foundation of the union of God with men, nor can any one con sider the latter apart from the former, especially when treating of the birth of Christ.
24. 'Evoirjesv, did) sc. without delay. — ug x.r.X., as, etc.) Hence the command of the angel and the performance of Joseph are described in the same words in this passage, and in ch. ii. 13, 14, and 20, 21. — faptl.afis ri]\i yuvatxa, ai/roD, took unto him his wife) sc., with the same appearance to those without, as though they lived together according to common custom.
25. Ka/, and) St Matthew says " and" not " but." He took her, and knew her not : both by the command of the angel. — ouK syivbjffxsv avrw, euc ou, knew her not until) It does not follow from this isag (until) that he did so afterwards. It is sufficient however, that her virginity should be established up to the time of her delivery. With regard to the remainder of her married life, the reader is left to form his own opinion. The angel did not expressly forbid Joseph to have conjugal intercourse with her : but he perceived such a command to be implied by the very nature of the case. — sus ol srex.e rh vibv, until she brought forth the Son) A very old Egyptian version has only these words, without the addition of " her first-born : 1 according to which reading, the address of the angel, the declaration of the prophet, and the act of Joseph [in naming Him as the angel directed] are expressed in words which exactly correspond together. — sc., " She shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus" — " She shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call his name Jesus" — She brought forth TON T'tbv, THE Son, and he [Joseph]2 called His name Jesus. The article TON (the) has a relative value here, and refers to ver. 21 with the same meaning, " until she brought forth THAT Son" The same reading is found in Codex Barberini I. (by which name we suppose the celebrated Vatican MS. to be intended in this place), and we have assured our selves that beyond doubt such must have been originally that of the Latin Vulgate. For Helvidius,3 and Jerome in the com-
1 The disputed words are found in E. M. Tregelles favours the omission. -(I. B.)
2 See Text v. 25, " He called his name Jesus." — ED.
•* A famous Arian disciple of Auxentius. He lived in the fourth century. — (I. B.)