Isaiah 7 14

Isaiah 7:14 kjv

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14 nkjv

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14 niv

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14 esv

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14 nlt

All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means 'God is with us').

Isaiah 7 verses

Isaiah 7 14 meaning

Isaiah 7:14 declares that the Lord Himself will provide a miraculous sign: a young woman, here specifically referred to as "the virgin" by the Septuagint and later by Matthew, will conceive and bear a son, and she will name Him Immanuel, meaning "God with us." This prophecy assured Judah that God's presence and deliverance were guaranteed, despite King Ahaz's unfaithfulness.

Isaiah 7 14 Context

Isaiah chapter 7 details the Syro-Ephraimite war, where Aram (Syria) and Israel (Ephraim) allied against Judah, led by King Ahaz. They intended to depose Ahaz and install a puppet king. Amidst Jerusalem's terror, the Lord instructed Isaiah to meet Ahaz and reassure him, promising that the two hostile kings' plans would fail. Isaiah urged Ahaz to trust in God and to ask for a sign, either deep as Sheol or high as heaven. However, Ahaz, feigning piety but planning to ally with Assyria, refused, stating he would not "test the Lord." In response to Ahaz's unfaithfulness, God, through Isaiah, declared He would Himself give a sign, which is Isaiah 7:14, directed specifically to the "house of David"—the royal lineage of which Ahaz was a part. The sign would serve to confirm God's future deliverance despite present political turmoil and Ahaz's distrust, pointing to an ultimate divine intervention.

Isaiah 7 14 Word analysis

• Therefore (לָכֵן, lakhen): Indicates a consequence or direct result of the preceding statement (Ahaz's refusal to ask for a sign). God will act because Ahaz refused to trust Him.
• the Lord (אֲדֹנָי, Adonai): Refers to the sovereign master, a reverential title for God, emphasizing His authority and control. It's often used when God's holiness or authority is highlighted.
• Himself (הוּא, huʾ): Emphatic pronoun stressing that God, not Ahaz's request, is the source and giver of this sign. It underscores divine initiative and sovereignty.
• will give (נֹתֵן, noten): Present participle indicating an immediate future action, a certain divine promise.
• you (לָכֶם, lakhem): Plural, referring to the "house of David," not just Ahaz personally, implying a significance beyond the immediate king.
• a sign (אוֹת, ʾot): Not merely an indicator, but a remarkable, supernatural event or token designed to confirm God's word, power, or presence (e.g., wonders, miracles). It points beyond itself to a greater truth.
• Behold (הִנֵּה, hinneh): An exclamation to draw urgent attention to something momentous and about to happen or be revealed.
• the virgin (הָעַלְמָה, ha-ʿalmah): This is a pivotal term.
  • Hebrew: ʿalmah (young woman, maiden of marriageable age, potentially unmarried or a virgin). It describes age and status but does not exclusively specify virginity as betulah (בְּתוּלָה) does.
  • Septuagint (LXX, 2nd century BCE Greek translation): translated ʿalmah here as parthenos (παρθένος), which strongly means "virgin." This shows pre-Christian understanding leaned toward a virginal state.
  • Contextually, for it to be a truly miraculous "sign," the mother's state being a virgin, as fulfilled in Matthew, elevates it from an ordinary birth to a supernatural event.
• shall conceive (הָרָה, harah): Present participle, indicating certainty of the future action. The natural biological act of conceiving.
• and bear (וְיֹלֶדֶת, v'yoledet): And gives birth to, certain future action.
• a Son (בֵּן, ben): Male offspring. The identity and nature of this son are central to the prophecy.
• and shall call (וְקָרָאת, v'qara't): Feminine singular form. Typically, the mother would name the child in such contexts. The referent for "she" is ha-ʿalmah, implying she (the young woman) is the one to name him.
• His name (שְׁמוֹ, sh'mo): Name represents character and destiny in Hebrew thought.
• Immanuel (עִמָּנוּ אֵל, Immanu 'El): A compound Hebrew name meaning "God with us." It's not just a name but a declarative statement about the child's identity and/or God's active presence among His people through this child.

Word-Groups Analysis

• "the Lord Himself will give you a sign": This highlights God's sovereignty and determination. He takes the initiative, providing a sign that transcends Ahaz's lack of faith, indicating the magnitude and importance of the coming event. It is a sign not of man's doing but of divine intervention.
• "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son": This is the core of the sign. The "behold" emphasizes its extraordinary nature. The birth of this "Son" is central. The translation of ʿalmah as parthenos in the Septuagint and its fulfillment in Matthew strongly suggest the miraculous nature of the conception by a virgin.
• "and shall call His name Immanuel": The naming of the child, "God with us," is deeply theological. It declares God's presence as manifest through this child, reassuring His people of His active involvement and protection.

Isaiah 7 14 Bonus section

The historical debate around ʿalmah often overlooks the function of an ʾot (sign). For a normal birth to be a truly compelling "sign" for a king already surrounded by births, it would require a supernatural element or an incredibly precise timeline. While some scholars debate the ʿalmah's marital status or even virginity in the immediate 8th-century context, the translation choices in the LXX and Matthew's direct quotation pivot the primary, prophetic interpretation towards the unique, miraculous virgin birth. Furthermore, the use of "house of David" for lakhem indicates this sign's relevance extended beyond Ahaz's personal fate to the entire lineage through which the Messiah was to come. Immanuel signifies God's active covenant presence, initially comforting Ahaz and Judah in crisis, but ultimately manifested perfectly in the incarnate Christ, God tabernacling with humanity.

Isaiah 7 14 Commentary

Isaiah 7:14 stands as one of the most significant Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament, though its immediate context is within a desperate national crisis for Judah. God offers a specific, miraculous sign to the Davidic dynasty, centered on a child named Immanuel. While the Hebrew term ʿalmah technically means "young woman," the Septuagint's translation (parthenos, "virgin") and, more importantly, the explicit New Testament fulfillment in Matthew 1:23 undeniably interpret it as a miraculous virgin birth for the Messiah, Jesus. This dual perspective (a possible immediate, perhaps partial, fulfillment in Isaiah's time not explicitly recorded, and the ultimate, perfect fulfillment in Jesus) acknowledges God's broader plan. The name "Immanuel," meaning "God with us," is the crux of the sign, powerfully asserting that God would not abandon His people but would physically or representatively be present among them, culminating in Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. This verse offers not only a glimpse into the nature of the Messiah but also a foundational truth about God's faithfulness and willingness to provide signs of hope even amidst human doubt and geopolitical turmoil.