Almah, from a root implying the vigour of puberty, is a Hebrew word meaning a young woman ripe for marriage. The correct meaning and interpretation of the word ‘almah has been a source of controversy between Christians and Jews since the second century. Despite its importance to the account of the virgin birth of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew, Marvin Alan Sweeney states that scholars agree that it refers to a woman of childbearing age but that it has nothing to do with whether she is a virgin or not. H.G.M. Williamson states that that precise etymology remains unclear, and that there is widespread agreement that almah may refer to a virgin but not necessarily so. Early Christian scholars, as Origen and Basil of Caesarea, conceded that "maiden" could be the correct translation of ‘almah, but contended that it was costumary for the scripture to use "maiden" for a virgin. Brevard S. Childs states that, apart from one controversial reference, all the occasions of almah do actually appear to denote virgins, but while it is very unlikely that a married women would be referred to as an almah yet translating it as virgin focuses too much on virginity versus sexual maturity. It occurs nine times in the Hebrew Bible and in every usage the word is either used for a woman who is indicated to be a virgin or as indeterminate.
