Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Matthew: Chapter 1]
illegitimate birth of Jesus. The Talmud openly charges this sin
against Mary. Joseph had "a short but tragic struggle between his
legal conscience and his love" (McNeile).
1:20 {An angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream}
(\aggelos kuriou kat' onar ephan• aut•i\). This expression
(\aggelos kuriou\) is without the article in the New Testament
except when, as in 1:24, there is reference to the angel
previously mentioned. Sometimes in the Old Testament Jehovah
Himself is represented by this phrase. Surely Joseph needed God's
help if ever man did. If Jesus was really God's Son, Joseph was
entitled to know this supreme fact that he might be just to both
Mary and her Child. It was in a dream, but the message was
distinct and decisive for Joseph. He is called "Son of David" as
had been shown by Matthew in Mt 1:16. Mary is called his "wife"
(\t•n gunaika sou\). He is told "not to become afraid"
(ingressive first aorist passive subjunctive in prohibition), (\m•
phob•th•is\), "to take to his side" (\paralabein\, ingressive
aorist active infinitive) her whom he had planned
(\enthum•thentos\, genitive absolute again, from \en\ and
\thumos\) to send away with a writ of divorce. He had pondered
and had planned as best he knew, but now God had called a halt
and he had to decide whether he was willing to shelter Mary by
marrying her and, if necessary, take upon himself whatever stigma
might attach to her. Joseph was told that the child was begotten
of the Holy Spirit and thus that Mary was innocent of any sin.
But who would believe it now if he told it of her? Mary knew the
truth and had not told him because she could not expect him to
believe it.
1:21 {Thou shalt call his name Jesus} (\Kalesies to onoma autou
I•soun\). The rabbis named six whose names were given before
birth: "Isaac, Ishmael, Moses, Solomon, Josiah, and the name of
the Messiah, whom may the Holy One, blessed be His name, bring in
our day." The angel puts it up to Joseph as the putative father
to name the child. "Jesus is the same as Joshua, a contraction of
Jehoshuah (Nu 13:16; 1Ch 7:27), signifying in Hebrew, 'Jehovah
is helper,' or 'Help of Jehovah'" (Broadus). So Jesus is the
Greek form of Joshua (Heb 4:8). He is another Joshua to lead
the true people of God into the Promised Land. The name itself
was common enough as Josephus shows. Jehovah is Salvation as seen
in Joshua for the Hebrews and in Jesus for all believers. "The
meaning of the name, therefore, finds expression in the title
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