daily-new-testament

[daily-new-testament]

Matthew 1:22

τοῦτο δὲ ὅλον γέγονεν ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν ὑπὸ κυρίου διὰ τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος·

and this whole thing came to be, that completed was the thing promised from a lord through the speech of a prophet:

Notes:

ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν: a complex phrase, difficult to render properly in English. Taken here as "that completed was the thing promised..."

ἵνα: a conjunction that might have a spatial sense ("there, where") or a causal sense ("that, in order that"). I have taken it causally here because the immediately preceding γέγονεν often has the sense of "becoming" or "coming to pass" but the spatial sense is plausible.

πληρωθῇ: primary verb of the ἵνα clause, subjunctive. From πληρόω, literally "to make full, complete." Might be taken more idiomatically here as "fulfill."

ῥηθὲν: neuter nominative singular substantive aorist passive participle from ἐρῶ, "say, proclaim." In the passive can take on the sense of agreement or promise. Taken here as "the thing promised."

~~~

There is no definite article ("the") with κυρίου ("lord"), thus I have taken κυρίου "of a lord" where many translators have it "of the lord."

~~~

The definite article τοῦ could accompany προφήτου ("prophet") or λέγοντος ("speech"). I have taken it here with λέγοντος, leaving προφήτου with no definite article, in the attributive position. Thus "through the speech of a prophet" rather than "through speech of the prophet."

Although τοῦ is grammatically able to accompany either προφήτου or λέγοντος, since the preceding κυρίου has no definite article, I am inclined to assume that προφήτου follows suit and is indefinite in the attributive position.

[daily-new-testament]

Matthew 1:21

τέξεται δὲ υἱόν, καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦν· αὐτὸς γὰρ σώσει τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν.

and [Maria] will produce a son, and you shall call him [by] the name Iēsous: for he will save his people from their errors."

Notes:

τέξεται: from τίκτω, "bring into the world," "produce." Note the change in verb. All references to the bearing of a child thus far in Matthew have used γεννάω, a slightly different verb which I have translated thus far as "beget."

γεννάω in this text is gender-restricted: only men (and the neuter "holy breath") are able to actively initiate this process, while women are restricted to the role of passive vessels. This gendering of active and passive is used for Maria and all the women listed in the initial genealogy. Such a theory of pregnancy concurs with Hippocratic theories of the body, where sperm is the active component, literally the seed of life, and the woman's body merely a receptacle for the sperm to grow into a child.

τίκτω here, on the other hand, is in the middle voice, not an unusual form of the verb, but certainly a deviation from the passive voice that reigns when women are used with γεννάω. It seems in the first verse of Matthew at the very least, γεννάω refers to the process of gestation, and thus is considered an action committed by the non-female partner, while τίκτω is closer to the actual process of giving birth and thus ascribes more agency to the pregnant Maria than has been admitted to her foremothers.

~~~

καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦν: literally "you shall call the name of him Iēsous."

~~~

σώσει: from σώζω, "save," "preserve," "keep." Can have the sense of saving from death or a movement to safety. The use of ἀπὸ, "from," suggests motion, but the eventual safe location is unspecified here.

~~~

τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ: taken here as "his people," literally "the people of him." λαὸν from λαός, a word which originally referred to a group of soldiers but expanded to mean an entire group of people, often delineated by common government or identity.

~~~

ἁμαρτιῶν: from ἁμαρτία, often translated "sin" but taken here as "error." Related to ἁμαρτάνω, meaning "to miss," "to fail," or "to err."

[daily-new-testament]

Matthew 1:20

ταῦτα δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐνθυμηθέντος ἰδοὺ ἄγγελος κυρίου κατ’ ὄναρ ἐφάνη αὐτῷ λέγων· Ἰωσὴφ υἱὸς Δαυίδ, μὴ φοβηθῇς παραλαβεῖν Μαρίαν τὴν γυναῖκά σου· τὸ γὰρ ἐν αὐτῇ γεννηθὲν ἐκ πνεύματός ἐστιν ἁγίου.

But while he was pondering these things, behold! a lord's messenger in a dream revealed himself to him, saying: "Iōsēph son of David, do not be afraid to take beside [you] Maria [as] your woman: for [the thing] begotten in her is from holy breath.

Notes:

ἐνθυμηθέντος: from ἐνθυμέομαι, literally "to do within the θυμός." θυμός is often translated as either "heart" or "mind." Translated here "pondering." A more idiomatic translation might be "turning over in his mind."

~~~

ἰδοὺ: a second-person imperative, essentially an interjection. From ὁράω, "to see."

