Matthew 1:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.

NIV: Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

NASB: And her husband Joseph, since he was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.

CSB: So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.

NLT: Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

KJV: Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

NKJV: Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.

While Luke's version of the story of Jesus' birth focuses more closely on Mary's experience, Matthew is describing it from Joseph's perspective. Mary and Joseph were betrothed to be married, something far more formal than a modern engagement. This likely meant Joseph had made an agreement with Mary's father, perhaps years earlier, to take Mary as his wife. The agreement was binding—legally, they were as good as married, other than the wedding ceremony and physically consummating the relationship.

The previous verse revealed that Mary was found to be with child "from the Holy Spirit." It's helpful to remember that, at first, the only part of this Joseph knows is that she is pregnant. He would not have known, immediately, about the crucial explanation. He knew only that his almost-wife was pregnant with a child that is not his.

Joseph is said to be "a just man." He may have felt hurt and betrayed, but he did not apparently fly into a rage or wish to hurt Mary, even though all signs pointed to what amounted to adultery in their culture. On the contrary, he seems not to want additional shame for her if he could help it. This seems extraordinarily kind, given the circumstances. Part of this kindness might have been that Mary was likely much younger than Joseph. We don't know that for sure, and marriage arrangements such as this were common, even when there was an age gap. Still that's a possible explanation for why Joseph disappears from the Gospel narratives by the time Jesus is grown.

Compassion did not require Joseph to go through with marrying a seemingly-unfaithful woman. Instead, he was going to divorce her as quietly as possible. He did not intend to make a public issue about why he was breaking off their agreement by legal means. The fact that this required divorce papers shows just how binding a betrothal was in the culture of the day.

Matthew 1:18–25 tells the story of the birth of Christ from the perspective of Joseph. This man is betrothed to be married to Mary, but finds out she is pregnant. He does not realize, yet, that this child is Christ, and that she is pregnant by a miracle of the Holy Spirit. God interrupts Joseph's honorable plans to divorce Mary, and tells him through an angel in a dream not to fear taking her as a wife and that the child is from God. Jesus will fulfill Isaiah's prophecy that Immanuel, ''God with us,'' will be born to a virgin. Joseph obeys, demonstrating his faith in God.

The apostle Matthew begins his telling of Jesus' life with a genealogy. This is meant to show that Jesus is directly descended from both Abraham and King David, making Him a legal heir to the throne of Israel. He then tells the story of Jesus' birth from the perspective of Joseph, Mary's husband. Joseph had planned to divorce the woman he was betrothed to marry, once he found out she was carrying a child that wasn't his. God interrupts this plan. An angel tells Joseph in a dream that the child is from the Holy Spirit and commands Joseph to name Him Jesus, since He will save His people from their sins. Joseph obeys.

One of the original twelve disciples, Matthew begins his telling of Jesus' life with a genealogy and Jesus' birth. The listing of Jesus' ancestors shows how Jesus is directly descended from both Abraham and King David, but it also includes then-unlikely inclusions, such as women, blatant sinners, and evil kings. Instead of divorcing Mary, Joseph obeys God and takes her home. Isaiah's prophecy of the virgin birth of Immanuel, a term meaning ''God with us,'' is fulfilled. This sets the stage for pivotal events in Jesus' infancy, such as the arrival of wise men and the family's escape into Egypt.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.