St Matthew Chapter I : Verses 18-25
Contents
⮚Matt. i. 1-17 Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate)
⮚Notes on text
⮚Additional Notes
On the Date of the NativityBetrothed or married?She was found with child, of the Holy Ghost.EmmanuelHer firstborn
Matt. i. 1-17
18 Now the generation of Christ was in this wise. When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child, of the Holy Ghost.
Christi autem generatio sic erat : cum esset desponsata mater ejus Maria Joseph, antequam convenirent inventa est in utero habens de Spiritu Sancto.
19 Whereupon Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing publicly to expose her, was minded to put her away privately.
Joseph autem vir ejus cum esset justus, et nollet eam traducere, voluit occulte dimittere eam.
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| The Vision of St Joseph. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum. |
Hæc autem eo cogitante, ecce angelus Domini apparuit in somnis ei, dicens : Joseph, fili David, noli timere accipere Mariam conjugem tuam : quod enim in ea natum est, de Spiritu Sancto est.
21 And she shall bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name JESUS. For he shall save his people from their sins.
Pariet autem filium : et vocabis nomen ejus Jesum : ipse enim salvum faciet populum suum a peccatis eorum.
22 Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying:
Hoc autem totum factum est, ut adimpleretur quod dictum est a Domino per prophetam dicentem :
23 Behold a virgin shall be with child, and bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Ecce virgo in utero habebit, et pariet filium : et vocabunt nomen ejus Emmanuel, quod est interpretatum Nobiscum Deus.
24 And Joseph rising up from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and took unto him his wife.
Exsurgens autem Joseph a somno, fecit sicut præcepit ei angelus Domini, et accepit conjugem suam.
25 And he knew her not till she brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
Et non cognoscebat eam donec peperit filium suum primogenitum : et vocavit nomen ejus Jesum.
Notes
18. Now the generation of Christ, etc. St Matthew now proceeds to explain the miraculous conception of Jesus Christ. The MSS. vary here, and in some we have the word “birth” (γέννησις) instead of “origin” or “generation” (γένησις), which agrees better with the actual facts.
Mary. The meaning of this name is much disputed, and various interpretations have been given, — e.g. star of the sea, mistress, the enlightened.[see also: lady, bitterness]
espoused to Joseph. The espousal was a solemn ceremony by which the man and woman pledged their troth. The marriage took place about a year later.
before they came together. Before Mary had been taken to the house of Joseph as his wife. The woman, after her espousal, still lived with her parents, but in seclusion.
`of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost created the human Body of our Blessed Lord. The conception of Christ was the work of the Blessed Trinity, but as it was a sovereign act of goodness, grace, love, and fecundity, it is by appropriation ascribed to the Holy Ghost, because all such acts are attributed to Him, just as manifestations of supreme power are ascribed to the Father, and acts of wisdom to the Son.
19. a just man. A common scriptural form of eulogy. Cf. Noe was a just and perfect man in his generation, he walked with God (Gen. vi. 9). This does not imply original justice and exemption from actual sin, but merely that he was earnest in the service of God ; this earnestness sprang from the heart, it was no exterior Pharisaism.
to put her away privately, — i.e. without assigning any reason for the deed. The original word signifies literally “ to make an example of,” hence to put to shame (παραδειγματίσαι).
The Law of Moses commanded that an unfaithful wife should be divorced, and, according to some writers, this also applied to those betrothed, but we cannot prove it from Scripture.
20. the Angel of the Lord. Probably St Gabriel, the angel of the Incarnation.
in his sleep. St Matthew relates four warnings given to St Joseph during dreams ; for the other three, see ch. ii. 13, 19, 22. God often revealed His will to the saints of the Old Law by means of dreams.
Joseph, son of David. These words would recall to St Joseph the Messianic promises made to his own house and tribe. The very fact that the angel knew of Joseph’s doubts and fears, proved that the angelic messenger was sent by God.
to take unto thee (παραλαβεῖν). The ordinary expression for taking a bride from her parents’ house to that of the husband.
21. thou shalt call his name Jesus. These words shew that St Joseph was to be regarded as the father of Jesus, since, at the circumcision of a child, the father gave the name.
he shall save, etc. The angel goes on to reveal the mission of Christ. Our Lord, in becoming man, took on Himself the office of Saviour, as it had been predicted. The very name Jesus which He chose, spoke of love and tenderness. The word Christ is a title, and not strictly a name.
his people. Primarily the Jews, but the Gentiles were not to be excluded.
Cf. Other sheep I have, that are not of this fold ; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd (St John x. 16).
