BC over a century before Jesus of Nazareth was born, contains the Hebrew words ha-almah, “the virgin.”^[15]

Would the promised virgin female’s conception of a baby boy named by God rise to the level of an unparalleled, matchless sign of God; a Messiah prophecy?

Updated December 8, 2024.

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

REFERENCES:

[1] 2 Chronicles 26.22-23; 27:1-2; 2 Kings 15:32-34, 38; Isaiah 1:1; 7:1.
[2] I Kings 11:4-8, 33; I Chronicles 3:10-13.
[3] I Kings 11:26-49.
[4] I Kings 12:16-20, 26.
[5] I Kings 14:30. Isaiah 9:21.
[6] Isaiah 7:2.
[7] Isaiah 7:2, 8. “Special Offer|Exclusive.” FreePNGimg.com. photo. 2022. <https://freepngimg.com/download/special_offer/12-2-special-offer-picture.png>
[8] Isaiah 7:12. NASB, NKJV.
[9] Isaiah 7:13.
[10] NKJV.
[11] Isaiah 7:14. Bible Hub. Hebrew text. <https://biblehub.com/text/isaiah/7-14.htm> Genesis 24:43. Bible Hub. Hebrew text. <https://biblehub.com/text/genesis/24-43.htm> Exodus 2:8. Hebrew text. BibleHub. <https://biblehub.com/text/exodus/2-8.htm>
[12] 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?” About.com|Agnosticism/Atheism. n.d. <http://atheism.about.com/od/biblepeoplenewtestament/p/MaryVirgin.htm> Yosef, Uri. “Isaiah 7:14 – Part 1: An Accurate Grammatical Analysis.” The Jewish Home. 2011. <http://thejewishhome.org/counter/Isa714_1.pdf> Bratcher, Dennis. “Isaiah 7:14: Translation Issues.” The Voice. 10 Feb. 2014. <http://www.crivoice.org/isa7-14.html> The Complete Jewish Bible with Rashi Commentary. Yeshayahu- Isaiah 7:14. <https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/15938/showrashi/true> “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…”” Religious Tolerance. 2007 <http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_proi.htm> Gill. John Gill’s Exposition of the Whole Bible. Isaiah 7:14 commentary. <https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/isaiah-7.html>
[13] The Compete Jewish Bible- with Rashi Commentary. Isaiah 7:14, CR Judges Chapter 13.
[14] Nahigian. “A Virgin-Birth Prophesy?” Cramer. “The Book of Isaiah.” Cline, Austin. “Who Was Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus? Was She Really a Virgin?” Yosef, Uri. “Isaiah 7:14 – Part 1: An Accurate Grammatical Analysis.” Bratcher, Dennis. “Isaiah 7:14: Translation Issues.”
[15] “Isaiah 7:14-Deception In The Name Of Jesus.” Agnostic Review of Christianity. n.d. <http://agnosticreview.com/isaiah7.htm> Miller. Fred P. “The Translation of the Great Isaiah Scroll.” Book of Isaiah. Column VI Isa 6:7 to 7:15. 2001. <http://www.moellerhaus.com/qa-tran.htm> Miller. Fred P. “Commentary on Isaiah – In-depth verse-by-verse study of Isaiah.” Moellerhaus Publisher. 1999. <http://moellerhaus.com/7-8.htm> Isaiah 7:14. Bible Hub. Hebrew text. <https://biblehub.com/text/isaiah/7-14.htm> Isaiah 7:14 BibleHub.com. Interlinear Bible Hebrew text “5959 [e] hā·‘al·māh”. <http://biblehub.com/interlinear/isaiah/7-14.htm> Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB) translation for Isaiah 7:14. <https://biblehub.com/ojb/isaiah/7.htm>

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.

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>

Isaiah Messiah Prophecies – Any Exceptions?

Posted on by K.B. Vogelman

Isaiah Messiah Prophecies – Any Exceptions?

Isaiah is the greatest of all the prophets, according to the Jewish Encyclopedia, and regarded by many Rabbi sages as second in importance only to Moses.^[1] Prophecies of Isaiah, who lived 300 years after the reign of King David, foretell of the Messiah throughout his writings.

Many of Isaiah’s prophecies are referenced in the Babylonian Talmud reinforcing their significance.^[2] In tractate Sanhedrin 98 alone, six Rabbis make 11 references to Isaiah’s Messiah prophecies.^[3]

Dead Sea Scrolls discoveries in 1947 yielded one of the most treasured finds, the Great Isaiah Scroll. Dated to about 125 BC, it is the oldest known, nearly complete Hebrew text of the Book of Isaiah.^[4]

In Jerusalem, the scroll is secured in the Israel Museum. It is 1000 years older than the Masoretic texts which primarily serve as the source for today’s Jewish Bible, the Tenakh.^[5]

Ancient Hebrew text translating has its challenges. Consisting of an alphabet with only 22 letters, all consonants, used to form a root word which often times can either be a noun or a verb.