~~~

ἄγγελος κυρίου: taken here "a lord's messenger." Many translators take this phrase as "an angel of the Lord."

"Angel" in modern English is derived from ἄγγελος, which literally translates "messenger."

κύριου here is a substantive form of κύριος, an adjective meaning "powerful" or "having authority." Use of the word substantively to mean "lord," "master," or "guardian" dates back to Homeric Greek.

I do not attach an article ("the Lord") because there is no article present in the text. Koinē Greek did not have any way of distinguishing proper nouns as English does, so I have chosen to leave "lord" uncapitalized, but capitalizing "Lord" in a translation is not necessarily incorrect.

~~~

παραλαβεῖν: related to λαμβάνω, meaning "take" or "receive." Has the sense here of receiving or taking beside oneself with παρά.

~~~

γεννηθὲν: a passive form of γεννάω ("beget"). Note again Maria's passivity. She is not creating the child, it was begotten in her.

[daily-new-testament]

Matthew 1:19

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

And Iōsēph her man, being dutiful and not wishing to make a spectacle of her, decided to release her secretly.

Notes:

ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς: I have translated this phrase "her man" but the most literal translation is "the man of her." The sense is something like "her husband" or "her fiancé." αὐτῆς and αὐτήν ("her") refer here to Maria.

~~~

δίκαιος: I have translated this word "dutiful," but other appropriate translations might be: "just, civilized, lawful, fitting." The word comes from δίκη, an important political and social concept which is difficult to translate. It has the force of both "social custom" and "law," but fundamentally refers to that which is right, proper, or traditional, in a legal, social, and moral sense.

~~~

δειγματίσαι: translated here "make a spectacle of." Derived from δεῖγμα, literally "sample" or "specimen." I have taken it somewhat idiomatically here. The word is also related to δείκνυμι, meaning "show" or "exhibit."

~~~

ἀπολῦσαι: literally "to loose from" or "to release." The sense here is certainly of divorce or breaking an engagement.

~~~

λάθρᾳ: adverb related to λανθάνω, meaning "escape notice." Taken here as "secretly." A more idiomatic translation might be "quietly."

[daily-new-testament]

Matthew 1:18

Τοῦ δὲ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἡ γένεσις οὕτως ἦν. μνηστευθείσης τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ Μαρίας τῷ Ἰωσήφ, πρὶν ἢ συνελθεῖν αὐτοὺς εὑρέθη ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσα ἐκ πνεύματος ἁγίου.

And the origin of Iēsous Christos was thus. When his mother Maria had been betrothed to Iōsēph, before they came together she was found holding [a child] in [her] stomach from holy breath.

Notes:

μνηστευθείσης: a feminine passive aorist participle from μνηστεύω. It mean either "marry" or "betroth." I choose to translate it "betroth" here due to the subsequent πρὶν ("before") clause, but "marry" is a perfectly adequate translation.

Maria has little agency in this situation, but Joseph arguably has even less. She is the subject of the passive verb, and Joseph is the indirect object, which gives the whole scene a certain fatalistic sense— neither party is participating actively in the marriage/betrothal process.

~~~

συνελθεῖν: infinitive in a πρίν clause from συνέρχομαι, literally "to come together" or "meet." Can easily have a sexual implication, in which case the sense is that Maria and Iōseph had not consummated the marriage before her pregnancy, but can also have the more literal sense that they had not met before her pregnancy. If the marriage was arranged, this is possible.

~~~

γαστρὶ: from γαστῆρ, "stomach." There is no clear distinction between "stomach" and "womb" in Ancient Greek, and pregnancies are often located in the γαστῆρ.

I have added [a child] here to make the meaning more clear, but the most literal translation of is εὑρέθη ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσα "she was found holding in stomach."

~~~

πνεύματος ἁγίου: my translation of this phrase may prove controversial. Many translators take "πνεῦμα ἅγιον" as "Holy Spirit," but πνεῦμα in other texts usually has the sense of "wind" or "breath." (Pneumatic in English is a descendant of πνεῦμα).

[daily-new-testament]

Matthew 1:17

Πᾶσαι οὖν αἱ γενεαὶ ἀπὸ Ἀβραὰμ ἕως Δαυὶδ γενεαὶ δεκατέσσαρες, καὶ ἀπὸ Δαυὶδ ἕως τῆς μετοικεσίας Βαβυλῶνος γενεαὶ δεκατέσσαρες, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς μετοικεσίας Βαβυλῶνος ἕως τοῦ Χριστοῦ γενεαὶ δεκατέσσαρες.

Thus all the generations from Abraam until Dauid are fourteen generations, and from Dauid until the captivity of Babulōn fourteen generations, and from the captivity of Babulōn to the Christos fourteen generations.

Notes:

The names and other markers of time mentioned in this verse are addressed in more detail in notes to the previous sixteen verses (Ἀβραὰμ, Δαυὶδ, τῆ μετοικεσία Βαβυλῶνος, ὁ Χριστός).