22. Now all this was done, etc. St John Chrysostom, St Irenæus, and a few others look on these words as a continuation of the angel’s words, but this opinion is not generally accepted, for St Matthew frequently uses this expression. For examples see ii. 15, iv. 14, viii. 17, xii. 17, xiii. 35, where the words are manifestly those of the historian. St Matthew here corroborates the testimony of the angel by appealing to the words of the prophets. It was necessary that the attention of the Jews should be called to the fulfilment of the prophecies. The same remark applies to the other occasions when St Matthew employs a like expression.
23. Behold a virgin, etc. This is a quotation from Isaias vii. 14. When Achaz was king of Juda, Kasin, king of Syria, and Phacee, king of Israel, made war against him. The kingdom of Juda was in great danger, and Achaz feared that his people would be exterminated. Isaias, having been sent to reassure him, bade him ask for some sign that the prophetic message came from God ; Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God, either unto the depth of hell, or unto the height above. And Achaz said : I will not ask, and I will not tempt the Lord. And he said : Hear ye, therefore, 0 house of David. . . . Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and hear a son, and his name shall he called Emmanuel (Is. vii. 11-14).
which being interpreted. St Matthew adds this explanation. It is no part of the prophecy.
24. Joseph . . . did as the Angel . . . had commanded. As the doubt of St Thomas strengthens our faith in the Resurrection, so St Joseph’s doubt confirms our faith as regards the virginity of our Lady.
25. till she brought forth. Our Blessed Lady was always a virgin. Such is the universal teaching of the Church, and the use of the word “until” proves nothing to the contrary.
St Jerome adduces several passages of Holy Writ to prove that the word “ until,” when employed after a negative, simply has reference to what is already done, and not to what may happen after some given event or time, e.g. —
(a) The raven did not return until the waters were dried up upon the earth (Gen.viii. 7), — i.e. the raven did not return at all.(b) We will not go through the fields, nor through the vineyards, we urill not drink the waters of thy wells, hut we will go by the common highway, neither turning aside to the right hand nor to the left, till we are past thy borders (Numb. xx. 17). Evidently the Israelites did not return to commit any depredations in the territory of the Edomites.(c) No man shall be able to resist thee, until thou destroy them (Deut. vii. 24). Clearly a dead man cannot retaliate.
her first-born son. Jesus was the only son of Mary. The first-born son had special duties and privileges ; he alone was presented in the Temple and redeemed. On the lips of a Jew, the term “first-born” would have no more reference to other children than the titles Dauphin and Crown Prince have with us.
he called his name Jesus. This happened on the eighth day after the birth, when the holy Infant was circumcised.
Additional Notes :
On the Date of the Nativity
It is impossible to give with absolute certainty the day and month of our Saviour’s birth, but the ancient Catholic tradition places it on the 25th of December, and there is no reason for rejecting this date.
In giving 4 B.C. as the true 1 A.D., we are guided by the following data : —
1. All chronologists are agreed that Herod died in 750 A.U.C.
2. Josephus (Antiq., xvii. 6. 4) relates that a lunar eclipse occurred just before Herod’s death, and astronomical calculations enable us to place this eclipse on the night of the 12th to the 13th of March 750 A.U.C.
3. From the gospels we gather that the following events happened before Herod’s death ; —
(1) The Birth of Christ.(2) The Purification of our Blessed Lady.(3) The visit of the Magi.(4) The Massacre of the Innocents.
4. According to the generally accepted tradition, our Lord was not more than three or four months old at the time of the Flight into Egypt.
Consequently we are probably right in assuming that Jesus was born on the 25th of December 749 A.U.C., which corresponded with 5 B.C., for it is manifest that when, in the sixth century, Dionysius Exiguus gave the year of our Lord’s birth as corresponding with 754 A.U.C., he was placing it four years too late.
But it would be very confusing to change our chronology now by going back four years, and we can obtain approximate accuracy without any inconvenience by giving the date of the Nativity as 5 B.C. According to this calculation, Jesus was in His thirty-first year when He was baptized, and in His thirty -fourth when He was crucified.
N.B. — In computations based on the Christian Era, we proceed by subtraction when dealing with the years before Christ, and by addition as regards the years which follow (A.D.). Consequently the number 1 occurs twice in succession, since 1 B.C. is followed by 1 A.D. This being sometimes overlooked by the student, gives rise to errors and confusion. It must also be borne in mind that the Jewish year which began in Nisan (April) did not coincide either with the old Roman calendar (when the year originally began in March) or with the Julian calendar, but this difference in the two systems of computation offers no difficulty to the student of the New Testament.
Betrothed or married?
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| The Annunciation and Incarnation. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum. |
I. Arguments in favour of her being really married.
(a) Immediately after Gabriel had appeared to her, Mary went to visit Elizabeth. This would have been contrary to the Jewish custom, which recpiired the espoused virgin to lead a life of strict seclusion until the nuptials.(b) If our Lady had only married St Joseph after her visit, Jesus would have been born six months after, and Mary’s honour might have been impugned.
