“Now the time came
For Elizabeth
To give birth.
She bore a son.”
Τῇ δὲ Ἐλεισάβετ ἐπλήσθη ὁ χρόνος τοῦ τεκεῖν αὐτήν, καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱόν.
Luke said that the time had been completed for Elizabeth (Τῇ δὲ Ἐλεισάβετ ἐπλήσθη ὁ χρόνος) to give birth (τοῦ τεκεῖν αὐτήν). Elizabeth had gone through her 9 months of pregnancy. Thus, with a normal birth, she bore a son (καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱόν). There was nothing spectacular here.
“Mary said.
‘My soul
Magnifies
The Lord!’”
Καὶ εἶπεν Μαριάμ Μεγαλύνει ἡ ψυχή μου τὸν Κύριον,
Next Luke has a series of canticles or songs. This first canticle of Mary is modeled on that of Hannah in 1 Samuel, chapter 2:1-10, that praised Yahweh. Hannah had prayed for a son. Thus, she had a semi-miracle son called Samuel. She wanted him to be dedicated like a Nazirite. This prayer of Hannah took place after she had dedicated her 3-year-old son to Yahweh. Thus, Samuel grew up with the prophet Eli. Hannah and Samuel then became the prototypes for Mary and Jesus. Luke indicated that Mary said (Καὶ εἶπεν Μαριάμ) that her soul magnified, extended, or enlarged the Lord (ἡ ψυχή μου τὸν Κύριον). Thus, this Marian canticle became known as the “Magnificat,” after the Latin translated word used here.
“Now,
You will become mute!
You will be
Unable to speak
Until the day
That these things
Will happen!
You did not
Believe my words!
They will be fulfilled
In their due time!”
καὶ ἰδοὺ ἔσῃ σιωπῶν καὶ μὴ δυνάμενος λαλῆσαι ἄχρι ἧς ἡμέρας γένηται ταῦτα, ἀνθ’ ὧν οὐκ ἐπίστευσας τοῖς λόγοις μου, οἵτινες πληρωθήσονται εἰς τὸν καιρὸν αὐτῶν
Luke pointed out that Zechariah would receive a punishment, because he doubted that he and his wife would have a son, as in verse 18. Thus, the angel Gabriel told Zechariah that he would become silent or mute (καὶ ἰδοὺ ἔσῃ σιωπῶν). He would not be able to speak (καὶ μὴ δυνάμενος λαλῆσαι) until the day when all these things would happen (ἄχρι ἧς ἡμέρας γένηται ταῦτα). This was his punishment for not believing the words of the angel Gabriel (ἀνθ’ ὧν οὐκ ἐπίστευσας τοῖς λόγοις μου). He did not believe that they would come to pass or be fulfilled in the right or correct season or time (οἵτινες πληρωθήσονται εἰς τὸν καιρὸν αὐτῶν). He would be punished, but not with a permanent punishment or death penalty. Zechariah would be mute for a short period of time.
“But Jesus looked
At them.
He said to them.
‘For men,
This is impossible.
But with God,
All things are possible.’”
ἐμβλέψας δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Παρὰ ἀνθρώποις τοῦτο ἀδύνατόν ἐστιν, παρὰ δὲ Θεῷ πάντα δυνατά.
This saying about the power of God and the impotence of humans can be found in Mark, chapter 10:27, word for word, and Luke, chapter 18:27, but slightly different. Jesus looked at them (ἐμβλέψας δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς) and told them (εἶπεν αὐτοῖς) that this would be impossible for mortal men (Παρὰ ἀνθρώποις τοῦτο ἀδύνατόν ἐστιν), but with God, all things were possible (παρὰ δὲ Θεῷ πάντα δυνατά), since he could do everything. This could be an allusion to Genesis, chapter 18:14, when Sarah laughed when she was told she was going to have a son or Jeremiah, chapter 32:17, when he was talking about creation. What humans were not able to do, God was able to do.
