Matthew 1:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us).

NIV: "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us").

NASB: BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN WILL CONCEIVE AND GIVE BIRTH TO A SON, AND THEY SHALL NAME HIM IMMANUEL,' which translated means, 'God WITH US.'

CSB: See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated "God is with us."

NLT: 'Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’'

KJV: Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

NKJV: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

An angel of God has appeared to Joseph in a dream with a very specific set of instructions and revelations. Joseph, a decent man (Matthew 1:19), was considering divorcing his betrothed wife. Since the wedding had not yet taken place, they had not yet slept together. And yet, she was recently found to be pregnant (Matthew 1:18). Joseph would be well within his rights to divorce Mary but planned to go the extra mile of compassion by doing so quietly.

The angelic messenger from God changes Joseph's perspective. He told Joseph not to be afraid to go through with the marriage. The baby was not the result of adultery. Mary was still a virgin and was pregnant by the Holy Spirit with a boy they would call Jesus. He would save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:20–21). It's possible the angel cited Isaiah's words to Joseph; it's also possible these words are recorded by Matthew as part of his explanation. Either way, they are part of the Word of God and have the same meaning.

Matthew quotes from Isaiah 7:14 to show this miraculous pregnancy was the fulfillment of prophecy. The purpose of this prophecy, in part, is to point out that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Isaiah's prophecy spelled it out to the letter: A virgin would conceive and give birth to a son. People will call him "Immanuel," which means "God with Us." Viewed in this light, the prophecy is clear that Jesus is God, sent to earth to be with us, and to save mankind from our sins.

Some critics object to this use of Isaiah's words. They note that the original Hebrew word, translated here as "virgin," does not necessarily mean a woman with no experience of sexual intercourse. The Hebrew word almāh' can be used simply to mean a young woman. However, long before Jesus' birth, Jewish scholars had translated that term into Greek as parthenos, a word explicitly indicating a virgin.

Matthew, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, applies the prophecy to Mary and to Jesus. Additionally, the angel is very clear with Joseph that Mary is not pregnant by a human male, but by God's Spirit.

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.