(c) The word “espoused” was sometimes used as a synonym for “married,” and St Luke thus employs it in ch. ii. 5, “to be enrolled with his espoused wife ” At this time there could be no question of her being merely espoused.
Note. — This opinion has the weight of the greater number of authorities and the support of tradition.
II. Arguments in favour of her being only espoused.
(а) St Joseph’s dream took place after the Incarnation, and before he had taken our Lady to his own home. Cf. “before they came together.” “Joseph took unto him his wife” (St Matt. i. 24).(b) If St Joseph had been married to our Lady, he would have gone with her to visit Elizabeth, and would have heard the words of St Elizabeth : “ Whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me ? ” (St Luke i. 43).(c) We are distinctly told that when St Joseph took unto him his wife, he “ did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him ” (St Matt. i. 24). Had Mary been his wedded wife, this command would have been superliuous. Hence the nuptials took place immediately after the Annunciation.
Patrizi, St Hilary, St Epiphanius, St Jerome, St John Chrys,, Maldonatus, Cornelius a Lapide, and many others favour this second opinion.
ON THE CEREMONY OF THE ESPOUSALS
This ceremony could take place either publicly in the Temple or privately in the house of the bride. A marriage tent or canopy, called the “chuppah,” was erected, under which the bride and bridegroom sat on a raised platform. This bridal chamber is mentioned in Ps. xviii. 6, 7 : “ He, as a bridegroom coming out of his bride-chamber, hath rejoiced as a giant to run the way.” The ceremony of the espousals was not a mere form of little weight, but a solemn ceremony binding on both parties, which only death or a hill of divorce could cancel. The bridegroom, in presence of witnesses, pledged his troth to the bride, and gave her a pledge in money. After the Babylonian Captivity it became customary to give a written form, signed by the bridegroom. Prayers were offered, and both parties drank of a cup of wine, after which a benediction was pronounced. The words “ Lo, thou art betrothed unto me,” were addressed to the woman, who lived henceforth in seclusion until the nuptials. If a virgin, this probation might extend to a year ; in the case of a widow, a month was the usual period. A breach of contract on her part, was considered equivalent to the sin of adultery. Marriages were generally arranged by parents, but if the bride had brothers, they had to be consulted. Cf. “ Sichem also said to her father and to her brethren : Let me find favour in your sight .... give me this damsel to wife” (Gen. xxxiv. 11, 12). The essential part of the nuptials was the taking of the bride to the home of the bridegroom. They were then considered to be man and wife.
18. She was found with child, of the Holy Ghost. Some commentators take the words “ of the Holy Ghost ” as a simple explanation of the mystery of the Incarnation ; others understand that they refer to the knowledge which St Joseph had of this mystery before the angel appeared to him in a dream. Hence there are three views as to why St J oseph doubted : —
(a) Knowing that our Lady had conceived miraculously, he wished to cancel the betrothal as privately as possible, deeming himself unworthy to live under the same roof (Orig., Theop., Natalis, etc.).(b) St Joseph suspected our Lady’s fidelity ; but this view seems “harsh, injurious to Mary, unworthy of St Joseph, oftensive to Jesus Christ, and not required by the context ” (Mass, S. J.).(c) St Joseph was really in doubt, being unable to explain the actual facts, with what he knew of our Lady’s spotless character (St Jerome, St Bonaventure). This is the more generally accepted view.
20. The Angel of the Lord appeared to him in his sleep. The angel Gabriel was sent to Mary before the Incarnation had taken place, and he appeared to her when she was awake; to St Joseph, the angel announced the mystery in a dream, after it had taken place. Maldonatus explains this different line of conduct thus : Mary had to give her consent before the mystery of the Incarnation could be effected, whereas, in the case of Joseph, the angel had simply to announce an event that had been accomplished; secondly, it was fitting that Mary should know the dignity of Jesus, and how His conception had been wrought. [Ed. Cf. Joseph, son of Jacob and the references to dreams]
23. Emmanuel. The name “ Emmanuel ” was a recognised name of the Messias, as we see from the following passages of Isaias : —
“ And the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, 0 Emmanuel. , . . . Take counsel together, and it shall be defeated : speak a word, and it shall not be done : because God is with us ” (Is. viii. 8, 10). “ For a child is born to us, and a son is given to us, and the government is upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, God the Mighty, the Father of the world to come, the Prince of peace. His empire shall be multiplied, and there shall be no end of peace : he shall sit upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom to establish it and strengthen it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth and for ever : the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this ” (Is. ix. 6, 7. See also xi. 1-10).
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| The The Birth of Jesus. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum. |
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per te, Maria.
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