Translators must then rely on the broader context to fill in the vowels, tenses and other words to form a complete sentence in English.^[6] Subjective translations obviously opens the door to variation.

In turn, variations in translations can impact interpretations of a prophecy’s meanings.^[7] No surprise, Judaism interpretations are not always in agreement with Christianity, some differences are less clear than others.^[8]

Jonathan Targum (targum means “translation”) is known as the “Official Targum to the Prophets” an Aramaic translation of the Tenakh with roots going back to about 200 BC.^[9] According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, it was written “more freely, in harmony with the text of the prophetic books.”^[10]

Scrolls were not broken down into chapter and verse when they were written. A section of verses on a specific topic are known as a parashah or pericope, such as Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12 about “My Servant.”

Opening the Isaiah 52-53 parashah, Jonathan Targum reads, “Behold my servant Messiah shall prosper…” Towards the end of the parashah it reads, “…so as to cleanse their souls from sin: these shall look on the kingdom of their Messiah…”^[11]

Most Christians believe Isaiah’s 52-53 parashah depicting of the life, torment, death and satisfaction in life-after-death of My Servant is a prophecy about the Messiah fulfilled by the trial, crucifixion, burial and Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Judaism generally regards the parashah as a metaphor of a man, the nation of Israel and the house of Jacob ; however, not all Jewish authorities agree – Rabbi Rashi commented it refers to the biblical strongman, Sampson.^[12]

Hours before his arrest during his final Passover meal with his Disciples, Jesus pointed out a prophecy written about himself that was soon to be fulfilled. Quoting from the parashah, Isaiah 53:12, he said:

^{LK 22:37} “It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.””_(NIV)

Preeminent Jewish Scriptures authority Rabbi Maimonides once asked a rhetorical question, “What is to be the manner of Messiah’s advent, and where will be the place of his first appearance?” Answering his own question, the Rabbi quoted two prophecies from the parashah; Isaiah 53:2, regarding the Messiah’s unheralded arrival, and Isaiah 52:15, explaining how kings would be “confounded at the wonders” the Messiah would perform.^[13]

Most controversial is the prophecy Isaiah 7:14 viewed by Christianity as being fulfilled by the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Masoretic text translates`almah as meaning “young woman” while nearly all Christian Bibles translate `almah as “virgin.”^[14] Making the controversy more provocative are some Christian Bible versions inconsistently translating Isaiah 7:14 as “young woman,” then translating it differently in Matthew as “virgin.”^[15]

Jesus of Nazareth caused a stir, according to Luke, when he read from Isaiah to begin his ministry. Jesus read from Isaiah 61:1-2:^[16]

^{IS 61:1-2} “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn…”_(NKJV)

Jesus had identified Isaiah’s prophecies as the basis for people to see that he is the fulfillment of those prophecies. Later, Jesus said the prophesies written by the prophets about the himself had to be fulfilled.^[17]

Can some of the prophesies found in the Book of Isaiah be discarded or are they all to be regarded as pr0phecies about the Messiah?

Updated June 13, 2024.

