Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, May 1st, 2025
the Second Week after Easter
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Read the Bible

Literal Standard Version

Matthew 1:25

and did not know her until she brought forth her Son—the firstborn, and he called His Name Jesus.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Continence;   Jesus, the Christ;   Joseph;   Miracles;   Thompson Chain Reference - Genealogies of Christ;   Virgin Birth;   The Topic Concordance - Name;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Human Nature of Christ, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Betrothing;   Genealogy;   Mary;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - James the brother of jesus;   Joseph the husband of mary;   Knowledge;   Mary;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Body;   Virgin Birth;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Nativity of Christ;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Brother;   Mary;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Brother;   Joseph;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Annunciation;   Joseph;   Mary;   Matthew, the Gospel of;   Sex, Biblical Teaching on;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Mary;   Mss;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Annunciation, the ;   Brethren of the Lord (2);   Census;   First-Born First-Begotten ;   Firstborn;   Flight;   Genealogies of Jesus Christ;   Humanity of Christ;   Infancy;   James, the Lord's Brother;   Matthew, Gospel According to;   Myth;   Presentation ;   Virgin Birth;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - First-Begotten, First-Born,;   Joseph ;   1910 New Catholic Dictionary - jesus;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Brethren of the Lord;   First-Begotten;   Greece;   Mary;   Virgin-Birth (of Jesus Christ);  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
but did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. And he named him Jesus.
King James Version (1611)
And knewe her not, till shee had brought forth her first borne sonne, and he called his name Iesus.
King James Version
And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus .
English Standard Version
but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
New American Standard Bible
but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he named Him Jesus.
New Century Version
but he did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to the son. And Joseph named him Jesus.
Amplified Bible
but he kept her a virgin until she had given birth to a Son [her firstborn child]; and he named Him Jesus (The LORD is salvation).
Geneva Bible (1587)
But he knew her not, til she had broght forth her first borne sonne, & he called his name Iesus.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.
Legacy Standard Bible
but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.
Berean Standard Bible
But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a Son. And he gave Him the name Jesus.
Contemporary English Version
But they did not sleep together before her baby was born. Then Joseph named him Jesus.
Complete Jewish Bible
but he did not have sexual relations with her until she had given birth to a son, and he named him Yeshua.
Darby Translation
and knew her not until she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.
Easy-to-Read Version
But Joseph did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And he named him Jesus.
George Lamsa Translation
And he did not know her until she gave birth to her first-born son; and she called his name Jesus.
Good News Translation
But he had no sexual relations with her before she gave birth to her son. And Joseph named him Jesus.
Lexham English Bible
and did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
Literal Translation
and did not know her until she bore her son, the First-born. And he called His name Jesus.
American Standard Version
and knew her not till she had brought forth a son: and he called his name Jesus .
Bible in Basic English
And he had no connection with her till she had given birth to a son; and he gave him the name Jesus.
Hebrew Names Version
and didn't know her sexually until she had brought forth her firstborn son. He named him Yeshua.
International Standard Version
He did not have marital relations withdid not know
">[fn] her until she had given birth to a son;to her firstborn son">[fn] and he named him Jesus.Exodus 13:2; Luke 2:7,21;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
and knew her not until she had given birth to her son, the firstborn; and she called his name Jeshu.
Murdock Translation
And he knew her not, until she had borne her firstborn son, and called is name Jesus.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And knewe her not, tyll she hadde brought foorth her first borne sonne, & called his name Iesus.
English Revised Version
and knew her not till she had brought forth a son: and he called his name JESUS.
World English Bible
and didn't know her sexually until she had brought forth her firstborn son. He named him JESUS.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But he knew her not, till she had brought forth her Son, the first-born. And he called his name Jesus.
Weymouth's New Testament
but did not live with her until she had given birth to a son. The child's name he called JESUS.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and he knew her not, til she hadde borun her firste bigete sone, and clepide his name Jhesus.
Update Bible Version
And he didn't have sex with her until she gave birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
Webster's Bible Translation
And knew her not till she had brought forth her first-born son: and he called his name JESUS.
New English Translation
but did not have marital relations with her until she gave birth to a son, whom he named Jesus.
New King James Version
25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. [fn] And he called His name Jesus.
New Living Translation
But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.
New Life Bible
But he did not have her, as a husband has a wife, until she gave birth to a Son. Joseph gave Him the name Jesus.
New Revised Standard
but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and knew her not, until she had brought forth a son, - and he called his name Jesus.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he knew her not till she brought forth her first born son: and he called his name Jesus.
Revised Standard Version
but knew her not until she had borne a son; and he called his name Jesus.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
and knewe her not tyll she had brought forth hir fyrst sonne and called hys name Iesus.
Young's Literal Translation
and did not know her till she brought forth her son -- the first-born, and he called his name Jesus.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and knewe her not, tyll she had brought forth hir fyrst borne sonne, and called his name Iesus.
Mace New Testament (1729)
but did not cohabit with her as a wife, before she had-brought forth her first-born son; whom he named JESUS.
Simplified Cowboy Version
But he didn't never go to her bed like a husband would usually do until after Jesus was born.

