Was Mary a Virgin When She Gave Birth to Jesus?

One of the most frequently discussed questions in biblical interpretation concerns the virgin birth of Jesus, particularly in relation to Matthew’s citation of Isaiah 7:14. Matthew 1:23 quotes the prophecy as saying, “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel.” Critics often argue that this wording misrepresents the original Hebrew, since the term used in Isaiah does not explicitly mean “virgin.”

The Hebrew of Isaiah 7:14

The Hebrew word used in Isaiah 7:14 is ‘almāh, which is more accurately translated as “young woman” or “young girl.” Unlike betūlāh, which more explicitly denotes virginity, ‘almāh refers to a young woman of marriageable age without directly stating her sexual status. Virginity, however, is strongly implied, especially within the cultural context of ancient Israel, where an unmarried young woman would normally be assumed to be sexually untouched.

Thus, Isaiah’s prophecy may be said not to hinge on a technical biological definition of virginity, but on the expectation that this young woman had not yet known a man.

The Greek Translation and Matthew’s Use

What is often overlooked in this discussion is that neither the Septuagint (LXX), the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, nor Matthew’s Gospel employs a term whose primary, technical meaning is “virgin” in a strictly biological sense. The Greek word used, parthenos, like its Hebrew counterpart, commonly refers to a young woman of marriageable age. While it can imply virginity, its semantic range is broader than modern readers often assume.

Matthew, therefore, is not imposing a foreign or manipulated meaning onto Isaiah’s words. Rather, he is faithfully reproducing the accepted Greek rendering of his time, one that naturally carries the implication of sexual purity without explicitly defining it.

Immediate and Ultimate Fulfilment

Isaiah 7:14 had an immediate or partial fulfilment in the prophet’s own day, serving as a sign to King Ahaz. Yet the prophecy also points beyond its immediate historical context. The name “Immanuel,” meaning “God with us,” suggests a depth and scope that transcend the original situation and find their fullest expression in the birth of Jesus.

The Gospel Testimony

While Isaiah’s prophecy speaks of a young unmarried woman conceiving, the Gospel accounts provide fuller revelation. Both Matthew and Luke explicitly testify that Mary conceived Jesus without having known any man. Her pregnancy was not the result of human intercourse but of divine intervention. Luke records Mary’s own words: “How will this be, since I do not know a man?” (Luke 1:34), leaving no ambiguity about her virginal state.

A Consistent Biblical Witness

Translating Isaiah 7:14 simply as “virgin,” without explaining its linguistic and cultural background, can give critical readers the impression of interpretive manipulation. This is a danger that interpreters must acknowledge and avoid. Yet when the prophecy is read carefully, in its Hebrew context and in light of the Gospel narratives, no contradiction emerges.

The New Testament remains fully consistent with the Hebrew Bible. Isaiah foretold that a young unmarried woman, implicitly a virgin, would conceive and bear a son. The Gospels reveal how this occurred: Mary, a holy and unmarried young woman who had not known any man, conceived by the power of God. In this fuller light, we can rightly affirm that Mary was not merely a young woman, but truly a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus, the one rightly called “God with us.”