“All this took place
To fulfil
What had been spoken
By the Lord
Through the prophet.
‘Look!
The virgin young woman
Shall conceive.
She shall bear a son.
They shall name him
Emmanuel.’
This translated means.
‘God with us.’”
Τοῦτο δὲ ὅλον γέγονεν ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν ὑπὸ Κυρίου διὰ τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος
Ἰδοὺ ἡ παρθένος ἐν γαστρὶ ἕξει καὶ τέξεται υἱόν, καὶ καλέσουσιν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἐμμανουήλ, ὅ ἐστιν μεθερμηνευόμενον Μεθ’ ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός.
This dream with the angelic message took place (Τοῦτο δὲ ὅλον γέγονεν), so that the prophecy of Isaiah, chapter 7, would be fulfilled (πληρωθῇ). Matthew said that these were the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet (τὸ ῥηθὲν ὑπὸ Κυρίου διὰ τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος), without explicitly naming Isaiah. When you look at the context of this saying in Isaiah, he was talking to King Ahaz and the whole house of David. He said that Yahweh was going to give them a sign that a young woman, who is presumed to be a virgin, would have a child. This child would be called Emmanuel that meant “God is with us.” Christians have used this passage as a prophecy about the virgin birth of Jesus, as here in Matthew. However, the original context in Isaiah seems to indicate that King Ahaz would have a son to carry on his royal name. That son of Ahaz turned out to be the great holy King Hezekiah who ruled Judah from 716-687 BCE. A key to understanding this interpretation of Isaiah is the Greek word ἡ παρθένος. Does this mean a young woman or a virgin? The assumption was that all young women who were not married were virgins, without explicitly saying that this Greek word meant virgin. This young virgin girl had a child in her womb (ἐν γαστρὶ ἕξει). She was going to have a son (καὶ τέξεται υἱόν). They were going to name this son Emmanuel (καλέσουσιν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἐμμανουήλ,). Matthew seems to imply that this Hebrew word Emmanuel needed to be translated (ὅ ἐστιν μεθερμηνευόμενον) into Greek for his readers. Thus, he explained that it meant “God is with us.” This actually was in the original Isaiah statement, but Isaiah never used the word translated (μεθερμηνευόμενον). Thus, God will be with us in the person of Jesus, the Savior, Emmanuel. There is no mention of an anointed one or Christ here.
“Gomer conceived.
She bore him a son.
Yahweh said to him,
‘Name him Jezreel!
In a little while,
I will punish
The house of Jehu
For the blood of Jezreel.
I will put an end
To the kingdom
Of the house of Israel.
On that day,
I will break
The bow of Israel
Gomer then conceived and bore a son. Yahweh, spoke directly to Hosea. He told him to name his son, Jezreel, meaning that God sows. All the children of this union between Hosea and Gomer will have symbolic prophetic names. In a little while, Yahweh was going to punish the house of Jehu, who had been king nearly a century earlier in 841-814 BCE. The current king of Israel, King Jeroboam II (783-743 BCE) was a descendant of King Jehu. Jezreel was also the name of the royal palace where King Jehu had killed the descendants of King Omri (885-874 BCE). The dynasty of King Jehu actually ended with the son of King Jeroboam II, King Zachariah in 743 BCE, after the death of King Jeroboam. Yahweh also said that the house of Israel would come to an end, which it did in 724 BCE. Thus, Yahweh was going to break the bow of Israel in Jezreel, the northern royal palace. Jezreel was also the name of the valley of Megiddo. The so-called history of the northern Israelite kings, especially King Jehu, can be found in 2 Kings, chapters 9-10.
“‘They shall not defile
Themselves
By getting near
To a dead person.
However,
They may defile
Themselves
For a father,
For a mother,
For a son,
For a daughter,
For a brother,
Or for an unmarried sister.
After he has become clean,
They shall count
Seven days for him.
Then he shall be clean.
On the day
That he goes
Into the holy place,
Into the inner court,
To minister
In the holy place,
He shall offer
His sin offering.’
