[6] H. E. I. 2283, 2284.
The Virgin’s Son.
vii. 13–16. And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David, &c.
On this supremely difficult passage Dr. Kennicott preached a remarkable sermon before the University of Oxford, on the 19th of May 1765. As this sermon is not readily accessible, I here give some extracts from it.
Concerning these words there have been the four following opinions:—
I. That the whole passage relates only to a son of Isaiah.
II. That the whole passage relates only to Christ.
III. That the whole passage relates both to Isaiah’s son and to Christ; to the former in a primary and literal sense, and in a secondary sense to the latter.
IV. That there are here two prophecies, each literal, and each to be understood in one sense only: the first relating to Christ, the second to Isaiah’s son.
The first of these opinions is strenuously contended for by Jews and Deists, who, by confining this passage wholly to Isaiah’s son, have attempted to derogate from the authority of St. Matthew, who applies it as a prophecy to Christ. But the word here translated virgin signifies, in every other part of the Old Testament, a woman who hath not known man. And the consequence from hence is, that the words “a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,” cannot be applied properly to Isaiah’s wife. As it is here affirmed that the original word signifies a virgin in every other text, it should be just observed that the text in the book of Proverbs (xxx. 18, 19), which has been often brought to prove the contrary, is not here forgotten; and that even that text might (if the nature of this discourse would permit) be explained fairly and to satisfaction, in a manner perfectly consistent with the preceding assertion.