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Key passages where Jewish and Christian translations differ, with scholarly analysis of the Hebrew text and pre-Christian evidence for messianic interpretation.
almah
young woman, maiden
The semantic range includes virginity; LXX translates as parthenos (virgin)
betulah
maiden, virgin
Can refer to young married woman (Joel 1:8), not exclusively "virgin"
mashiach
anointed one, messiah
Applied to kings and priests, but Daniel 9 context clearly messianic
asham
guilt offering, reparation offering
Isaiah 53:10 uses technical sacrificial terminology for the Servant
karat
to cut off, to make a covenant, to be destroyed
Covenant terminology applied to Messiah's death
When examining translation differences, Christians should:
Study the Hebrew text directly, not just English translations
Consider the full semantic range of Hebrew words, not just single glosses
Examine pre-Christian Jewish sources (Septuagint, Targums, Dead Sea Scrolls)
Recognize that some Jewish translations reflect post-Christian polemical changes
Acknowledge legitimate textual variants while defending the reliability of the text
Distinguish between translation differences and actual textual corruption