Are the Marian verses well-translated?

## Genesis 3:15When we discuss biblical translation issues, a barrier naturally arises regarding biblical-Marian theology of the Old Testament. All manuals and treatises dedicated to this field of Sacred Scripture give special attention to prophetic announcements in *Gen* 3:15, *Is* 7:14, among others. The Second Vatican Council teaches that the Mother of the Redeemer:**Figure 1:**(A table illustrating the points discussed)> She is already profetically foreshadowed by the promise of victory over the serpent (cf. Gen 3:15), made to the first parents after their fall into sin. Similarly, it is the Virgin who conceives and gives birth to a Son, whose name will be Emmanuel (cf. Is 7:14; Mt 1:22-23).> “Profetically foreshadowed”: a truly happy expression! Thus, the Council points to the presence of the Mother of the Redeemer in the proto-evangelium of *Gen* 3:15. But immediately in the continuation of the same paragraph, with the adverb *similarly* (similiter), the same terminological clarification extends to *Is* 7:14.## Understanding the Prophetic AnnouncementsFollowing the chronological order of their writings, we first find Matthew interpreting *Is* 7:14, and later the Johannine tradition of Revelation, which dates back to *Gen* 3:15 when it contemplates the Woman dressed in the sun.> Let us be guided by the hand of the Evangelists and learn under their direction how to discern the traces of Mary as the *dawn* that foreshadows the beneficial rays of Christ, the *Sun of Justice* (*Mal* 3:20).## On Genesis 3:15From a strictly exegetical point of view, we must acknowledge that early interpretations of this passage are not *mariological*. Moreover, the difficulties this text has always posed to scholars are evident. Firstly, in its literary formulation, which, according to the available testimonies, presents several problematic aspects. To such an extent that one could even speak of three parallel texts: the Hebrew, the translation by the Septuagint (LXX), and those of ancient Western versions that later merged into the Vulgate.**LXX (Septuagint):** The most significant Greek version of the Old Testament is called the Septuagint, named after the legend of seventy (or seventy-two) scholars translating it independently. According to Jewish tradition, it was commissioned by Ptolemy Philadelphus (285-246 BC) for his famous library in Alexandria. While appearing to be the work of numerous translators, it was likely completed later: around 132 BC. In some significant places, it differs from the Hebrew Bible. Certain books, such as Tobias, Judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, and Baruc, which are not even found in the Hebrew Bible, were included in the Septuagint, while some books (for example, Esther) appear in a longer form. These traditional books, called Apocrypha in the Protestant tradition, are considered “deuterocanonical” by Catholics and Orthodox Christians. When citing the Old Testament, authors of the New Testament often follow the Septuagint rather than the Hebrew original. Many of the early Church Fathers regarded the Septuagint as the official version of the Old Testament.**Vulgata Latina (Latin Vulgate):** This name derives from *vulgata editio* (Latin for “*popular edition*”) and refers to the most widespread Latin translation of the Bible. When a common translation was needed in Rome, Saint Jerome (c. 340-420) undertook to revise existing Latin translations of the New Testament. Forced to leave Rome, Jerome learned Hebrew and began translating the Old Testament as well. Around 404, he completed (or revised existing translations) the entire Bible. In 1546, the Council of Trent declared the Vulgate to be the authentic translation of the Bible (DH 1506).**Let’s examine the texts:**Fig 2# Scriptural Passage Analysis: Genesis 3:15## Hebrew Text (Translation)**Hebrew:** וְאֵיבָה אָשִׁית בֵּינְךָ וּבֵין הָאִשָּׁה וּבֵין זַרְעֲךָ וּבֵין זַרְעָהּ הוּא יְשׁוּפְךָ רֹאשׁ וְאַתָּה תְּשׁוּפֶנּוּ עָקֵב.**English Translation:** “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”## Different Bible Versions### LXX (Septuagint)**Greek:** καὶ ἔχθραν θήσω ἀνὰ μέσον σου καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τῆς γυναίκας, καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σπέρματός σου καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σπέρματος αὐτῆς. αὐτός σου τηρήσει κεφαλήν, καὶ σὺ τηρήσεις αὐτοῦ πτέρναν.**English:** I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He (the offspring of the woman) shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.### Vulgate Latina**Latin:** inimicitias ponam inter te et mulierem et semen tuum et semen illius ipsa conteret caput tuum et tu insidiaberis calcaneo ejus.**English:** I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; she (her seed) shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.### Other Bible Versions (Comparative Analysis)– **Biblia Pastoral:** Eu porei inimizade entre você e a multer, entre a descendência de você e os descendentes dela. Estes vão lte esmagar a cabeça, e você ferirá o calcantar deles. – **Biblia de Jerusalém:** Porei tostilidade entre ti e a multer, entre tua lintagem e a lintagem dela. Ela te esmagará a cabeça e tu lte ferirás o calcantar. – **Biblia da CNBB:** Porei inimizade entre ti e a multer, entre a tua descendência e a dela. Esta te ferirá a cabeça, e tu lte ferirás o calcantar. – **Biblia TEB:** Porei inimizade entre ti e a multer, entre a tua descendência e a descendência dela. Esta te atingirá a cabeça e tu lte atingirás o calcantar.