Isaiah 7:14 — "Virgin or Young Woman"

Mennonites affirm the traditional Christian reading of Isaiah 7:14 as a messianic prophecy of the virginal birth of Jesus. The Hebrew word 'almah' (young woman/virgin) is understood in Christian exegesis as containing the meaning of virginity, especially in the context of the sign God gives to Ahaz.

While acknowledging scholarly debates about the term's precise meaning in its original context, Mennonites affirm the apostolic interpretation (Matthew 1:23) that applies this text to Jesus's birth. The Mennonite tradition does not treat this as a matter requiring uniformity in biblical scholarship, but the community affirms Jesus's virgin birth as taught in the Gospels and supported by this prophetic text.