~~~

The significance of the three sets of fourteen generations is much debated. A recent summary which I found illuminating is:

Carlson, Stephen C. “The Davidic Key for Counting the Generations in Matthew 1:17.” The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, vol. 76, no. 4, 2014, pp. 665–83.

[daily-new-testament]

Matthew 1:16

Ἰακὼβ δὲ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ἰωσὴφ τὸν ἄνδρα Μαρίας, ἐξ ἧς ἐγεννήθη Ἰησοῦς ὁ λεγόμενος Χριστός.

and Iakōb begat Iōsēph the husband of Maria, from whom Iēsous was begotten, the man called Christos.

Notes:

For more on ἐγέννησεν ("begat") and the definite article with names, see notes to Matthew 1:2.

~~~

For more on Ἰακὼβ, see note to Matthew 1:15.

~~~

Ἰωσὴφ, transliterated here Iōsēph (Joseph), is the husband of Maria (Mary), stepfather of Iēsous (Jesus). His status is described here as τὸν ἄνδρα, which literally means "the man" but the sense here is "the husband/partner."

~~~

Μαρία, transliterated here Maria (Mary/Virgin Mary), is the mother of Iēsous and wife of Iōsēph. There are two variations of Maria's name in the New Testament: Μαρία (Maria) and Μαριάμ (Mariam). I will note when variations on her name occur going forward.

~~~

ἐγεννήθη: from γεννάω ("beget"), which has only appeared thus far as ἐγέννησεν. A few variations in the phrasing:

The child (Iēsous) is the subject of the verb rather than the father.

The verb is passive rather than active ("was begotten" vs "begat").

However, the role of the mother (Maria) is the same— the child is produced ἐξ ("from") her rather than by her.

~~~

For more on why I have chosen to transliterate Χριστός (Christos) rather than translate it, see note to Matthew 1:1.

[daily-new-testament]

Matthew 1:15

Ἐλιοὺδ δὲ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ἐλεάζαρ, Ἐλεάζαρ δὲ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ματθάν, Ματθὰν δὲ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ἰακώβ,

and Elioud begat Eleazar, and Eleazar begat Matthan, and Matthan begat Iakōb,

Notes:

For more on ἐγέννησεν ("begat") and the definite article with names, see notes to Matthew 1:2.

~~~

For more on Ἐλιοὺδ, see note to Matthew 1:14.

~~~

Ἐλεάζαρ, transliterated here Eleazar, is unattested outside of Matthew.

[daily-new-testament]

Matthew 1:14

Ἀζὼρ δὲ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Σαδώκ, Σαδὼκ δὲ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ἀχίμ, Ἀχὶμ δὲ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ἐλιούδ,

and Azōr begat Sadōk, and Sakōk begat Achim, and Achim begat Elioud,

Notes:

For more on ἐγέννησεν ("begat") and the definite article with names, see notes to Matthew 1:2.

~~~

For more on Ἀζὼρ, see note to Matthew 1:13.

~~~

Σαδώκ, transliterated here Sadōk, is unattested outside of Matthew.

~~~

Ἀχίμ, transliterated here Achim, is unattested outside of Matthew.

~~~

Ἐλιούδ, transliterated here Elioud, is unattested outside of Matthew.

[daily-new-testament]

Matthew 1:13

Ζοροβαβὲλ δὲ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ἀβιούδ, Ἀβιοὺδ δὲ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ἐλιακίμ, Ἐλιακὶμ δὲ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ἀζώρ,

and Zorobabel begat Abioud, and Abioud begat Eliakim, and Eliakim begat Azōr,

Notes:

For more on ἐγέννησεν ("begat") and the definite article with names, see notes to Matthew 1:2.

~~~

For more on Ζοροβαβὲλ, see note to Matthew 1:12.

~~~

Ἀβιούδ, transliterated here Abioud (Abihud/Obadiah), is possibly named as a grandson of Zerubbabel in 1 Chronicles 3:21. Otherwise, the figure does not appear in the Old Testament. Not to be mistaken for the prophetic author of the book of Obadiah or Obadiah the servant who appears in 1 Kings 18:3-16.

