The Hebrew Paronyms: Widow and Young Woman
In grammar, words that are similar in spelling and pronunciation but different in meaning are paronyms (“near name”) aka near-homonyms. Paronym is also a word that is derived from the same root as another word. With this we coming to the object of this Hebrew study: The Hebrew paronyms for “widow” and “young woman”. This work has also a second object: to expose a certain alteration in some translations which significantly changes the meaning of the Hebrew words. We will explain this in due course.
Homophones (“same sound”) are words that sound the same but have different meanings and different spellings, like “their” and “there”, and “knight” and “night”. Homonyms (“same name”) are words that sound the same and are spelled the same but have different meanings like “flight”, as an air travel but also series of steps. In such a case the context determines which meaning applies. There are however types of homonyms that are spelled similarly, sound similarly, but they have different meanings. Homographs (“same writing”) on the other hand are words that are spelled the same but may sound different while having different meanings, like “wind”, “right”, and “tear”.
The Biblical Hebrew does not make any exception. For example, the Hebrew word Elohim is a homonym; it literally means “mighty one(s)”, but depending on the context it could mean “God”, i.e., the Creator of the universe, “gods” (idols), “angels” or “judges”. The common thing between these meanings is that elohim is anyone who is in power and authority. The plural form, when applied to the Creator of the universe, is used in the so-called “majestic plural” or “royal plural”. Hebrew plurals can be quantitative (a noun)—more than one or qualitative (an adjective)—large or great) and is used for “strong leaders that are bound to another”. The term “royal plural” may be used to embody all the “strengths” of a single ruler, such as a king. For example, a king may declare: “We the people”. Elohim is not necessarily a noun but an adjective as well. In the case of a qualitative form, Elohim can mean “great” or “superior”. Words that describe YHVH such as Adonai and Shaddai are also majestic plural.
Insight: Hebrew uses singular nouns as collectives. For this reason, it requires to examine if a particular word is used elsewhere in the singular with a plural meaning. Gesenius states: “Almost any singular noun may be used as a noun of species or of category—the generic use—and then it is the equivalent to a plural”. The plural, pluralis majestatis, is a form of expression used by kings when they really only refer to themselves. They use this mode of expression to suggest that though they are only individuals they act on behalf of a multitude. We now return to the text.
If the plural noun elohim is the subject of a verb, the verb will indicate if the subject is singular or plural; the most pronounced example is in Deuteronomy 10:17. Another example is the Hebrew word mal’ach, “messenger”; it could mean a celestial being, an angel, or a [human] messenger. Again, the context determines which meaning applies. It will be a grave error to misconstrue the plural Elohim as quantitate. We addressed this issue in our expanded study “Guide for the Perplexed in the World of Dualism”.
The Biblical Hebrew word for “widow” is אַלְמָנָה almanah. It appears frequently in the Hebrew Tanach, in contexts of social justice, care for the vulnerable and poor: Exodus 22:22, “You shall not afflict any widow or orphan”, Deuteronomy 10:18, “He executes justice for the orphan and the widow”, and Isaiah 1:17, “Learn to do good, seek justice, relieve the oppressed, bring justice to the orphan, plead for the widow”. The masculine form אַלְמָנָה almanah, “widow”, is אַלְמָן alman, a widower. The word אַלְמָנָה almanah comes from the root אָלַם alam, which conveys the idea of being silent or unable to speak, but literally it means to tie fast (of the mouth) to be tongue tied.
So, what is the connection between almanah and being silent? In the ancient world, widows were among the most vulnerable members of society, particularly the old widows, because when the husband dies, the wife becomes vulnerable, unable to speak for herself, i.e., to defend herself, hence, she is vulnerable with her husband’s protection. The Torah often demands care for the widows, orphans, and the sick and poor people as a reflection of the societal justice, compassion, and righteousness.
