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Document Details :

Title: Isaiah 7,14-16 through the Eyes of the Septuagint
Author(s): TROXEL, Ronald L.
Journal: Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses
Volume: 79    Issue: 1   Date: April 2003   
Pages: 1-22
DOI: 10.2143/ETL.79.1.608

Abstract :
Seen through the eyes of Matt 1,23, Isa 7,14 is a prophesy of Jesus’ conception by a virgin. The consequent importance of Isa 7,14 for Christian dogmatics not only long obscured its role within its literary context, but has also frequently restricted discussion of the LXX’s translation of 7,14-16 to the meaning of &pi&alpha&rho&thetaέ&nu&omicron&sigmaf and why the translator chose it. While the prominence of this question in Christian dogmatics is under- standable, the seeming obsession of Septuagintal scholars with arguing that the translator chose &pi&alpha&rho&thetaέ&nu&omicron&sigmaf to signal a unique feature of the mother, based on this singular use of &pi&alpha&rho&thetaέ&nu&omicron&sigmaf for עלמה in the LXX, has preempted the normal investigation of the semantic range of a word in an author’s usage and has diverted attention from features in the context signaling that the translator’s center of concern lies elsewhere.

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