Contextual Overview

18And of Jesus Christ, the birth was thus: for His mother Mary having been betrothed to Joseph, before their coming together she was found to have conceived from the Holy Spirit, 19and her husband Joseph being righteous, and not willing to make her an example, resolved to send her away privately. 20And on his thinking of these things, behold, a messenger of the LORD appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, you may not fear to receive your wife Mary, for that which was begotten in her [is] of the Holy Spirit, 21and she will bring forth a Son, and you will call His Name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." 22And all this has come to pass, that it may be fulfilled that was spoken by the LORD through the prophet, saying, 23"Behold, the virgin will conceive, and she will bring forth a Son, and they will call His Name Emmanuel," which is, being interpreted, "God with us." 24And Joseph, having risen from sleep, did as the messenger of the LORD directed him, and received his wife, 25and did not know her until she brought forth her Son—the firstborn, and he called His Name Jesus.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

she: Exodus 13:2, Exodus 22:29, Luke 2:7, Romans 8:29

and he: Luke 2:21

Reciprocal: Genesis 3:15 - her seed 2 Samuel 6:23 - unto the day 1 Kings 1:4 - knew her not Matthew 2:1 - Jesus Luke 1:31 - and shalt Luke 1:60 - Not Ephesians 1:5 - according Revelation 12:5 - she

Cross-References

Genesis 1:8
And God calls the expanse "Heavens"; and there is an evening, and there is a morning—[the] second day.
Genesis 1:10
And God calls the dry land "Earth," and the collection of the waters He has called "Seas"; and God sees that [it is] good.
Genesis 1:19
and there is an evening, and there is a morning—[the] fourth day.
Genesis 1:20
And God says, "Let the waters teem with the teeming living creature, and let [the] bird fly above the earth on the face of the expanse of the heavens."
Job 26:13
He beautified the heavens by His Spirit, || His hand has formed the fleeing serpent.
Jeremiah 27:5
Thus you say to your lords, I have made the earth with man, and the livestock that [are] on the face of the earth, by My great power, and by My outstretched arm, and I have given it to whom it has been right in My eyes.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

"And knew her not",.... Or "but he knew her not", και answering to the Hebrew ו that is, had carnal knowledge of her, or copulation with her, though his wife. The words are an euphemism, or a modest way of expressing the conjugal act, and is a very ancient one, see Genesis 4:1 and what has been used in nations and languages. And this conduct of his was necessary,

till she had brought forth her firstborn; that it might be manifest not only that she conceived, being a virgin, but also that she brought forth, being a virgin: for both are signified in the prophecy before related, "a virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son"; which is all one as if it had been said, a virgin shall conceive, and "a virgin" shall bring forth a son. The "firstborn" is that which first opens the womb of its mother, whether any follows after or not, Exodus 13:12. Christ is called Mary's firstborn, because she had none before him, whether she had any after him or not; for her perpetual virginity seems to be no necessary article of faith: for when it is said,

Joseph knew her not till she had brought forth, the meaning is certain that he knew her not before. But whether he afterwards did or not, is not so manifest, nor is it a matter of any great importance; the word "until" may be so understood as referring to the time preceding, that the contrary cannot be affirmed of the time following, 2 Samuel 6:23 and which may be the case here, and is indeed generally understood so; and it also may be considered as only expressive of the intermediate time, as in Matthew 5:26 as Beza observes. Christ was "her firstborn" as he was man, and the firstborn of God, or his first and only begotten, as the Son of God. It is further observed, that she "called his name Jesus", as was foretold to her, or ordered her by the Angel, Luke 1:31 and to Joseph, Matthew 1:21.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Knew her not - The doctrine of the virginity of Mary before the birth of Jesus is a doctrine of the Scriptures, and is very important to be believed. But the Bible does not affirm that she had no children afterward. Indeed, all the accounts in the New Testament lead us to suppose that she did have them. See the notes at Matthew 13:55-56. The language here evidently implies that she lived as the wife of Joseph after the birth of Jesus.

Her first-born son - Her oldest son, or the one who had the privilege of birthright by the law. This does not of necessity imply that she had other children, though it seems probable. It was the name given to the son which was born first, whether there were others or not.

His name Jesus - This was given by divine appointment, Matthew 1:21. It was conferred upon him on the eighth day, at the time of his circumcision, Luke 2:21.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 1:25. Her first-born son — Τον υιον αυτης τον πρω-οτοκον. Literally, That son of hers, the first-born one. That Mary might have had other children, any person may reasonably and piously believe; that she had others, many think exceedingly probable, and that this text is at least an indirect proof of it. However this may be, the perpetual virginity of Mary should not be made an article of faith. God has not made it one: indeed it can hardly bear the light of several texts in the Gospels.

He knew her not — Had no matrimonial intercourse with her - TILL she had brought forth that son of hers, of whom the evangelist had been just speaking, the first-born, the eldest of the family, to whom the birthright belonged, and who was miraculously born before she knew any man, being yet in a state of virginity. See on Matthew 13:55. The virginity of Mary, previously to the birth of Christ, is an article of the utmost consequence to the Christian system; and therefore it is an article of faith: her perpetual virginity is of no consequence; and the learned labour spent to prove it has produced a mere castle in the air. The thing is possible; but it never has been, and never can be proved.

He called his name JESUS.] This name was given by the command of God, see Matthew 1:16, and was imposed on Christ when eight days old; for then, according to the Jewish law, he was circumcised: thus he had the name of Saviour given when he first began to shed that blood without which there could be no remission of sins.

The goodness of God is manifested, not only in his giving his Son to save a lost world, but also in the choice of the persons who were his progenitors: among whom we find, First, SAINTS, to excite our courage: Abraham, remarkable for his faith; Isaac, for his obedience; and Jacob, for his fervour and constancy.

Secondly, Penitent SINNERS, to excite our confidence: such as David, Manasses, c.

Thirdly, Sinners, of whose repentance and salvation we hear nothing to put us on our guard. Who can read the account of idolatrous Solomon, who, from the whole evidence of the sacred history, died In his sins, without trembling?

Four WOMEN are mentioned in this genealogy: two of these were adulteresses, Tamar and Bathsheba; and two were Gentiles, Rahab and Ruth, and strangers to the covenant of promise; to teach us that Jesus Christ came to save sinners, and that, though strangers to his people, we are not on that account excluded from a salvation which God has designed for all men. He is not the God of the Jews only; he is also the God of the Gentiles.

The state of the royal family of David, the circumstances of the holy virgin and her spouse Joseph, the very remarkable prophecy of Isaiah, the literal and circumstantial fulfilment of it, the names given to our blessed Lord, the genealogical scroll of the family, c., &c., are all so many proofs of the wisdom, goodness, and providence of God. Every occurrence seems, at first view, to be abandoned to fortuitous influence, and yet the result of each shows that God managed the whole. These circumstances are of the greatest importance nor can the Christian reader reflect on them without an increase of his faith and his piety.


 
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