## Analysis: Who is Crushing Whom?The central question that arises from these various translations and interpretations concerns the identity of those involved in the crushing act:1. **Traditional Interpretation:** The classic interpretation, as found in most Bible versions, including the Hebrew original, identifies “he” (הוּא) as the offspring of the woman (הָאִשָּׁה), who will bruise the head of the serpent (the enemy). This is often seen as a reference to Christ, who defeats Satan through His death and resurrection.2. **Alternative Perspectives:** Some translations and interpretations suggest that “she” (אַתָּה) is the one crushing the heel of the serpent, implying a female figure of strength and victory over evil. This view highlights different aspects of God’s plan for redemption, where both male and female are involved in overcoming sin and the powers of darkness.The debate revolves around the gender of “he” (או “היא”) and the dynamic of power between the serpent, the woman, and her offspring. These differing interpretations offer rich theological perspectives on themes of creation, sin, redemption, and gender roles within Christian theology.In the biblical text, descent (strongly emphasized *zar·‘āt* : masculine) is the protagonist in the struggle and victory. It is not specified when or how: but a decisive victory of the descendants of the woman over the serpent is clearly indicated. The descent of the woman is interpreted both collectively and personally at once. They are, indeed, those who observe (or do not observe) the law of Moses. Thus, we find ourselves in the context of the people of Israel, for whom an irreversible salvation from the serpent’s bonds will come with the appearance of the Messiah. In practice, then, the woman of Genesis and her descendants come to identify with the community of Israel on the path to messianic redemption. Simply put: the chosen people with their Messiah. We are not far from the message of Revelation 12!The LXX translation explicitly emphasizes descent, in this form corresponding to the masculine *tū* of the Hebrew text, but it creates a jarring grammatical dissonance with the neutral *seed* (του σπέρματος αυτής) mentioned, which is feminine. There is a grammatically violent transition from the *neutral* [descent] to the *masculine* [He]. **Such a literary phenomenon suggests that among the descendants of the woman there will be a specific person who will lead the progeny, initially understood in a generic sense, to the final victory in overcoming the serpent’s bond irreversibly. This clearly attests to the expectation of a messianic figure.** The discrepancy between the masculine third-person pronoun *he* and the neuter noun *seed* confirms that for the Jews contemporary to the LXX translation, the *Messiah* was an individual, a single person, not a general people.The *Vulgata* translation attributed a leadership role to the woman. It will be the woman (*ipsa*) who will crush (*conteret*) the head of the serpent. Therefore, the victory is not directly attributed to the descent but personally to the woman.Exegetical interpretation of Genesis 3:15 oscillates, we might say, between the Hebrew text and the Greek translation of the LXX. There is a return to the roots. The woman is placed as the beginning of the descent and never separates from it. This descent finds its essential reference point in Christ. Therefore, that the descent understood in a general sense be polarized and concretized in a person, *he*, and that this person be Christ, is an ecclesial fact that justifies exegesis.**B) Elements of the Text:**“I will put enmity between you and the woman,” said the ancient oracle of Genesis, presented as the *protoevangelion*. The woman can only be Eve, or rather, the woman of whom the author has spoken up to that moment. This is required by the definite article (*a*), which presupposes a connection with the preceding narrative.“Between your seed and her seed,” says the text. The seed of the serpent designates those who embrace the deception of the seducer, becoming thus his offspring, his followers, following his incitement to evil (cf. Proverbs 2:24; John 8:44).By exclusion, the seed of the multir is constituted by those who remain faithful to God’s paths:“This [seed] will crush your head while you strike at its heel.” As we have already said, according to the biblical text, it is not the multir who will crush the head of the serpent, but her seed. How can one discern in this seed or offspring who brings the final victory?A collective (the seed of the royal house of David?), a group or an individual? The answers are contentious and, strictly speaking, do not fall within the formal limits of our journey. However, the fact is that the serpent’s defeat is fatal, as its head is crushed. God takes the side of the taken (“I will put enmity”). Israel knows it can count on God’s promises.The immediate context of this passage is extremely complex. Strict linguistic elements, editorial elements, stylistic elements contribute to making it so. Firstly, compared to the current formulation of the text, there was a laborious process involved.Various interpretations have been proposed, each building up to a position:a) **Naturalist**: A perpetual hostility between the taken and the serpent, as a result of God’s curse.b) **Ethical**: The struggle is between the taken and the serpent as symbols of evil.c) **Salvific**: This last interpretation has, in its favor, the decisive fact that it fits well into the broader context of the first 11 chapters of Genesis. The contextual needs that emerge from these first 11 chapters, probably already present at the time of redaction, call for a certain unity, an articulated concatenation of various elements without gaps or repetitive overlaps.Keeping all this in mind, we see that the entire story of the second creation narrative can be connected to the first, as it is possible to overcome the mindset it represents and expresses. At the same time, we cannot stop at God’s condemnation; that is, the history of the redaction, with its needs for unity, must be reevaluated so as not to get lost in the analysis of individual elements, regardless of their scope.Insisting on what Genesis wants to express regarding the general history of humanity, from the perspective of a dialectical development of its history in a salvific perspective, resonates with a reading of the text that feels the need to express adequately the synchronous plots.Can one say that the Virgin was predicted in the proto-gospel of Genesis?In response, it must be said that the Mariological aspect of this prophecy only becomes intelligible from the New Testament, namely, through Chapter 12 of the Apocalypse. Let us see how. The preliminary question is this: who is the:**”woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars”**? (Ap 12, 1b).We are in the presence of a **great sign** (1a). As such, it must be decoded.