Deciphering the prophecy of the Emmanuel

A linguistic point of view

Milon haivrit hamiqrait

alm : 1. young girl (Gn 24,43) 2. young woman who is not a virgin
(Pr 30,19; Ct 6,8 ; Is 7,14)

Words belonging to the same root as alm

alm: Ex.: 10 ou 11 Books: 6 ou 7 Gn 24,43 elem Ex.: 2 Books: 1 I Sam 17,56; 20,22 almm Ex. : 4 ou 5 Books: 3 ou 4 Is 54,4

Ex 2,8
Ct 1,3; 6,8 Is 7,14 Ps 9,1 ; 46,1 ; 48,15 ; 68,26 I Ch 15,20 Pr 30,19 (?)

Ps 89,46
Jb 20,11; 33,25 Pr 30,19 (?)

Hypothesis on the meaning of alm

A. Socin end XIX : y. wom. till birth of the 1st child R. Tournay 1955 : y. marriageable girl G. Gerleman 1971 : non initiated woman P. Auvray 1972 : young lady Ch. Dohmen 1987 : foreign woman E. Jacob 1987 : set apart woman
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Translation of the word in Is 7,14

LXX parthenos virgin
young girl young girl young girl
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Symmachus neanis Aquila neanis

Theodotion neanis

Evolution of the meaning of parthenos

Chronolect Archaic Greek Classical Greek Acceptions unmarried young girl

1. Young virgin 2. unmarried young girl Non semiticized Koine 1. Young virgin Greek 2. (exc.) unmarried y. girl Semiticized Koine Greek 1. Young virgin 2. virgin
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Why alm could not signify

virgin: traditional arguments

1. Etymology *lmt : young marriageable girl
2. Synonymy Another word in Hebrew means virgin : betl 3. Pr 30,19 the way of a man in an alm 4. Jewish tradition alm = y. girl or y. woman
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I. Etymology

Semantic evolution
Word navr abus Period XIII c. XVI c. Meaning injured error

amuser
ennui

XVII c.
XIX c.

feel the mind

depression
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Linguistic typology
Language English German Spanish Catalan French Word maid Jungfrau doncella poncella pucelle Meaning y. virgin > y. w. or servant y. w. > virgin y. virgin > y. w. or servant y. w. > y. virgin y. w. > y. virgin

Hebrew

alm

*y. w. > ? > y. w.

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II. Synonymy

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Lexical typology Young woman

Criteria
Social class Mariage Age Virginity

Generic noun Young girl

Miss Young girl Young girl

Specific noun or antonym Young lady Y. servant (Maid) Mrs.

Teenager Small girl

Young virgin (Maid)

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young girl opposed to young virgin

y. girl y. virgin virgin

Russian
Class. Engl. French

devuka
girl jeune fille

devica
maid pucelle

devstevenica
virgin vierge

Class. Sp. Catalan

Hebrew

muchacha noia
naar

doncella poncella
?

virgen verge
betl
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Lexical field : young girl Biblical Hebrew

Criteria Marriage Age Virginity Hyperonym nar nar nar ? ? Hyponym bat yaled

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III. Prov 30,19

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The strange ways riddle

1. The path of an eagle in the sky 2. The path of a serpent on a rock 3. The path of a ship in the heart of the ocean

4. And the path of a man in an alm

5. Such is the path of an adulterous woman
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Pr 30,19: ancient versions

Septuagint en neotti
during youth

Targum of Proverbs
Peshitta Syrohexaplar Vulgate

belemet
during youth

blymwth
during its youth

blywth
during its childhood

in adulescentia sua
during its youth
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Prov 30,19

lmyw

> >

alm

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Wisdom 5,10-13
1. like a ship that sails through the billowy water, and when it has passed no trace can be found
2. or as, when a bird flies through the air, no evidence of its passage is found 3. or as, when an arrow is shot at a target, the air, thus divided, comes together at once, so that no one knows its pathway 4. So we also, as soon as we were born, ceased to be, and we had no sign of virtue to show
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The unseen ways riddle

1. The path of an eagle in the sky 2. The path of a serpent on the rock 3. The path of a ship in the middle of the ocean 4. and the path of a man in his youth 5. Such is the path of an adulterous woman Physical path

Physical path Physical path

Abstract path Human + physiological Abstract path Human + ethical

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IV. Jewish tradition

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Karaites and rabbanites

Yapheth Abou Aly Salomon Ben Yeruham Rashi from Troya Eliezer from Beaugency Isaiah from Trani Levi ben Gershon X c. X c. XI c. XII c. XIII c. XIV c. Unmarried teenager Virgin Virgin Virgin Virgin Virgin
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Salomon ben Yeruham

