Matthew 1:25 kjv
And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
Matthew 1:25 nkjv
and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.
Matthew 1:25 niv
But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Matthew 1:25 esv
but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
Matthew 1:25 nlt
But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.
Matthew 1 25 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 1:18 | ...Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. | Jesus' miraculous conception |
| Matt 1:20 | "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit." | Joseph instructed on the divine conception |
| Matt 1:21 | "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." | Naming and mission of Jesus |
| Matt 1:23 | "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means "God with us." | Fulfillment of Isa 7:14 prophecy |
| Matt 1:24 | When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. | Joseph's obedience |
| Matt 13:55-56 | "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren't all his sisters with us?" | Implication of Mary having other children |
| Mk 6:3 | "Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" | Reinforces the presence of Jesus' siblings |
| Lk 1:27 | ...to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. | Mary's betrothal and virgin status |
| Lk 1:31 | You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. | Angel tells Mary the name Jesus |
| Lk 1:34-35 | "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you..." | Angel confirms virgin conception |
| Lk 2:21 | On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived. | Joseph legally names Jesus |
| Jn 1:14 | The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. | Jesus' true humanity confirmed |
| Jn 7:3-5 | Jesus’ brothers said to him, "Leave this place... for even his own brothers did not believe in him." | Further mention of Jesus' unbelieving brothers |
| Acts 1:14 | They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. | Jesus' brothers alongside disciples |
| Acts 4:12 | Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. | The unique saving power of Jesus' name |
| Gal 1:19 | I saw none of the other apostles—only James the Lord's brother. | Identification of James as Jesus' brother |
| Phil 2:9-11 | Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow... | The exaltation of Jesus' name |
| Heb 2:14 | Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity... | Jesus' full humanity and identification with man |
| Isa 7:14 | Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. | Prophecy of the virgin's son, fulfilled |
| Gen 4:1 | Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain... | Biblical idiom for sexual intimacy |
| Judg 11:39 | And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. | Illustrates 'until' implying a subsequent event unless specifically negated |
| 1 Cor 7:5 | Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again... | Marital intimacy as normal within marriage |
Matthew 1 verses
Matthew 1 25 Meaning
Matthew 1:25 states that Joseph "did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son." This profoundly affirms the virgin birth of Jesus, indicating that Mary remained a virgin until after Jesus' birth. It clarifies that Jesus' conception was solely by the Holy Spirit, not through human physical union. Following Jesus' birth, Joseph demonstrated his obedience to the divine instruction by formally acknowledging and naming the child "Jesus," fulfilling his role as Jesus' earthly, legal father. The verse indicates that their marriage was consummated after Jesus' birth.
Matthew 1 25 Context
Matthew 1:25 concludes the chapter, providing the fulfillment of the angel's instruction to Joseph (Matt 1:20-21). The preceding verses establish Jesus' lineage through Joseph, highlight Mary's miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit while betrothed but not yet married, and detail Joseph's initial intention to divorce her quietly due to the perceived scandal. The angel's appearance clarifies the divine nature of the pregnancy, preventing Joseph from dissolving the union and commanding him to accept Mary as his wife and name the child Jesus. Culturally, in first-century Jewish society, betrothal was a legally binding commitment, stronger than modern engagement, requiring a formal divorce for termination. Consummation occurred after the wedding ceremony when the husband brought his wife to his home. By not consummating their marriage until after Jesus' birth, Joseph not only demonstrated obedience but also preserved the purity of the miraculous conception. His act of naming Jesus served as the legal father's recognition, formally integrating Jesus into the lineage of David.
Matthew 1 25 Word analysis
- but (καὶ - kai): This common conjunction functions here with an adversative force, akin to "however" or "yet," marking a contrast or progression from the previous statement about Joseph taking Mary as his wife.
- did not consummate their marriage (οὐκ ἐγίνωσκεν αὐτὴν - ouk eginōsken autēn):
- οὐκ (ouk): A definite negative, "not."
- ἐγίνωσκεν (eginōsken): The imperfect tense of the Greek verb ginōskō (γινώσκω), meaning "to know." In the biblical idiom, particularly in the Old Testament, "to know" often serves as a euphemism for sexual intercourse (e.g., Gen 4:1, "Adam knew Eve"). The imperfect tense here indicates a continuous state of not having sexual relations, maintained over a period.
- αὐτὴν (autēn): "Her" (Mary). The phrase clearly states that Joseph did not engage in sexual relations with Mary.
- until (ἕως οὗ - heōs hou): This temporal conjunction is critical. It signifies a specific point in time, and its common usage in Greek and Hebrew strongly implies a change of state or action after that point. For example, in Judg 11:39, Jephthah's daughter knew no man "until" she returned home; she never knew a man. The context here, however, describes a new condition in Matt 1:25 – Mary giving birth, implying the potential for consummation thereafter. This is the crux of debate regarding Mary's perpetual virginity, with the straightforward interpretation suggesting consummation did occur after Jesus' birth, leading to more children.
- she gave birth (ἔτεκεν - eteken): Aorist tense of tiktō (τίκτω), "to give birth." This marks a definite, completed event: the birth of Jesus. It is the defining boundary for the period of non-consummation.
- to a son (υἱὸν - huion): Specifies the child's gender, laying the groundwork for the next phrase and emphasizing the prophetic child.
- And he called (καὶ ἐκάλεσεν - kai ekalesen): Joseph's action, aorist of kaleō (καλέω), "to call, to name." This signifies Joseph's formal and public adoption of Jesus, affirming his legal fatherhood in a patriarchal society, and thereby securing Jesus' place in the Davidic lineage through Joseph.
- his name Jesus (τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦν - to onoma autou Iēsoun):
- Jesus (Ἰησοῦς - Iēsous): The Greek form of the Hebrew/Aramaic Yeshua or Yehoshua, meaning "YHWH saves" or "the Lord is salvation." This name's meaning directly ties into the angelic instruction in Matt 1:21: "for he will save his people from their sins." Joseph's act of naming Jesus is an act of obedience and faith in this divine purpose.
Matthew 1 25 Bonus section
- Legal Adoption and Lineage: Joseph's act of naming Jesus was, in Jewish legal custom, tantamount to an adoption, conferring upon Jesus the full legal rights and lineage of Joseph, connecting Him firmly to the house and lineage of David, a crucial requirement for the Messiah (Rom 1:3).
- Countering Heresy: This verse, particularly its affirmation of a real birth, would later serve to counter Gnostic and Docetic heresies that denied Jesus' true physical humanity or claimed His body was merely an illusion. Matthew emphatically presents Jesus as fully human, born of a woman.
- Marital Norms: While establishing Jesus' unique birth, the verse also subtly indicates the subsequent normal marital relations between Joseph and Mary, suggesting they lived as a conventional married couple afterward. This counters any later theological interpretations that suggest perpetual virginity for Mary beyond this period without specific scriptural backing within the context of Jesus' early life narratives.
Matthew 1 25 Commentary
Matthew 1:25 serves as the definitive closing statement to the narrative of Jesus' miraculous conception. By asserting that Joseph "did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son," the verse unequivocally safeguards the truth of the virgin birth—Jesus' unique conception by the Holy Spirit, untainted by human co-creation. The subsequent consummation implied by "until" fulfills their societal and marital roles, establishing Joseph's legal parenthood for Jesus. Joseph's obedient act of naming the child "Jesus" as commanded confirms his acceptance of divine will and legally formalizes Jesus' place in the line of David. This simple statement powerfully confirms both Jesus' divine origin and His true humanity within a family structure.