Matthew 1:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife,

NIV: When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

NASB: And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife,

CSB: When Joseph woke up, he did as the Lord's angel had commanded him. He married her

NLT: When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.

KJV: Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

NKJV: Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,

Based on what he knew at first, Joseph had every right—legally and morally—to divorce Mary (Matthew 1:18). The period of betrothal was treated as part of the marriage contract in this ancient time. Even though the couple had not yet lived together or had sex, they were legally bound together in virtually the same way as a fully married couple would be. Mary's pregnancy by another man would have given Joseph a legal and justifiable way to terminate his agreement. His initial plan was to do exactly that, but discreetly for Mary's sake (Matthew 1:19).

He did not follow through with that plan, however. God intervened by sending an angel to visit Joseph in a dream (Matthew 1:20–21). The angel revealed to Joseph what was really going on. Mary remained a virgin. The baby she carried came from the Holy Spirit. The boy would be called Jesus, from a Hebrew name meaning "Yahweh saves," and also Immanuel, meaning "God with us".

Joseph demonstrated remarkable faith in obeying God's command through the angel. He set aside the cost to his own reputation and defied cultural norms. Rather than taking the easy, socially simple path, he chose to obey God. Joseph ended the official betrothal period by taking Mary home to live with him immediately. This would have protected her and her family from scandal, as well as allowing him to provide for her throughout the rest of the pregnancy.

The following verse, though, makes it clear Joseph did not sleep with Mary until after the birth of Jesus. She remained a virgin, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah (Isaiah 7:14). After that time, Joseph and Mary would have other children together (Matthew 13:55–57; Mark 3:31–32).

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.