Mat 1:18-24 | TNotes | STEP | 1:18 Jesus the Messiah (literally Jesus the Christ ): Using Messiah in the translation accurately communicates that it is a title rather than a personal name (“Jesus Christ”). • engaged to be married: In Judaism, engagement (or betrothal) meant a permanent relationship (Mal 2:14 ) that could be broken only by legal process; thus, Mary was considered Joseph’s wife and he her husband (see Matt 1:20 ; Deut 22:23-24 ), even though they had not had sexual relations. Mary’s status as a virgin at the time of Jesus’ conception through the power of the Holy Spirit helps authenticate Jesus’ divinity.

1:18 ^a Jesus the Messiah (literally Jesus the Christ): Using Messiah in the translation accurately communicates that it is a title rather than a personal name (“Jesus Christ”).

• engaged to be married: In Judaism, engagement (or betrothal) meant a permanent relationship (Mal 2:14 ^b) that could be broken only by legal process; thus, Mary was considered Joseph’s wife and he her husband (see Matt 1:20 ^c; Deut 22:23-24 ^d), even though they had not had sexual relations. Mary’s status as a virgin at the time of Jesus’ conception through the power of the Holy Spirit helps authenticate Jesus’ divinity.
1:19 ^e As a righteous man—that is, as one who obeyed the law (see Luke 1:6 ^f)—Joseph could not take Mary as his wife since she was a suspected adulteress. He could exonerate himself by publicly exposing Mary to trial and having her put to death (Deut 22:23-27 ^g; cp. Num 5:11-31 ^h), or pay a fine and break the engagement (see also Mishnah Sotah 1:1-5). Joseph mercifully decided to do the latter quietly.
1:20 ⁱ The angel of the Lord declared to Joseph in a dream (see 2:12-13 ^j, 19 ^k, 22 ^l) that Mary had been neither seduced nor violated; instead, the baby was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:34-35 ^m), who often has a creative and life-generating role (Gen 1:2 ⁿ; Ezek 37:1-14 ^o; John 3:5-8 ^p).
1:21 ^q Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Yeshua, which means “The Lord saves.” The name appropriately describes his role: he will save his people from their sins.

• His people may refer either to Israel as a nation (2:6 ^r) or to the Messiah’s people, the church, which is comprised of both Jews and Gentiles (4:15-16 ^s; 16:18 ^t; 28:18-20 ^u).
Summary for Matt 1:22-23: 1:22-23 ^v Jesus’ birth from a virgin fulfills Isa 7:14 ^w. The Hebrew term ‘almah (virgin or young maiden) was translated parthenos (“virgin”) in the Greek Old Testament that Matthew quotes. Matthew understands the ‘almah of Isaiah as foreshadowing the Virgin Mary.