Matthew 1:18-25

Mat 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was this way (for His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph) before they came together, she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.

Espoused - Betrothed, or engaged to be married. There was commonly an interval of ten or twelve months, among the Jews, between the contract of marriage and the celebration of the nuptials, yet such was the nature of this engagement, that unfaithfulness to each other was deemed adultery. Nor could a contract of this kind, though there was no cohabitation, be broken but by a regular divorce.

She was found with child - Her situation was the most distressing and humiliating that can be conceived. Nothing but the fullest consciousness of her own integrity, and the strongest confidence in God, could have supported her in such trying circumstances, where her reputation, her honor, and her life were at stake. God had sent his angel to bear the most unequivocal testimony to the virgin’s innocence. Joseph’s conduct, on this occasion, was exceedingly benevolent and humane. He might at once have taken the advantage of the law, Deu_22:23, Deu_22:24, and had her stoned to death.

Mat 1:19 But Joseph, her husband to be, being just, and not willing to make her a public example, he purposed to put her away secretly.

Her husband - The word in the original does not imply that they were married. It means here the man to whom she was espoused.

A just man - The meaning is that he was kind, tender, merciful; that he was so attached to Mary that he was not willing that she should be exposed to public shame. He sought, therefore, secretly to dissolve the connection, and to restore her to her friends without the punishment commonly inflicted on adultery.

To make her a public example - Though Joseph was a righteous man, and knew that the law required that such persons as he supposed his wife to be should be put to death, yet, as righteousness is ever directed by mercy, he determined to put her away or divorce her privately, i.e. without assigning any cause, that her life might be saved; and, as the offense was against himself, he had a right to pass it by if he chose. In a way, a foreshadowing of the mercy of the Lord towards sinners.

was minded to put her away privily--that is, privately by giving her the required writing of divorcement (Deu_24:1), in presence of only two or three witnesses, and without cause assigned, instead of having her before a magistrate. Joseph could give her a bill of divorcement (apolusai), the gēt laid down in the Mishna, without a public trial. He had to give her the writ (gēt) and pay the fine (Deu_24:1). So he proposed to do this privately.

Mat 1:20 And as he thought upon these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take to you Mary as your wife. For that in her is fathered of the Holy Spirit.

He thought on these things - He did not act hastily. And when we have looked patiently at a perplexed subject, and know not what to do, then God, as in the case of Joseph, will interpose to lead us and direct our way. God will guide the thoughtful and the anxious. Psa_25:9.

In a dream - This was a common way of making known the will of God to the ancient prophets and people of God, Gen_20:3; Gen_30:1, Gen_30:11, Gen_30:24; Gen_37:5; Gen_41:1; 1Ki_3:5; Dan_7:1; Job_4:13-15.

behold the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream; possibly the same angel which appeared to Zacharias, and who also appeared to Mary. Whose name was Gabriel, Luk_1:11. According to Jewish tradition, this angel must be Gabriel, since he is the angel who they say "is appointed over dreams".

Mat 1:21 And she shall bear a son, and you shall call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins.

His name Jesus - The name Jesus is the same as Savior. It is derived from the verb signifying to save, In Hebrew it is the same as Joshua. In two places in the New Testament it is used where it means Joshua, the leader of the Jews into Canaan, and in our translation the name Joshua should have been retained, Act_7:45; Heb_4:8. The same as Joshua, Yehoshua, from yasha, he saved, delivered, put in a state of safety.

He shall save - This expresses the same as the name, and on this account the name was given to him.

His people - Those whom the Father has given to him. The Jews were called the people of God because he had chosen them to himself, and regarded them as His special and beloved people, separate from all the nations of the earth. Christians are called the people of Christ because it was the purpose of the Father to give them to him Isaiah 53:11 He shall see the fruit of the travail of His soul. He shall be fully satisfied. By His knowledge shall My righteous Servant justify for many; and He shall bear their iniquities, John 6:37 All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will in no way cast out, and because in due time he came to redeem them to himself, Titus 2:14 who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify to Himself a special people, zealous of good works.

for he shall save his people from their sins. The salvation here for which he is every way fit, being God as well as man, and which he is the sole author of, is to be understood, not of a temporal, but of a spiritual and everlasting salvation; such as was prophesied of, Isaiah 45:17 But Israel shall be saved in Jehovah with an everlasting salvation. You shall not be ashamed nor blush to the forevers of eternity. and which old Jacob had in his view, when he said, Genesis 49:18 I have waited for Your salvation, O Jehovah.

for he shall save--The "He" is here emphatic--He it is that shall save; He personally, and by personal acts. αὐτός autós; Self; him, her, it; the same (with the Self, used as an intens. for emphasis. It sets the individual apart from everything else. With proper names: Luk_24:15 "Jesus himself" in distinction from His disciples. It is Jesus who saves, no one else.

Shalt call Thus committing the office of a father to Joseph. The naming of the unborn Messiah would accord with popular notions.

