Matthew 1:20 - Exposition

But while he thought on these things ; when (Revised Version); ταῦτα δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐνθυμηθέντος . The tense lays stress, not on the continuance of his meditation (contrast Acts 10:19 ), but on the fact that the determination to which he had already come ( vide supra ) was already in his mind at the time when the following event happened. "These things;" his determination and its causes. Behold ; unexpectedly. Though common in St. Matthew, it never lacks the connotation of surprise. The angel of the Lord ; an angel of the Lord (Revised Version). In Mary's case it was the angel Gabriel ( Luke 1:26 ); but here not defined (so in Matthew 2:13 , Matthew 2:19 ; Luke 1:11 ; Luke 2:9 ). (On angels, of especially Dorner, 'System.,' 2.96.) Appeared unto him in a dream . Joseph received his communications by dream ( Matthew 2:13 , Matthew 2:19 , Matthew 2:22 ); to Mary, doubtless the more holy person, the vision was vouchsafed to her bodily eyes. If Joseph, as seems probable, was old, we here have a beginning of the fulfilment of the promise concerning Messianic times, "Your old men shall dream dreams" ( Joel 2:28 ). Saying, Joseph, thou son of David . In reminding Joseph of the greatness of his ancestry, the angel probably desired

Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife ( 2 Samuel 7:15 , note). For that which if conceived in her ("borun," Wickliffe; quod natum est , Vulgate); "Gr. begotten ", for γεννηθέν generally refers to the father rather than the mother (yet see Matthew 11:11 ), and here lays special stress on the Divine origin. Is of the Holy Ghost . "Of Spirit (not flesh), and that the Holy Spirit ( ἐκ πνεύματός ἐστιν ἁγίου )" ( 2 Samuel 7:18 , note).