Classic: Virgin or “Young Woman”? Did Matthew Misquote Isaiah?

Unbelievable?

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Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.6 • 2.3K Ratings

🗓️ 1 January 2026

⏱️ 61 minutes

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Summary

Every Christmas we hear the familiar words read in church. Matthew chapter 1, quoting the prophet Isaiah: “The virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel.” But critics argue there’s a serious problem. They say Isaiah wasn’t talking about a virgin at all—and that Matthew misused the prophecy. If that’s true, does it undermine the virgin birth? And does it put the credibility of the first Christmas at risk? In this classic Unbelievable? discussion, theology lecturer Alistair McKitterick of Moorlands College explains why Matthew’s use of Isaiah is deliberate and theologically grounded, not a mistake. Challenging him is atheist sceptic Robert Stovold, who argues that the nativity story is a later invention by the gospel writers rather than a historical event. Is Christmas built on a mistranslation—or a deeper reading of Scripture? SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: https://twitter.com/unbelievablefe Facebook: / https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Instagram: / https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: / https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable 👉 Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes—absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com 🎉📢 • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate

Transcript

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0:00.0	My dad died when I was nine years old and it broke something in me.
0:05.0	I spent lots of times homeless, causing even bigger rifts in the family.
0:10.0	I was out of control.
0:12.0	Green Pastures is a Christian charity providing homes and support for people facing homelessness across the UK.
0:20.0	As soon as I walked in that place,
0:21.6	I knew there was something different about it.
0:23.6	Through Green Pastures,
0:25.6	Andy found a home,
0:26.6	freedom from addiction,
0:28.6	and a new beginning in faith.
0:30.6	It's the best thing I've ever done.
0:31.6	It released me from that 23 years of addiction.
0:35.6	And now I'm senior support worker here at Green Pastures Derby.
0:39.9	Find out more at greenpastures.com.uk.
0:46.1	Welcome along. So today we're asking, did or didn't the Old Testament prophesy a virgin birth?
0:52.0	Well, we hear it every year at Christmas in our services. Matthew
0:55.4	chapter 1, quoting from the prophet Isaiah in the story of Jesus' birth. Look, the virgin shall conceive and
1:01.7	bear a son and they shall call his name Emmanuel. But say the critics, there's a problem. Matthew
1:07.2	doesn't precisely quote the Isaiah 714 passage, which actually says, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son and she shall name him Emmanuel. So is it a problem for Matthew? Is it a problem for the virgin birth? And does this apparent misquote mean Christmas is cancelled? Well, we've got two guests joining me on the programme today. They are Alistair MacKitturik and Robert Stovold.
1:29.1	And we're going to be looking at this big question around the birth prophecies of Jesus that we often hear at this time around Christmas.
1:40.2	Gentlemen, thank you both for joining me on the program today, Alistair and Robert.
1:45.4	Just first of all, in introduction to you, Alistair, you're a biblical and theological lecturer at Moreland's College in Dorset.
	...

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