马太福音 1:20

Chinese NCV (Simplified)

他一直想著這些事，主的使者就在夢中向他顯現，說：“大衛的子孫約瑟，只管放膽把你的妻子馬利亞迎娶過來，因為她懷的孕是從聖靈來的。

Parallel Translations

Chinese Union (Simplified)
正 思 念 这 事 的 时 候 ， 有 主 的 使 者 向 他 梦 中 显 现 ， 说 ： 大 卫 的 子 孙 约 瑟 ， 不 要 怕 ！ 只 管 娶 过 你 的 妻 子 马 利 亚 来 ， 因 他 所 怀 的 孕 是 从 圣 灵 来 的 。

Contextual Overview

¹⁸ This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His mother Mary was engaged to marry Joseph, but before they married, she learned she was pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Because Mary's husband, Joseph, was a good man, he did not want to disgrace her in public, so he planned to divorce her secretly. ²⁰ While Joseph thought about these things, an angel of the Lord came to him in a dream. The angel said, "Joseph, descendant of David, don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the baby in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." ²² All this happened to bring about what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ "The virgin will be pregnant. She will have a son, and they will name him Immanuel," which means "God is with us." ²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did what the Lord's angel had told him to do. Joseph took Mary as his wife, ²⁵ but he did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to the son. And Joseph named him Jesus.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

while: Psalms 25:8, Psalms 25:9, Psalms 94:19, Psalms 119:125, Psalms 143:8, Proverbs 3:5, Proverbs 3:6, Proverbs 12:5, Isaiah 26:3, Isaiah 30:21

the angel: Judges 13:3, Judges 13:8, Judges 13:9, Luke 1:10-13, Luke 1:19, Luke 1:26-38, Luke 2:8-14

in: Matthew 2:13, Matthew 2:19, Matthew 2:22, Genesis 31:11, Numbers 12:6, Job 4:13-16, Job 33:15-17, Joel 2:28

Joseph: Isaiah 7:2, Isaiah 7:13, Jeremiah 33:26, Luke 2:4

fear not: Matthew 28:5, Genesis 46:3, 1 Kings 17:13, Isaiah 51:7, Jeremiah 40:9, Luke 1:30

that: Matthew 1:18, Jeremiah 31:22

conceived: Gr. begotten

Reciprocal: Genesis 20:3 - a dream Genesis 28:12 - he dreamed Genesis 31:24 - dream Deuteronomy 22:24 - he hath humbled Judges 7:9 - the same Judges 14:8 - to take her 1 Samuel 28:6 - by dreams 1 Kings 3:5 - in a dream Isaiah 49:1 - The Lord Jeremiah 23:25 - dreamed Matthew 2:12 - warned Matthew 18:10 - their Luke 1:35 - The Holy Ghost Luke 2:9 - lo John 1:14 - the Word John 14:26 - Holy Ghost Acts 11:12 - nothing Acts 15:16 - build again the tabernacle Romans 1:3 - which Hebrews 1:14 - minister Hebrews 10:5 - but

Cross-References

Genesis 1:7
So God made the air and placed some of the water above the air and some below it.

Genesis 1:14
Then God said, "Let there be lights in the sky to separate day from night. These lights will be used for signs, seasons, days, and years.

Genesis 1:22
God blessed them and said, "Have many young ones so that you may grow in number. Fill the water of the seas, and let the birds grow in number on the earth."

Genesis 1:24
Then God said, "Let the earth be filled with animals, each producing more of its own kind. Let there be tame animals and small crawling animals and wild animals, and let each produce more of its kind." And it happened.

Genesis 1:25
So God made the wild animals, the tame animals, and all the small crawling animals to produce more of their own kind. God saw that this was good.

Genesis 1:30
I have given all the green plants as food for every wild animal, every bird of the air, and every small crawling animal." And it happened.

Genesis 2:19
From the ground God formed every wild animal and every bird in the sky, and he brought them to the man so the man could name them. Whatever the man called each living thing, that became its name.

Genesis 8:17
Bring every animal out of the boat with you—the birds, animals, and everything that crawls on the earth. Let them have many young ones so that they might grow in number."

1 Kings 4:33
He taught about many kinds of plants—everything from the great cedar trees of Lebanon to the weeds that grow out of the walls. He also taught about animals, birds, crawling things, and fish.

Psalms 148:10
wild animals and all cattle, crawling animals and birds,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But while he thought on these things,.... While he was revolving them in his mind, considering what was most fit and proper to be done, whether to dismiss her publicly or privately; while he was consulting within himself the glory of God, the peace of his own conscience, and the credit of Mary,

behold the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream; probably the same Angel which appeared to Zacharias, and brought him tidings that his wife should have a son, and who also appeared to Mary, and acquainted her that she should conceive, and bring forth the Messiah, Whose name was Gabriel, Luke 1:11. If we will believe the Jews, this Angel must be Gabriel, since he is the Angel who they say d

דממנא על חלמא "is appointed over dreams"; for he appeared to

Joseph in a dream, which is one of the ways and methods in which the Lord, or an Angel of his, has appeared to the saints formerly, and has answered them, see Genesis 31:11 and is reckoned by the Jews e one of the degrees or kinds of prophecy: and so the Angel here not only encourages Joseph to take to him his wife,

saying Joseph, thou son of David; which is said partly to attest his being of the house and lineage of David, and partly to raise his expectations and confirm his faith, that his wife should bring forth the promised son of David; and chiefly to engage his attention to what he was about to say,

fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; do not be afraid either that thou shalt offend the Lord, or bring any reproach or scandal upon thyself as if thou didst connive at an adulteress; but as she is thine espoused wife, solemnly betrothed to thee, take her home to thyself, live with her as thy wife, and openly avow her as such. To which he is encouraged by the following reason or argument,

for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost; she has not been guilty of any criminal conversation with men; this conception of her's is of the Holy Ghost, and entirely owing to his coming upon her, and overshadowing her in a wonderful and miraculous manner. I say, the Angel not only encourages Joseph after this manner, but delivers something to him by way of prophecy, in the following verse.

d Zohar in Gen. fol. 103. 3. e Zohar in Gen. fol. 103. 3. & Maimon. Yesode Hattorah. c. 7. l. 13.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He thought on these things - He did not act hastily. He did not take the course which the law would have permitted him to do, if he had been hasty, violent, or unjust. It was a case deeply affecting his happiness, his character, and the reputation and character of his chosen companion. God will guide the thoughtful and the anxious. And when we have looked patiently at a perplexed subject, and know not what to do, then God, as in the case of Joseph, will interpose to lead us and direct our way. Psalms 25:9.

The angel of the Lord - The word “angel” literally means a messenger. It is applied chiefly in the Scriptures to those invisible holy beings who have not fallen into sin: who live in heaven (1 Timothy 5:21; compare Jude 1:6); and who are sent forth to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation. See the Hebrews 1:13-14 notes, and Daniel 9:21 note. The word is sometimes applied to men, as messengers Luke 7:24; Luke 9:52; James 2:25; to the winds Psalms 104:4; to the pestilence Psalms 78:49; or to whatever is appointed to make known or to execute the will of God. It is commonly applied, however, to the unfallen, happy spirits that are in heaven, whose dignity and pleasure it is to do the will of God. Various ways were employed by them in making known the will of God, by dreams, visions, assuming a human appearance, etc.

In a dream - This was a common way of making known the will of God to the ancient prophets and people of God, Genesis 20:3; Genesis 30:1, Genesis 30:11, Genesis 30:24; Genesis 37:5; Genesis 41:1; 1 Kings 3:5; Daniel 7:1; Job 4:13-15; compare my notes at Isaiah. In what way it was ascertained that these dreams were from God cannot now be ascertained, It is sufficient for us to know that in this way many of the prophecies were communicated, and to remark that there is no evidence that we are to put reliance on our dreams. Dreams are wild, irregular movements of the mind when it is unshackled by reason, and it is mere superstition to suppose that God now makes known His will in this way.

Son of David - Descendant of David. See Matthew 1:1. The angel put him in mind of his relation to David perhaps to prepare him for the intelligence that Mary was to be the mother of the Messiah - the promised heir of David.

Fear not - Do not hesitate, or have any apprehensions about her virtue and purity. Do not fear that she will be unworthy of you, or will disgrace you.

To take unto thee Mary thy wife - To take her as thy wife; to recognize her as such, and to treat her as such.

For that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost - Is the direct creation of divine power. A body was thus prepared pure and holy, and free from the corruption of sin, in order that he might be qualified for his great work the offering of a pure sacrifice to God. As this was necessary in order to the great work which he came to perform, Joseph is directed by an angel to receive her as pure and virtuous, and as every way worthy of his love. Compare the notes at Hebrews 10:5.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 1:20. That which is conceived (or formed) in her — So I think γεννηθεν should be translated in this place: as it appears that the human nature of Jesus Christ was a real creation in the womb of the virgin, by the power of the Holy Spirit. The angel of the Lord mentioned here was probably the angel Gabriel, who, six months before, bad been sent to Zacharias and Elisabeth, to announce the birth of Christ's forerunner, John the Baptist. See Luke 1:36.