Ver. 19 ὁ ἀνὴρ: proleptic, να’ ing possession of a Ἐν ιά s rights and responsibilities. The Motene ty re had a duty in the matter—BShemos . . . Seypa-
Γὸ-- 22.
δειγµατίσαι,ὶ ἐβουλήθη λάθρα 2 Χ ἀπολῦσαι αὐτήν. αὐτοῦ | ἐνθυμηθέντος, ἰδού, ἄγγελος Κυρίου ' κατ᾿ ὄναρ ἐφάνη αὐτῷ, λέγων. “'᾿Ιωσήφ, vids Δαβίδ, μὴ φοβηθῇς " παραλαβεῖν Μαριὰμ ®
67
20. ταῦτα δὲ ἕ VY: 3% 32; xix. 3)
Mk. x. 12
(in ref. to
a hus- band).
τὴν yuvaikd σου" τὸ γὰρ ἐν αὐτῇ γεννηθὲν ἐκ Πνεύματός ἐστιν | chap. ix. 4
Αγίου.
αὐτὸς γὰρ σώσει τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν. Τοῦτο δὲ ὅλον γέγονεν, ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ’ ῥηθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ ΄ Κυρίου διὰ 24- ο
21. Τέξεται δὲ υἱόν, καὶ ’ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ᾿Ιησοῦν "
m chap. ii. 12, 13, 19, 22; XXVit,
οι χου:
D again ver.
a Loo Ma, p chap. ii. 15; iii, 3; xxii. 31
1B and Ν2 have the simple verb (δειγµατισαι).
2 λαθρᾳ in W.H.
3 Μαριαν in BL (W.H. text). history of Christ’s birth in Luke i., ii.
The Μαριαμ of the T. R. probably comes from the
4 The article του before κυριου is omitted in the best MSS.
τίσαι. He was ina strait betwixt two. Being δίκαιος, just, righteous, a respecter of the law, he sould not overlook the apparent fault; σπ the other hand, loving the woman, he desired to deal with her as tenderly as possible: not wishing to expose her (αὐτὴν in an emphatic posi- tion before Seyparlooat—the loved one. Weiss-Meyer). Some (Grotius, Fritz- sche, etc.) take δίκαιος in the sense of bonitas or benignitas, as if it had been ἀγαθός, so eliminating the element of con- βιος.---ἐβουλήθη . . . αὐτήν. He finally resolved on the expedient of putting her away privately. The alternatives were exposure by public repudiation, or quiet cancelling of the bond of betrothal. Affection chose the latter. δειγµατίσαι does not point, as some have thought, to judicial procedure with its penalty, death by stoning. λάθρα before ἀπολῖῦσαι is emphatic, and suggests a contrast be- tween two ways of performing the act pointed at by ἀπολῦσαι. Note the synonyms θέλων and ἐβουλήθη. The former denotes inclination in general, the latter a deliberate decision between different courses—maluit (vide on chapter xi. 27).
va 20-21. Foseph delivered from his perplexity by angelic interposition. How much painful, distressing, distracting thought he had about the matter day and night can be imagined. Relief came at last ina dream, of which Mary was the subject.—ratra .. . ἐνθυμηθέντος: the genitive absolute indicates the time of the vision, and the verb the state of mind: revolving the matter in thought without clear perception of outlet. ταῦτα, the accusative, not the genitive with περί: ἐνθ, περί τινος = Cogitare de ve, ἐνθ. te=aliauid secum reputare.
Kihner, § 417, ο.--ἰδού: often in Mt. after genitive absolute; vivid introduc- tion of the angelic appearance (Weiss Meyer).—kar’ ὄναρ (late Greek con- demne* by Phrynichus. Vide Lobeck Phryn., p. 423. 6vap, without pre- position, theclassic equivalent), during a dream reflecting present distractions.— vios Δαβίδ: the angel addresses Joseph as son of David to awaken the heroic mood. The title confirms the view that the genealogy is that of Joseph.—py φοβηθῇς: he is summoned to a supreme act of faith similar to those performed by the moral heroes of the Bible, who by faith made their lives sublime.—riv γυναῖκά wov:to take Mary, as thy wife, SO in ver.24.—d . . . ἁγίον: negativing the other alternative by which he was tormented. The choice lies between two extremes: most unholy, or the holi- est possible. What a crisis !—ver. 21. τέξεται---᾿Ιησοῦν: Mary is about to bear a son, and He is to bear the significant name of ¥esus. The style is an echo of Ο. T. story, Gen. xvii. 19, Sept., the birth of Isaac and that of Jesus being thereby placed side by side as similar in their preternatural «Ἱαταςίετ.-- καλέσεις ? a command in form of a prediction. But there is encouragement as well as com- mand in this future. It is meant to help Joseph out of his doubts into a mood of heroic, resolute action. Cease from brooding anxious thought, think of the child about to be born as destined toa great career, to be signalised by His name Jesus — Jehovah the helper.—airds yap... ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν: interpretation οἱ the name, still part of the angelic speech.