**Who is the female figure in our visual field?**a) Multiple symbolismThe Woman of Apocalypse 12 combines a multifaceted symbolism that simultaneously evokes:* **Eve:** Though the text does not explicitly name her, the reader readily associates her with Eve, the woman who struggles against the serpent (Gn 3, 15). Indeed, the dragon is described as **”the ancient serpent, whom you call Devil and Satan,”** who temts all the earth (Ap 12, 9. Cf. Gn 3, 15). He is openly at war with women, ready to devour her child as soon as she gives birth (Ap 12, 4). His attempt is thwarted by divine intervention which snatches the newborn away for God and his throne (v. 5), leading him to pursue the woman: he spews a river of water but it is swallowed up by the earth (vv. 15f.). His anger against the woman then erupts: **”against the rest of her offspring, and against all who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus”** (v. 17).* **Israel:** The twelve stars crowning the Woman (Ap 12, 1) symbolize the twelve tribes of Israel (cf. Gn 37, 9). We are thus confronted with the Woman-Bride of the Old Covenant. She represents the whole community of Israel-God’s people, venerating Eve as their first mother in a messianic perspective at the end of the first century AD.* **The Church:** The Woman is indeed the one who gives birth to the Messiah, exalted to God’s throne (Ap 12, 5), and she is also the mother of those who keep divine commandments and bear witness to Jesus (v. 17). At the end of the Book of Revelation, we find further confirmation of the communal-ecclesial value of the Woman. This is evident in her reappearance as **”the Bride of the Lamb”** (21, 2.9). In her we have the Holy City, New Jerusalem (21, 10), encompassing both the twelve tribes of Israel (21, 12) and the twelve apostles of the Lamb-Christ (21, 14). In other words: this unique Woman synthesizes and encompasses the whole people of God, from the first covenant ratified at Sinai to the second established through Christ’s paschal mystery.**Does the Woman in Apocalypse 12 represent Mary?**The Mother of Jesus was present with John the Revelator when he received his book of revelation for the seven churches?The exegetes, in the vast majority, respond: the Woman of Revelation 12 directly represents the Church, that is, the people of God from the Old and New Testaments. Within the context of the Church, it is also legitimate to discern Mary, the mother of Messiah Jesus, in this Woman.a. **The Woman’s Childbirth**: This is a symbolic reenactment of Christ’s passion and resurrection. Having established this point, the reader’s mind naturally turns to John 19:25-27. In this passage, it is stated that when Jesus passed from this world to the Father, the Messianic community (or the faithful remnant of Israel) was represented by three or four women and the beloved disciple. Among these, a prominent role is recognized for Mary, who became known as the “mother” of all disciples.The difference between Revelation 12 and John 19:25-27 lies here: while the scene in Revelation has an ecclesiological tone, the focus in the Fourth Gospel is on Mary’s person. However, this is a complementary difference. Thus, Chapter 12 of Revelation confirms the ecclesiological meaning of Mary alongside the cross. Conversely, Mary’s presence near the Cross enables the extension of Mariology to the Woman of Revelation 12 who struggles with the dragon.Extending Mariology to the Woman of Revelation 12 is not merely possible but obligatory, and indeed at the literal level. The “Woman-Church” of Revelation 12, presented as the mother of Messiah and all his followers, is the symbolic representation of the “Woman-Mary” who was truly the mother of Jesus and, by Christ’s own will, became the mother of all his disciples. Since Mary lived concretely within the Church of John’s time, the author of Revelation was able to create the scene in Chapter 12, which extends and applies Mary’s mission to the Church. In other words: the exemplification of the Church is Mary.The great images of Chapter 12 are incomprehensible without reference to Mary’s historical role. The ecclesiological and Mariological senses are not alternative, as often thought, but complementary; they are interdependent. The Church without Mary would lack a concrete point of reference and a qualifying dimension. Mary without the Church would be an unexpected and inexplicable meteor in the sky of Revelation, a presence difficult to justify.b) The Woman of Revelation 12 is then the same Woman who will be glorified in the new heavens and on the new earth of celestial Jerusalem, as the “Woman-Spouse of the Lamb” (Revelation 21:1-22:5). In the eschatological reflection on this final goal, the community of believers raises an altar to Mary, “Assumed” along with the Son in heavenly glory. In her person, redeemed in the integrity of her physical and spiritual being, the Church greets with joy the first fruits of perfect salvation that Christ the Risen One will pour out upon every creature.