The phrase among the drum playing lmt means among the virgins (betlt) of Israel, for, as the Lord has promised to us, It is written : Again I will build up And you will built up, virgin (betlat) of Israel, again you will be embellished, [with your drums] .... (Jeremiah, 31,4)
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Rashi fromTroya
Ct 1,3 : lmt : betlt Is 7,14: What is the sign? A) The mother of the child prophetizes that God will be with us. B) For other interpreters: she was alm so one could not expect that she would have a baby .
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Isaiah from Trani and ben Gershon

Isaiah from Trani (Is 7,14) She was alm so she could not become pregnant, bear a child and give birth. Levi ben Gershon (Ct 1,3) This is why the lmt love you, for they are very young girls who did not belong to any man
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Ps 68,26
aar ngenm
qidem rm Musicians follow betk lmt tppt Singers go forth surrounded by lmt who play drums
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Structure of Ps 46 title
Adress lamenaa Core Liturg. or choral directions liben qra al lmt r Song [to sing] on young girls [tone]
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To the leader Of the sons of Korah

Voices classification
Female voices Soprano

Octave
Male voices

Alto

Tenor
Bass

Octave

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I Chronicles 15,20
Eight musicians playing harps (bineblm) playing lyres (bekinrt) al lmt

Six musicians

al haemnt lenaa

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Nebel and kinor

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Ps 68,26
aar ngenm
qidem rm Musicians follow betk lmt tppt Singers go forth surrounded by lmt who play drums
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Female teenager voice evolution

Step I
Before puberty

Step IIA
Beginning of puberty

Step IIB
Nubile 13-14/15 y.

Step III
Young adult 14-15/16 y.

8-10/11 years 11-12/13 y.

Light, Flute like

Some High notes difficulties for difficult to modulation reach

Volume and modulation increase

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Voice classes and flutes classes in Greek

Voice class Soprano Kind of flute Greek aulos parthenios aulos paidikos Alto ? Tenor aulos kitharistrios auloi aulos teleios andreioi aulos huperteleios English Maiden flute Child flute Lyre flute Perfect flute

Bass

Plus-perfect flute

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Song of songs 6,8-9

Ct 6,9 The girls (bnt) saw her and celebrated her, The queens (melkt) And the concubines (plagm) melkt : 60 Ct 6,8

plagm : 80 lmt : number

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without

celebrated her.

Ct 6,8 and Est

Ct 6,8 Est 2,2-22 I Kings 11,3 Ps 45,14.15

melkt

malek
byt hanm n byt hanim

art bat melek

plagm betlt
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plagm plagm lmt nert betlt

Isaiah 54,1
Shout for joy, barren one (qr), who has borne no children! Break into cries and shouts of joy, you who were never in labour! For the children of the forsaken on (mm) are more in number than the children of the wedded wife (bel), says Yahweh.
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Isaiah 54,4-5
for you will forget the shame of your lmm and no longer remember the dishonour of your widowhood. For your Creator is your husband (blayik), Yahweh Sabaoth is his name, the Holy One of Israel is your redeemer (gl), he is called God of the whole world.
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Is 62,4-5
No more will you be known as 'Forsaken' or your country be known as 'Desolation (emm). instead, you will be called 'My Delight is in her and your country 'The Wedded (bel), for Yahweh will take delight in you and your country will have its wedding (tibl). Like a y. m. marrying (yibeal) a virgin (betl), your rebuilder will wed you (yibelk).
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Structure of the book of Emmanuel

A. Threat against the dynasty of David Hope : birth of Emmanuel (6-8,18) B. Darkness of the people: Hope: birth of l gibbr (8,19-10,19) C. Remnant of Israel : Coming back to the Mighty God : gza yiy (10,20-12,6)
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ya : Plot - Advice
7,5 : since Aram, Ephraim and the son of Remaliah have been plotting against you (yaan k ya lek) ....
7,7 : this will not happen (l tqm) . 8,6 : Since (yaan k ) this people has rejected and has rejoiced before Razon and the son of Remaliah ... 8,10 : Devise plans ( ) as you may: they will come to nothing! (wel yqm) . 40

Advice and might

Is 9,5

Wonderful counsellor pele y Mighty God l gibbr

Is 11,2

Spirit of counsel and power ra gebr

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The remnant of Israel, Is 10,21

A remnant will return
er yb

Te remnant of Jacob
er yaqb To the mighty God el-l gibbr
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alm : evolution of meaning

Period
Protosemitic Ancient biblical Hebrew Recent biblical Hebrew II c. XIV c. XIV c. XIX c. End XIX c. onwards

Given meaning
young girl young virgin 1 young virgin 2 soprano tone y. girl or y. virgin young girl Mod. Heb. young girl
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Use of alm and of almim: idea of virginity

Example
Gn 24,43
LXX

Implicit

Stated

Suggested

Parthenos
Neanis Parthenos

X
X X X X X
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Ex 2,8 Is 7,14

Ps 68,26 Neanis Ct 1,3 and 6,8 Is 54,1

Neanis Ainios