Says Yahweh God.”
Yahweh God told Ezekiel what to do about the Zadok Levitical priests who defiled themselves by going near a dead person. They were not supposed to go close to a dead person. However, there were occasions when these priests could go near a dead person, and thus, defile themselves. In particular, this usually meant a close family member, a father, a mother, a son, a daughter, a brother, or an unmarried sister. Yet they would have to become clean again. They would have to wait 7 days before they could be clean. Then they would have to offer a sin offering for themselves in the holy place.
“‘Before she was in labor,
She gave birth.
Before her pain came upon her,
She delivered a son.
Who has heard of such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Shall a land be born in one day?
Shall a nation be delivered in one moment?
Yet as soon as Zion was in labor
She delivered her children.
Shall I open the womb?
Shall I not deliver?’
Says Yahweh.
‘Shall I,
The one who delivers,
Shut the womb?’
Says your God.”
The birth or rebirth of Jerusalem will be miraculous. It will be like a woman who gives birth to a son before she has labor pains. Has anyone heard or seen such a thing? Can a country or nation come into existence in a moment? Yet Zion will deliver her children. Who would open her womb? Who would try to shut her womb? Yahweh, the great deliverer, will not shut the womb, but deliver Jerusalem and Israel in a new birth.
“Then Yahweh said to me.
‘Take a large tablet.
Write on it
In common characters,
‘Belonging to Maher-shalal-hash-baz.’
‘The spoil speeds.
The prey hastens.’
Have it attested for me
By reliable witnesses,
The priest Uriah,
And Zechariah
Son of Jeberechiah.’
I went to the prophetess.
She conceived.
She bore a son.
Then Yahweh said to me.
‘Name him
Maher-shalal-hash-baz.
Before the child knows how to cry
‘My father’ or
‘My mother,’
The wealth of Damascus
With the spoil of Samaria
Will be carried away
By the king of Assyria.’”
Once again, we have a conversation between Yahweh and Isaiah directly. Yahweh told him to write down on a large wooden tablet, the letters Maher-shalal-hash-bar, which means spoil spreads and prey hastens. Then Isaiah had to go to the priest Uriah, mentioned in 2 Kings, chapter 16, as well as Zechariah, probably the father of the wife of Ahaz, to have it attested. Next he went to the prophetess, probably his wife, who then conceived and bore a son that was to be named after the word on the large tablet. Before this boy would be able to utter the words father or mother, the wealth of Damascus in Syria and the spoils of Samaria in Ephraim would be carried away by the king of Assyria. This alliance of King Ahaz of Judah with the King of Assyria can also be found in 2 Kings, chapter 16. Thus the name of the child was really talking about what was about to happen to Syria and Ephraim.
“Then Isaiah said.
‘Hear then!
O house of David!
Is it too little for you to weary mortals?
Do you weary my God also?
Therefore Yahweh himself
Will give you a sign.
Look!
The virgin young woman
Is with child.
She shall bear a son.
You shall name him Immanuel.
God is with us.
He shall eat curds.
He shall eat honey,
By the time
He knows how to refuse the evil
And choose the good.
Before the child knows
How to refuse the evil,
Before the child knows
How to choose the good,
The land before whose two kings
You are in dread
Will be deserted.”
This time it is Isaiah who is speaking to King Ahaz and the whole house of David, not Yahweh. They should not weary each other or God. Yahweh was going to give them a sign. The young woman, who is presumed to be a virgin, will have a child. He will be called Immanuel that means God is with us. Quite often Christians have used this passage as a prophecy about the birth of Jesus. However, the context seems to indicate that King Ahaz will have a son to carry on his royal name. That son of Ahaz will be the great holy King Hezekiah who ruled Judah from 716-687 BCE. This young child would do good and refuse evil by the time he was able to eat the basic foods of curds and honey. Even before he learns how to choose good over evil, the 2 invading countries of these 2 kings will lay desolate and deserted.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 