Christograph

Isaiah 7:14 — "Virgin or Young Woman"

Whether the Hebrew word 'almah' in Isaiah 7:14 should be translated as 'virgin' (as in the Septuagint and Matthew 1:23) or 'young woman,' and the implications for the doctrine of the virgin birth.

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Overall consensus83/100

Oriental Orthodox (Miaphysite)

Oriental Orthodox (Miaphysite)

Orthodox

Affirms

Isaiah 7:14 fulfilled in Virgin Mary; Logos incarnate; Theotokos emphasis

Oriental Orthodox churches affirm Isaiah 7:14 as a messianic prophecy fulfilled in the Virgin Mary and the incarnate Christ. The verse announces the Logos becoming flesh in human form through Mary's womb. This prophecy is central to Oriental Orthodox Christology and affirms Mary as Theotokos (Bearer of God).

Oriental Orthodox tradition emphasizes Mary's role as Mother of God as a theological affirmation of the Logos' full incarnation. Isaiah 7:14 is cited in liturgy and theology to affirm that what was born of Mary was the divine-human Christ, the unified incarnate expression of the Logos.

Key Distinctions

Almah translation:
Prophecy fulfillment:
one complete divine-human nature born of Mary
Marian doctrine:
Mary as Bearer of God affirmed

Scripture References

Sources

  • Coptic Orthodox Tradition
  • Oriental Orthodox Liturgy
  • Oriental Orthodox Theology
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