~~~

Ἐλιακίμ, transliterated here Elakim, is unattested outside of Matthew.

~~~

Ἀζώρ, transliterated here Azōr, is unattested outside of Matthew.

[daily-new-testament]

Matthew 1:12

Μετὰ δὲ τὴν μετοικεσίαν Βαβυλῶνος Ἰεχονίας ἐγέννησεν τὸν Σαλαθιήλ, Σαλαθιὴλ δὲ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ζοροβαβέλ,

And during the captivity of Babulōn Iechonias begat Salathiēl, and Salathiēl begat Zorobabel,

Notes:

For more on the translation of μετοικεσία ("captivity") and Ἰεχονίας, see notes to Matthew 1:11.

~~~

For more on the translation of ἐγέννησεν ("begat") and the use of the definite article with names, see notes to Matthew 1:2.

~~~

Σαλαθιήλ, transliterated here Salathiēl (Shealtiel), appears in the Old Testament as the son and successor of Jeconiah, forced into captivity in Babylon along with the rest of his family. For his biography, see 1 Chronicles 3:17.

~~~

Ζοροβαβέλ, transliterated here Zorobabel (Zerubbabel), appears in the Old Testament as a grandson of Jeconiah. He is a son of Shealtiel in Ezra 3:2-8;5:2, Nehemiah 12:1, and Haggai 1:1-14;2:2-23, but a son of Pedaiah, Sheatiel's brother, in 1 Chronicles 3:17-19. He led the captured Jews back from Babylon to Jersusalem, and laid the foundation for the Second Temple. For the story, see Ezra passim.

[daily-new-testament]

Matthew 1:11

Ἰωσίας δὲ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ἰεχονίαν καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς μετοικεσίας Βαβυλῶνος.

and Iōsias begat Iechonias and his brothers during the captivity of Babulōn.

Notes:

For more on ἐγέννησεν ("begat") and the definite article with names and ἀδελφοὺς, see notes to Matthew 1:2.

~~~

For more on Ἰωσίας, see note to Matthew 1:10.

~~~

Ἰεχονίας, transliterated here Iechonias (Jeconiah), is the son of Jehoiakim and final king of Judah in the Old Testament. He is dethroned by Nebuchadnezzar II, ruler of Babylon. For his biography, see 2 Kings 24-25.

~~~

μετοικεσίας can be difficult to translate. It normally refers to a migration or settlement in a foreign place. The word is related to μέτοικος, a term most famously used in classical-period Athenian law to designate a non-Athenian living in Athens. The sense here is more general, of a resettlement or migration to a foreign place. I have used "captivity" here according to custom, to emphasize the fact that the Babylonian migration of the Jews was forced, not voluntary.

[daily-new-testament]

Matthew 1:10

Ἑζεκίας δὲ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Μανασσῆ, Μανασσῆς δὲ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ἀμώς, Ἀμὼς δὲ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ἰωσίαν,

and Hezekias begat Manassēs, and Manassēs begat Amōs, and Amōs begat Iōsias,

Notes:

For more on ἐγέννησεν ("begat") and the definite article with names, see notes to Matthew 1:2.

~~~

For more on Ἑζεκίας, see notes to Matthew 1:9.

~~~

Μανασσῆς, transliterated here Manassēs (Manasseh), is son and successor to Hezekiah in the Old Testament. For his biography, see 2 Kings 21:1-18 and 2 Chronicles 33:1-20.

~~~

Ἀμώς, transliterated here Amōs (Amon), is son and successor to Manasseh in the Old Testament. For his biography, see 2 Kings 21:18-25 and 2 Chronicles 33:20-23.

~~~

Ἰωσίας, transliterated here Iōsias (Josiah), is son and successor to Amon in the Old Testament. For his biography, see 2 Kings 22-23 and 2 Chronicles 34-35.

[daily-new-testament]

Matthew 1:9

Ὀζίας δὲ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ἰωαθάμ, Ἰωαθὰμ δὲ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ἀχάζ, Ἀχὰζ δὲ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ἑζεκίαν,

and Ozias begat Iōatham, and Iōatham begat Achaz, and Achaz begat Hezekias,

Notes:

For more on ἐγέννησεν ("begat") and the definite article with names, see notes on Matthew 1:2.

~~~

For more on Ὀζίας, see note to Matthew 1:8.

~~~

Ἰωαθάμ, transliterated here Iōatham (Jotham), is the son and successor of Uzziah in the Old Testament. For his biography, see 2 Kings 15:32-38 and 2 Chronicles 27.