From their sins . Both sins of omission and of commission. The substantive (hamartia) is from the verb (hamartanein) and means missing the mark as with an arrow. To miss a mark; as a warrior who throws his spear and fails to strike his adversary, or as a traveller who misses his way. In this word, sin is conceived as a failing and missing the true end and scope of our lives, which is God.

Mat 1:22 Now all this happened so that might be fulfilled that which was spoken of the LORD by the prophet, saying,

Now all this was done - The prophecy here quoted is recorded in Isaiah 7:14 So, the Lord Himself shall give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel. The prophecy was delivered about 740 years before Christ, in the reign of Ahaz, king of Judah.

Now all this was done,- These are not the words of the Angel, but of the writer.

Mat 1:23 "Behold, the virgin shall conceive in her womb, and will bear a son. And they will call His name Emmanuel," which being interpreted is, God with us.

Behold, a virgin shall be with child - Matthew clearly understands this as applying literally to a virgin. It thus implies that the conception of Christ was miraculous, or that the body of the Messiah was created directly by the power of God Luke 1:34 Then Mary said to the angel, How shall this be, since I do not know a man? agreeably to the declaration in Hebrews 10:5 Therefore when He comes into the world, He says, "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but You have prepared a body for Me.

And they shall call his name Emmanuel - The word “Immanuel” is a Hebrew word, ‛immânû'êl; and literally means “God with us.” Matthew doubtless understands it as denoting that the Messiah was really “God with us,” or that the divine nature was united with the human.

Behold, a virgin shall be with child - taken from Isa_7:14; consider the circumstances of the original promise more particularly. At the time referred to, the kingdom of Judah, under the government of Ahaz, was reduced very low. Pekah, king of Israel, had slain in Judea 120,000 persons in one day, and carried away captives 200,000, including women and children, together with much spoil. To add to their distress, Rezin, king of Syria, being confederate with Pekah, had taken Elath, a fortified city of Judah, and carried the inhabitants away captive to Damascus. In this critical conjuncture, need we wonder that Ahaz was afraid that the enemies who were now united against him must prevail, destroy Jerusalem, and the kingdom of Judah, and annihilate the family of David! To meet and remove this fear, apparently well grounded, Isaiah is sent from the Lord to Ahaz, swallowed up now both by sorrow and by unbelief, in order to assure him that the counsels of his enemies should not stand; and that they should be utterly discomfited. To encourage Ahaz, he commands him to ask a sign or miracle, which should be a pledge in hand, that God should, in due time, fulfill the predictions of his servant, as related in the context. On Ahaz humbly refusing to ask any sign, it is immediately added, Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign: Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son; and shall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, etc. Both the Divine and human nature of our Lord, as well as the miraculous conception, appear to be pointed out in the prophecy quoted here by the evangelist.

and they shall call his name Emmanuel. the meaning is, not that he should be commonly known and called by such a name, any more than by any of those mentioned in Isaiah 9:6 For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be on His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace, but only that he should be so.

being interpreted is God with us: To be called, only means, according to the Hebrew manner of speaking, that the person spoken of shall really and effectually be what he is called, and actually fulfill that title. This is Matthew’s explanation of the meaning of Immanuel, a descriptive appellation of Jesus Christ and more than a mere motto designation. God’s help, Jesus=the Help of God, is thus seen. One day Jesus will say to Philip: John 14:9 Jesus said to him, Have I been with you such a long time and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father. And how do you say, Show us the Father? For it is a compound word of "God" and "with us", and well agrees with Jesus, who is God in our nature, the word that was made flesh and dwelt among us. Joh_1:14. So the Septuagint interpret the word in Isaiah 8:8 and he shall take away from Juda [every] man who shall be able to lift up his head, [and every one] able to accomplish anything; and his camp shall fill the breadth of thy land, [O] God with us.(Septuagint) Isaiah 8:8 And he shall pass through Judah. He shall overflow and go over; he shall reach to the neck. And the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel. (MKJV)

Mat 1:24 And Joseph, being roused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took his wife,

took unto him his wife, that is, he publicly married her, whom he had before espoused, took her to his house, or continued her there, lived with her as his wife, and owned her to be such, and henceforwards had no more thoughts of putting her away.

Mat 1:25 and did not know her until she bore her son, the First-born. And he called His name JESUS.

Knew her not - The doctrine of the virginity of Mary before the birth of Jesus is a doctrine of the Scriptures, and is very important to be believed. But the Bible does not affirm that she had no children afterward. Indeed, all the accounts in the New Testament lead us to suppose that she did have them. The language here evidently implies that she lived as the wife of Joseph after the birth of Jesus.

Her first-born son - Her oldest son, or the one who had the privilege of birthright by the law.

His name Jesus - This was given by divine appointment, Mat_1:21. It was conferred upon him on the eighth day, at the time of his circumcision, Luk_2:21.

And knew her not - Or "but he knew her not", that is, had carnal knowledge of her, though his wife. The words are an euphemism, or a modest way of expressing the conjugal act, and is a very ancient one, Genesis 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife. And she conceived and bore Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.