Matthew 1:19

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

17All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah. 18This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 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. 20As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Matthew 1:19 word by word

Ἰωσὴφ δὲ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς, δίκαιος ὢν καὶ μὴ θέλων αὐτὴν δειγματίσαι, ἐβουλήθη λάθρᾳ ἀπολῦσαι αὐτήν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thenδέde · thenG1161
• JosephἸωσήφIōsēph · JosephG2501
• herαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• husbandὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• husbandἀνήρanēr · man: husbandG435
• beingεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• a justδίκαιοςdikaios · justG1342
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• notμήmē · notG3361
• willingθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
• to makeπαραδειγματίζωparadeigmatizō · to disgraceG3856
• was mindedβούλομαιboulomai · to planG1014
• to putἀπολύωapoluō · to release: divorceG630
• awayἀπολύωapoluō · to release: divorceG630
• privilyλάθραlathra · quietlyG2977

Cross-references for Matthew 1:19

• Leviticus 19:20“If a man has sex with a slave girl whose freedom has never been purchased but who is committed to become another man’s wife, he must pay full compensation to her master. But since she is not a free woman, neither the man nor the woman will be put to death.
• Deuteronomy 22:23“Suppose a man meets a young woman, a virgin who is engaged to be married, and he has sexual intercourse with her. If this happens within a town,
• Genesis 6:9This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.
• Psalms 112:4Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous.
• Mark 6:20for Herod respected John; and knowing that he was a good and holy man, he protected him. Herod was greatly disturbed whenever he talked with John, but even so, he liked to listen to him.
• Luke 2:25At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him
• Acts 10:22They said, “We were sent by Cornelius, a Roman officer. He is a devout and God-fearing man, well respected by all the Jews. A holy angel instructed him to summon you to his house so that he can hear your message.”
• Genesis 38:24About three months later, Judah was told, “Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has acted like a prostitute. And now, because of this, she’s pregnant.” “Bring her out, and let her be burned!” Judah demanded.
• Leviticus 20:10“If a man commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, both the man and the woman who have committed adultery must be put to death.
• Deuteronomy 22:21The woman must be taken to the door of her father’s home, and there the men of the town must stone her to death, for she has committed a disgraceful crime in Israel by being promiscuous while living in her parents’ home. In this way, you will purge this evil from among you.
• John 8:4“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery.
• Deuteronomy 24:1“Suppose a man marries a woman but she does not please him. Having discovered something wrong with her, he writes a document of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house.
• Mark 10:4“Well, he permitted it,” they replied. “He said a man can give his wife a written notice of divorce and send 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

• Accusation, False
• Faith
• Husband
• Integrity
• Jesus, the Christ
• Joseph
• Kindness
• Miracles
• Prudence
• Unselfishness

In the dictionaries

• Betroth
• Interpret
• Mary
• Minded
• Save
• Amaziah
• Antediluvian Patriarchs
• Divorce in the Old Testament
• Genesis
• Innocents, Massacre of the

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