~~~

Ἀχὰζ, transliterated here Achaz (Ahaz), is the son and successor of Jotham in the Old Testament. For his biography, see 2 Kings 16, 2 Chronicles 28, and Isaiah 7-14.

~~~

Ἑζεκίας, transliterated here Hezekias (Hezekiah), is the son and successor of Ahaz in the Old Testament. For his biography, see 2 Kings 18-20, 2 Chronicles 29-32, and Isaiah 36-39.

[daily-new-testament]

Matthew 1:8

Ἀσὰφ δὲ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ἰωσαφάτ, Ἰωσαφὰτ δὲ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ἰωράμ, Ἰωρὰμ δὲ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ὀζίαν,

and Asaph begat Iōsaphat, and Iōsaphat begat Iōram, and Iōram begat Ozias,

Notes:

For more on ἐγέννησεν ("begat") and the definite article with names see notes to Matthew 1:2.

~~~

For more on Ἀσὰφ see note to Matthew 1:7.

~~~

Ἰωσαφάτ, transliterated here Iōsaphat (Jehoshaphat), is son and successor of Asa in the Old Testament. For his biography, see 1 Kings 15:24; 22:1-50 and 2 Chronicles 17-20.

~~~

Ἰωράμ, transliterated here Iōram (Jehoram), is son and successor of Jehoshaphat in the Old Testament. For his biography, see 2 Chronicles 21:1-20.

~~~

Ὀζίας, transliterated here Ozias (Uzziah/Azariah), is son and successor of Amaziah, a king of Judah in the Old Testament. See 2 Chronicles 26 for his biography.

~~~

By making Uzziah the son of Jehoram, the author of the gospel of Matthew omits three Old Testament kings of Israel from the lineage: Ahaziah (2 Kings 8:24-25), Joash (2 Kings 12 and 2 Chronicles 22:11-25:25), and Amaziah, who is Uzziah's father in the Old Testament (2 Kings 14 and 2 Chronicles 25).

[daily-new-testament]

Matthew 1:7

Σολομὼν δὲ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ῥοβοάμ, Ῥοβοὰμ δὲ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ἀβιά, Ἀβιὰ δὲ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ἀσάφ,

and Solomōn begat Roboam, and Roboam begat Abia, and Abia begat Asaph,

Notes:

For ἐγέννησεν ("begat") see notes to Matthew 1:2.

~~~

For more on Σολομὼν see note to Matthew 1:6.

~~~

Ῥοβοὰμ, transliterated here Roboam (Rehoboam), was son and successor to Solomon in the Old Testament, ruler over the south part of the divided kingdom of Israel. For his biography, see 1 Kings 12-13 and 2 Chronicles 10-14.

~~~

Ἀβιά, transliterated here Abia (Abijah/Abijam), was son and successor to Rehoboam in the Old Testament. For his biography, see 1 Kings 15:1-8 and 2 Chronicles 13.

~~~

Ἀσάφ, transliterated here Asaph (Asa), was son and successor to Abijah in the Old Testament. For his biography, see 1 Kings 15:8-24 and 2 Chronicles 14-16.

[daily-new-testament]

Matthew 1:6

Ἰεσσαὶ δὲ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Δαυὶδ τὸν βασιλέα. Δαυὶδ δὲ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Σολομῶνα ἐκ τῆς τοῦ Οὐρίου,

and Iessai begat Dauid the king. And Dauid begat Solomōn from the [woman] of Ourios,

Notes:

For more on the use of ἐγέννησεν ("begat") see notes on Matthew 1:2.

~~~

For more on the gendering of lineage in this section, see note on Matthew 1:3. Here, the woman has no name, and is simply referred to by a feminine definite article (τῆς) possessed by Ourios (Οὐρίου). The implication is "the woman/wife of Ourios."

~~~

See note on Matthew 1:5 for more on Ἰεσσαὶ.

~~~

Δαυὶδ, transliterated here Dauid (David), is a major figure in the Old Testament. He is the famed killer of Goliath and king of Israel. For David's biography, see 1 Samuel 16-30, 2 Samuel 1-24, and 1 Kings 1-2:11. Here he is given the title βασιλεύς, a word usually translated "king." The word βασιλεύς is quite old, dating back to Mycenaean Greek, but in Roman imperial times was often applied to the emperor.

~~~

The "woman of Ourios" mentioned here is Bathsheba, wife of Uriah, one of David's soldiers. David impregnated her while Uriah was off fighting. David had him killed and married Bathsheba. She bore Solomon, David's successor. For the full story, see 2 Samuel 11-12.

~~~

Σολομῶν, transliterated here Solomōn (Solomon), is a major figure in the Old Testament. He is David's son and his successor to the throne. For Solomon's biography, see 2 Samuel 12:24, 1 Kings 1-11, and 2 Chronicles 1-9.