Isaiah 7:14 [Hebrew]	לָכֵן יִתֵּן אֲדֹנָי ה֛וּא לָכֶ֖ם א֑וֹת הִנֵּ֣ה הָעַלְמָ֗ה הָרָה֙ וְיֹלֶדֶת בֵּן, וְקָרָא שְׁמ֖וֹ עִמָּנוּ אֵֽל.
That is why the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin will conceive and bear a son, and she shall call his name Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14 [LXX]	δια τοῦτο δώσει Κύριος αὐτὸς ὑμῖν σημεῖον ἰδοὺ ἡ παρθένος ἐν γαστρὶ λήμψεται καὶ τέξεται υἱόν, καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἐμμανουήλ.
For this reason, the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin will conceive and bear a son, and she shall call his name Emmanuel.
Isaiah 7:14 Vulgate Latin	propter toc dabit Dominus ipse vobis signum ecce virgo concepiet et pariet filium et vocabitis nomen ejus Emmanutel.
For this reason, the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin will conceive and bear a son, and you shall call his name Emmanuel.
Mt 1:23 [Greek]	Ἰδοὺ ἡ παρθένος ἐν γαστρὶ ἕξει καὶ τέξεται υἱόν, καὶ καλέσουσιν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἐμμανουήλ, ὅ ἐστιν μεθερμηνευόμενον Μεθ’ ἡμῶν ὁ θεός.
Behold, a virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which means “God with us.”