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

REFERENCES:
[1] “Isaiah.” Jewish Encyclopedia. 2011. <http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/8235-isaiah>
[2] Jones, Dennis A. “Jewish Messianic Texts.” The Emmanuel Church of the Web. n.d. <http://fecotw.tripod.com/id88.html> The Babylonian Talmud. Trans. Michael L. Rodkinson. 1918. http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/talmud.htm#t08> Soncino Babylonian Talmud. Ed. Rabbi Isidore Epstein. 1935 – 1948. <https://israelect.com/Come-and-Hear/tcontents.html>
[3] Soncino Babylonian Talmud. Sanhedrin 98a & b footnotes: Isaiah XLIX:7, XXIX:21 I:25, LIX:19, LIX:20, LX:21, LIX:16, XLVIII:11, LX:22; LIII.4. Also 38a, footnote #9 to Isaiah 8:14. <https://israelect.com/Come-and-Hear/sanhedrin/sanhedrin_98.html>
[4] “The Great Isaiah Scroll.” 2018. The Israel Museum, Jerusalem. <http://dss.collections.imj.org.il/isaiah> Miller. Library of Congress (United States). n.d. “Scrolls From the Dead Sea.” <https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/scrolls/late.html> Israel Antiquities Authority. 2012. “The Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library.” <https://www.deadseascrolls.org.il/explore-the-archive/search#q=’Isaiah‘> Fred P. The Great Isaiah Scroll. 1998. “Qumran Great Isaiah Scroll.” <http://www.moellerhaus.com/qumdir.htm> Abegg, Jr., Martin G., Flint, Peter W. and Ulrich Eugene Charles. The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible: the oldest known Bible translated for the first time into English. 2002. p 281. <http://books.google.com/books?id=c4R9c7wAurQC&lpg=PP1&ots=fQpCpzCdb5&dq=Abegg%2C%20Flint%20and%20Ulrich%2C%20The%20Dead%20Dead%20Sea%20Scrolls%20Bible%2C&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=Isaiah&f=false> “Dead Sea Scrolls.” Archaeology. 2018. <http://www.allaboutarchaeology.org/dead-sea-scrolls.htm> “The Dead Sea Scrolls.” National Endowment For The Humanities. image. 2015. <https://essentials.neh.gov/sites/default/files/DeadSeaScroll_v1.jpg>
[5] Benner, Jeff A. “The Great Isaiah Scroll and the Masoretic Text.” Ancient Hebrew Research Center. 2017. <http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/bible_isaiahscroll.html> “Masoretic Text.” Encyclopædia Britannica. n.d. <https://www.britannica.com/topic/Masoretic-text> “Jewish Concepts: Masoretic Text.” Jewish Virtual Library. 2018. <https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/Masoretic.html> “Masoretic Text.” Textus-Receptus.Com. 2016. <http://textus-receptus.com/wiki/Masoretic_Text> “Masoretic Text.” New World Encyclopedia. 2014. <http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Masoretic_Text> Zew, Moshe. “The Numeric System of the Bible.” 27 Dec. 2013. WorldWide Witness by Moshe Zew. <http://www.kolumbus.fi/gematria/numeric.htm>
[6] “The Hebrew Language.” MyJewishLearning.com. n.d. <http://www.myjewishlearning.com/culture/2/Languages/Hebrew.shtml>
“History of the Hebrew Language.” B’NAI ZAQEN. 2005. <http://www.zaqen.info/hislangu.htm> Benner, Jeff A. “Introduction to the Ancient Hebrew Vocabulary.” Ancient Hebrew Research Center. 2013. <https://www.ancient-hebrew.org/introduction.htm> Benner, Jeff A. “Introduction to the Hebrew Bible.” Ancient Hebrew Research Center. 2017. <https://www.ancient-hebrew.org/introduction.htm>
[7] Benner. “Introduction to the Hebrew Bible.”
[8] Neubauer and Driver. The Fifty-third Chapter of Isaiah According to the Jewish Interpreters. “Introduction.” pp. xxix- lxv. <https://books.google.com/books?id=YxdbAAAAQAAJ&pg=PP1&hl=en#v=onepage&q=introduction&f=false> Sullivan, Charles A. “A History of Chapters and Verses in the Hebrew Bible.” 2012. <http://charlesasullivan.com/2693/a-history-of-chapters-and-verses-in-the-hebrew-bible>
[9] Neubauer, Adolf. And Driver, Samuel Rolles. The Fifty-third Chapter of Isaiah According to the Jewish Interpreters. 1877. “Thargum of Yonathan (Jonathan Targum)” pp. 5-7. <https://books.google.com/books?id=YxdbAA
[10] “Targum.” Jewish Encyclopedia. 2011. AAQAAJ&pg=PP1&hl=en#v=onepage&q=Thargum&f=false >
[11] Neubauer. The Fifty-third Chapter of Isaiah According to the Jewish Interpreters. “Thargum of Yonathan.” pp. 5-7.
[12] The Complete Jewish Bible with Rashi Commentary. Isaiah 53:3. Rashi commentary. Soncino Babylonian Talmud. n.d. Sotah 14a. <https://israelect.com/Come-and-Hear/sotah/sotah_14.html#14a_1> Crispin, Moshe Kohen ibn. “Sefer ha-Musar.” Neubauer, Driver & Rolles. The Fifty-third Chapter of Isaiah According to the Jewish Interpreters. pp. 99-101. <http://books.google.com/books?id=YxdbAAAAQAAJ&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=advent&f=false> The Compete Jewish Bible- with Rashi Commentary. Isaiah 7:14. CR Judges Chapter 13.
[13] Mangel, Nissen. “Responsa.” Chabad.org. 2018. <http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/107783/jewish/Responsa.htm> Maimonides, “Letter to the South (Yemen)”. p 374. Neubauer and Driver. The Fifty-third Chapter of Isaiah According to the Jewish Interpreters.
[14] Isaiah 7:14. The Complete Jewish Bible with Rashi Commentary. Isaiah 7:14. Jewish Publication Society Bible. <http://www.breslov.com/bible/Isaiah7.htm#14 > “Mishneh Torah, Virgin Maiden 1. “Sefaria.org. n.d. <https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh_Torah%2C_Virgin_Maiden.1.5?lang=bi>> 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>
[15] Good News Translation; Net Bible Translation.
[16] Luke 4:16-21; Isaiah 61:1-2a.
[17] Luke 24:44-48.