Isaiah 7:14 — 'alma' means young maiden; the context of Isaiah 7-9 supports the virgin birth interpretation

Mike gives a brief answer: the Hebrew word 'alma' refers to a young maiden who is typically (but not always) a virgin. The Hebrew word 'betulah' is a more direct term for virgin. He argues the broader context of Isaiah 7, 8, and 9 together — not just Isaiah 7:14 in isolation — provides the basis for the virgin birth interpretation used in Matthew. He wants to do a full video on this topic. He warns against anachronistically reading modern sexual assumptions back onto the ancient culture — in that culture, an unmarried woman was presumed to be a virgin.