A paronym of אַלְמָנָה almanah, “widow”, is the word עַלְמָה almah, which means a young woman. The most famous example of the usage of the word עַלְמָה almah is in Isaiah 7:14, “Behold, the almah is pregnant and will bear a son…” These two paronyms, however, come from different roots with different meanings. The word עַלְמָה almah, comes from the root עָלַם alam, which sounds identical to אָלַם alam, but means “to conceal” or “to be hidden”; something that is not yet revealed or not fully known. Notice the different spelling: the letter aleph in אלם alam, and ayin in עלם alam.
Grammar insight: Unlike most other languages, which are based on conventions, the Hebrew words are all based on a root that contains three letters. Variations of this root produce words with different meanings. In Hebrew language there are no vowels, only consonants. Thus, the readers of script in ancient times had only context and oral tradition as a guide for properly vocalizing the text. Vowels points were added some time after the first millennium C.E. by scribes called the Masoretes to preserve the received reading tradition. All the Dead Sea Scrolls, for instance, lack vowel points. We now return to the text.
Now, considering the unique standing of the Hebrew word almah, it follows that almah is a young woman whose maturity or adulthood is “hidden”, i.e., not yet revealed, private. Almah is any young woman whether married or unmarried. This word may also refer to an unmarried lass, who is kept out of sight, for she is under the authority and protection of her father. At any rate, the Hebrew word almah does not refer to a woman’s sexuality or marital status but to her age only, and therefore it cannot be translated to mean “virgin”; a young woman can be unmarried or virgin, even an adult woman can be a virgin, but the Hebrew word almah makes not reference to sexual behavior, much less to virginity. The muscular form of עַלְמָה almah is עֶלֶם elem, meaning “young man”, a youth. For example, King David is called עֶלֶם elem in 1Sa 20:22-24, and elem “youth” and נַעַר na’ar, “young man”, in 1Sa 17:56-58, who was old enough to fight the Philistines, but he was no virgin. The same root עלם alam gives the word עֹלָם olam, which means “eternity”, “world”, or “cosmos”, “universe” with the same concept of something hidden from view, concealed time, because eternity or universe is hidden from human perception in the ancient world and even today.
But the most pronounced example that exposes the erroneous rendering of almah as “virgin” is found in Proverbs, which makes it explicit. Let us understand the following verses, as we read,
There are three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: … the way of a man with a young woman (almah). So is the way of an adulterous woman; she eats, and wipes her mouth, and says: “I have done no wickedness”. (Pro 30:18-20)
The reason why we are forced to give this translation of almah, which is quite clear, is that the Apostolic Writings is a significant source for how the Bible was understood in Hebraic culture in the late first-century C.E. given they are correctly translated. But it is only possible to explore the Apostolic Writings once we know what the Hebrew Scripture reads, and once we understand the meaning of its words and know its correct grammar. There is a basic rule of interpretation: when there are clear and obscure passages in the Scripture, and they seem to contradict each other, the clear passage always explains the obscure one, not the other way around. The clear passage in Isaiah 7.
We do not accept the theory of some translators who have shied away from the literal meaning of the Hebrew word almah, “young woman”, much preferring “virgin”. They have done this out of necessity to avoid the contextual embarrassment that the reading of Isaiah 7:14 is Isaiah’s own wife who would conceive that very year, the fourth year of the reign of King Ahaz of Judah, when Rezin the king of Aram, and Pekah the king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to war against it, and not about a prophecy of a virgin birth. But if some were to argue that Isaiah 7:14 is a future prophecy to be fulfilled in 700 years, how would that help the wicked King Ahaz cope with the Assyrian invasion at his time? Or, if it is a dual prophecy concerning two virgins (in King Ahaz’s time and 700 years later), who was the first virgin through whom a sign was given to the wicked king Ahaz? Not Isaiah’s wife! Because of the obligation that is upon us and the objectivity to the Hebrew text requires this clarification. The narrative of Matthew 1 will not suffer loss, if the Hebrew word almah had been translated correctly. The obligation that is upon the reader is to weigh well what we said in this matter, reflect upon it, compare it with the words of others, and give preference to that which is best.
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