Fig 5

## Bible Verses and Interpretations: Mary and EmmanuelHere are the provided Bible verses from various translations, along with a brief contextual explanation:**Isaiah 7:14 (Various Translations):*** **[Bíblia Ave Maria, Bíblia Pastoral, Bíblia de Jerusalém, Bíblia da CNBB, Bíblia TEB]** * *”Por isso, o próprio Sentor vos dará um sinal: uma [jovem/virgem] conceberá e dará à luz um filto, e o ctamará ‘Deus Conos­co’.”***Matthew 1:23 (Various Translations):*** **[Bíblia Ave Maria, Bíblia Pastoral, Bíblia de Jerusalém, Bíblia da CNBB, Bíblia TEB]** * *”Eis que uma [virgem] conceberá e dará à luz um filto, que se ctamará Emanuel, que significa: Deus conosco.”***Contextual Explanation:**These verses refer to a prophecy by the prophet Isaiah during a time of war against the Kingdom of Judah. King Ahaz, facing an invasion from Syria and Ephraim, seeks help from the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III. The prophet Isaiah warns Ahaz against this alliance, reminding him of the first commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).In response to Ahaz’s defiance, Isaiah promises a sign: a young woman (the wife of Ahaz, Abia) will conceive and give birth to a son named Emmanuel, meaning “God is with us.” This child, who will be raised on milk and honey (symbolizing scarcity in a war-torn land), foreshadows the coming Messiah who will bring God’s presence and salvation to humanity.

This nourishment, however, will last until the child learns to reject evil and choose good (v. 16a). This phrase (considering the precious parallelism it has in Is 8,4) means: before the child knows to say ‘father’ and ‘mother’. These are the first signs of discernment (cf. Gn 4,11). They can also manifest around the age of two. At the end of this period, the prophet declares, the two kings who inspire such fear in Ahaz will be defeated (v. 16).

The immediate development of events confirmed the truthfulness of the prophecy. In 733 Tiglath-Pileser conquered Samaria, and in 732 Damascus fell into the hands of the Assyrians. Hezekiah was born during the winter of 733-732, according to the most reliable calculations. When he was just over a year old, the threat from the Syrian-Ephraimite league was thus averted. Hezekiah then succeeded Ahaz and his good rule truly showed that “God is with us”, that is, with His people (Is 8,10).

The House of David, to which the Lord promised perpetual stability through the words of Nathan (2Sm 7,8-16), survived thanks to the person and work of Emmanuel-Hezekiah. This interpretation of the famous oracle in Is 7,14 is called indirectly messianic because it considers Hezekiah as a type of Christ. It is the oldest prefiguration and is gaining numerous consents even among contemporary exegetes.

Despite any desire to postpone, it will never be possible to confine the perspective of the prophet within the limits of Judah or Ahaz’s court. Isaiah has before him more than an invasion, a liberation, a sign. Therefore, in his mind, the moment and the recipients of the respective threats and promises must also be clear.

Otherwise, the oracle would be contradictory (with salvific and punitive insinuations regarding the present, before the child distinguishes good from evil and an unspecified future, on that day), disproportionately emphatic (to merely announce a historical event is not explicable with such solemnity), even confusing, contrary to the usual style of the prophets, therefore also superfluous.

