American Standard Version
Matthew 1:19
19And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
Matthew 1:19 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.
- New King James Version (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.
Context of Matthew 1:19
17So all the generations from Abraham unto David are fourteen generations; and from David unto the carrying away to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the carrying away to Babylon unto the Christ fourteen generations. 18Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. 20But when he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21And she shall bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name JESUS; for it is he that shall save his people from their sins.
Read all of Matthew 1Matthew 1:19 word by word
Ἰωσὴφ δὲ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς, δίκαιος ὢν καὶ μὴ θέλων αὐτὴν δειγματίσαι, ἐβουλήθη λάθρᾳ ἀπολῦσαι αὐτήν.¶Read the interlinear
Cross-references for Matthew 1:19
- Leviticus 19:20And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to a husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; they shall be punished; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free.
- Deuteronomy 22:23If there be a damsel that is a virgin betrothed unto a husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her;
- Genesis 6:9These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, andperfect in his generations: Noah walked with God.
- Psalms 112:4Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: He isgracious, and merciful, and righteous.
- Mark 6:20for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was much perplexed; and he heard him gladly.
- Luke 2:25And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
- Acts 10:22And they said, Cornelius a centurion, a righteous man and one that feareth God, and well reported of by all the nation of the Jews, was warned of God by a holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words from thee.
- Genesis 38:24And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath played the harlot; and moreover, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.
- Leviticus 20:10And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
- Deuteronomy 22:21then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the harlot in her father’s house: so shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee.
- John 8:4they say unto him, Teacher, this woman hath been taken in adultery, in the very act.
- Deuteronomy 24:1When a man taketh a wife, and marrieth her, then it shall be, if she find no favor in his eyes, because he hath found some unseemly thing in her, that he shall write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.
- Mark 10:4And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.
Commentaries on Matthew 1:19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19To make her a public example - , to expose her to public infamy; from , near, and , I show, or expose; what is oddly, though emphatically, called in England, showing up - exposing a character to public view. 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…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19Her 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 - Justice consists in rendering to every man his own. Yet this is evidently not the character intended to be given here of Joseph. 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…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-25Verses 18-25 Let us look to the circumstances under which the Son of God entered into this lower world, till we learn to despise the vain honours of this world, when compared with piety and holiness. The mystery of Christ's becoming man is to be adored, not curiously inquired into. It was so ordered that Christ should partake of our nature, yet that he should be pure from the defilement of original sin, which has been communicated to all the race of Adam…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19Joseph was a righteous man. This means he obeyed the law (see Luke 1:6). He reconsidered marrying Mary because it appeared she had committed adultery. He could have cleared his name by publicly accusing Mary. This would have led to her trial and possible execution (Deuteronomy 22:23–27; compare Numbers 5:11–31). Or he could pay a fine and end the engagement (see also Mishnah Sotah 1:1–5). Joseph chose to be kind and decided to end the engagement quietly.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. Then Joseph her husband--Compare Mt 1:20, "Mary, thy wife." Betrothal was, in Jewish law, valid marriage. In giving Mary up, therefore, Joseph had to take legal steps to effect the separation. being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example--to expose her (see De 22:23, 24) was minded to put her away privily--that is, privately by giving her the required writing of divorcement (De 24:1), in presence of only two or three witnesses, and…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 1:19
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Matthew 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries