The pastors described in Isaiah 56 seek their own good at the expense of the sheep, they do not possess the knowledge needed to guide the sheep, and they do not do the hard work of warning and protecting the sheep.
The New Testament, in large part, is an extended effort to explain the meaning of the prophets.
The claim that Hitchens and others make is that the Hebrew word behind “virgin” (עַלְמָה alma) in this text simply means “young woman.” The implication is that nothing miraculous is being promised, and that therefore, universal Christian tradition regarding the virgin birth of Christ is based fundamentally on an illegitimate reading of the Old Testament Scripture.
Miles Van Pelt (ed.)—A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the Old Testament: The Gospel Promised
All contributed content represents the views of the contributor and does not necessarily represent the views of KnowingScripture.com.
At Christmas, we celebrate the coming of King Yahweh in human form—born as a child, born “unto us”—for us and for our salvation.