Interpretation of Is 7,14 in Mt 1,22-23

Matthew, after having narrated the virgin conception of Jesus (1,18-21), concludes: «This happened to fulfill what was said by the prophet: ‘Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be Emmanuel, which means God with us’».

The oracle to which Matthew refers is that of Is 7,14. First, let us consider the original context of this famous prophecy, and then the Christological-Marian reinterpretation that the first Evangelist makes of it.

**Matthew’s Reinterpretation of Isaiah 7:14 in Marian and Messianic Light**Matthew 1:22-25 reinterprets Isaiah 7:14 in a messianic and mariological sense. The evangelist has just narrated the virgin conception of Christ and asserts that, despite the exclusion of a husband, Jesus descends from the Davidic line. Indeed, it is Joseph, a descendant of David (Matthew 1:20), who legally grants parentage (Matthew 1:21, 24), thus inserting him into Jewish society as “a descendant of David.” In light of this extraordinary event, Matthew reflects on the circumstances surrounding Isaiah’s prophecy and concludes that they attain their full meaning now that Mary has conceived Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit.**How?**We could say that Matthew’s reinterpretation of Isaiah 7:14 has two aspects: one concerning the Messiah, and the other his Mother.**A) The Messiah:**Just as in the time of the Syrian-Ephraimite war, the survival of the Davidic dynasty was secured by the birth of Emmanuel-Hezekiah, so too does Christ’s birth from a line of David guarantee God’s continuity with the Davidic line, now extended within the Church. The figure of Hezekiah, highly celebrated by the prophet (Isaiah 7:14s, 8:5-10, 9:5ss.), is a typical prefiguration of Christ. Jesus is the true and perfect Emmanuel, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23): “Behold, I am with you always until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).The new house of David is now the Church of Christ (cf. Matthew 16:18: “I will build my Church”). It enjoys perpetual stability because Jesus dwells within it. Evil forces will not prevail (cf. Matthew 16:18). Love conquers death. In the risen Christ, active in the Church, God’s omnipotence is revealed—”God with us.”**B) The Mother of the Messiah:**The mariological significance of Isaiah’s prophecy, according to Matthew’s citation, lies in the person of Hezekiah’s mother. Just as she gave birth to a son who ensured the continuity of the Davidic house, Mary gives birth to a Son who will reign forever on David’s throne, in Jacob’s house, in “God’s Israel” (cf. Matthew 16:18; 28:20; Galatians 6:16; 2 Samuel 7:16). Note the royalty of both mothers. Furthermore, just as Hezekiah’s birth was a miracle, foretold by the prophet as a sign, so too was Christ’s conception supremely miraculous—a virgin conceiving through only the Spirit (Matthew 1:18, 20).## SummaryThe passage argues that Isaiah 7:14, the first Old Testament oracle to be interpreted mariologically in the New Testament, prophetically points to Mary, the Virgin Mother of Christ. This interpretation gained momentum due to controversy with Jewish circles who denied Christological content in the Old Testament. The revelation about Christ and His mother is veiled behind typical characters from King Hezekiah’s court and Queen Mother Abia, only fully revealed through Matthew’s Gospel.## Quotes> “What happened during the reign of King Ahaz now reaches its perfect and definitive fulfillment in the mystery of the Virgin Conception of Christ, ‘son of David’ (Mt 1:20) and ‘God with us’ (1:23).”> “The New Testament completes and surpasses the Old. Jesus says, ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish but to fulfill’ (Mt 5:17).”## ConclusionReinterpreting Isaiah 7:14 and Genesis 3:15 in light of the New Testament reveals Mary’s role as the Mother of the Messiah. The passage traces a parallel current in the Old Testament that prepares for both the Messias and the messianic community, with Mary playing a pivotal feminine role alongside Jesus.**By:** Prof. Dr. Daniel Afonso & Profa. Carolline MunizFor deeper study, consult Pope John Paul II’s encyclical *Redemptoris Mater*, which offers an exegetical and theological analysis of key biblical texts about Mary.

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