Want to see how the KJV compares with th RSV version of the Bible? Look at Isaiah 7:14?

Question

Note the word "virgin" as compared with "young woman". And yes I know that a young woman is considered a virgin, but does everybody else know that?


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

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Imman'u-el." RSV
Revised Standard Version © 1947, 1952.

Answer 1

Another reason I stick with the KJV. We may know, but young or new Christians or even those wanting to discredit the Word would use this. "See, she wasn't even a virgin, so how can you say Jesus was from God?!" I can hear it now, can't you? Thanks for bringing that up.

Answer 2

The KJV didn't mistranslate, the word means, a young woman who is a virgin. Just saying "a young woman" conceived robs the prophecy of its glory, theres a lot of young woman that can conceive, but The King of all is born of a virgin. But is it any surprise that in this wicked generation we keep on adding more water to the wine. There is that word that gives God all the glory, that is true to the original, and the "elect of God"will discern it and follow The Lamb. The others who find fault will stumble on this word, but this they are appointed to.

Answer 3

This passage has multiple fulfillments, the sign was to king Ahaz so there had to be a fulfillment in his lifetime. The sign was a son born to Isaiah by the prophetess in chapter 8. He is referred to twice as Immanuel or God is with us. If the word used was "virgin" then this would have created obvious problems with this first fulfillment.

Answer 4

No, I didn't know a young woman means a virgin. To me it doesn't necessarily mean a virgin and if someone who thinks like me reads that in the RSV they won't know that he is saying that a virgin will have the messiah. That changes the meaning. I'll stick with my NAS.

Answer 5

Shoot you should do the NKJV compared to the KJV you would find a lot more discrepancies than that. Not only in translation of words to better understand the meaning, but even in parts of verses left out.

Answer 6

I don't know Hebrew but I will say this....
Young woman seems to imply someone who is yet to be married and for God, someone who isn't married should be considered a virgin especially when they are in the favor of God.

EDIT:
What I am trying to say is I don't know that the translator was purposely trying to make is sound like Mary wasn't a virgin. I think he was possibly assuming we could figure that out.
BUT I could see how it could be confusing for someone who is new in the faith. So your point is valid for new Christians.

Answer 7

"young woman" and "virgin" do NOT mean the same thing!This is why I always say nothing in the bible should be taken literally;as the Word has been translated and worded so many different ways since the first time it was written!

Answer 8

In other words the RSV is correct.

The word Almah means "young woman"

If you want to say virgin in Hebrew then you say betualah

Anyone with a basic understanding of Hebrew would say so.

Answer 9

Brother Don, I couldn't agree more with your mentality about this. It DOES make a difference. This is an old spirit that has been alive for centuries called Arianism, a teaching that denies the deity of Jesus Christ. It keeps raising up its ugly head and we keep stepping on it.
Blessings.

Answer 10

The King James Version mistranslates the Hebrew word "almah", which means "young woman" as "virgin". (The Hebrew word, "bethulah", means "virgin".)