Matthew 1:19
New International Version
Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

New Living Translation
Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

English Standard Version
And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.

Berean Standard Bible
Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and was unwilling to disgrace her publicly, he resolved to divorce her quietly.

Berean Literal Bible
Then Joseph her husband, being righteous and not willing to shame her publicly, resolved to divorce her quietly.

King James Bible
Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

New King James Version
Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.

New American Standard Bible
And her husband Joseph, since he was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.

NASB 1995
And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.

NASB 1977
And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her, desired to put her away secretly.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.

Amplified Bible
And Joseph her [promised] husband, being a just and righteous man and not wanting to expose her publicly to shame, planned to send her away and divorce her quietly.

Christian Standard Bible
So her husband, Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.

American Standard Version
And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But Yoseph her lord was righteous and did not want to expose her, and he was considering divorcing her secretly.

Contemporary English Version
Joseph was a good man and did not want to embarrass Mary in front of everyone. So he decided to quietly call off the wedding.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Whereupon Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing publicly to expose her, was minded to put her away privately.

English Revised Version
And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Her husband Joseph was an honorable man and did not want to disgrace her publicly. So he decided to break the marriage agreement with her secretly.

Good News Translation
Joseph was a man who always did what was right, but he did not want to disgrace Mary publicly; so he made plans to break the engagement privately.

International Standard Version
Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to disgrace her, decided to divorce her secretly.

Literal Standard Version
and her husband Joseph being righteous, and not willing to make her an example, resolved to send her away privately.

Majority Standard Bible
Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and was unwilling to disgrace her publicly, he resolved to divorce her quietly.

New American Bible
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.

NET Bible
Because Joseph, her husband to be, was a righteous man, and because he did not want to disgrace her, he intended to divorce her privately.

New Revised Standard Version
Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.

New Heart English Bible
And Joseph, her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, intended to put her away secretly.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, purposed to put her away privately.

Weymouth New Testament
But Joseph her husband, being a kind-hearted man and unwilling publicly to disgrace her, had determined to release her privately from the betrothal.

World English Bible
Joseph, her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, intended to put her away secretly.

Young's Literal Translation
and Joseph her husband being righteous, and not willing to make her an example, did wish privately to send her away.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Birth of Jesus
18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged in marriage to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and was unwilling to disgrace her publicly, he resolved to divorce her quietly. 20But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 22:20
If, however, this accusation is true, and no proof of the young woman's virginity can be found,

Deuteronomy 22:23
If there is a virgin pledged in marriage to a man, and another man encounters her in the city and sleeps with her,

Deuteronomy 24:1
If a man marries a woman, but she becomes displeasing to him because he finds some indecency in her, he may write her a certificate of divorce, hand it to her, and send her away from his house.

John 8:4
and said, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.

John 8:5
In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. So what do You say?"

Acts 27:39
When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they sighted a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could.

2 Corinthians 1:15
Confident of this, I planned to visit you first, so that you might receive a double blessing.


Treasury of Scripture

Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately.

her husband.

Leviticus 19:20
And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to an husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; she shall be scourged; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free.

Deuteronomy 22:23,24
If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; …

a just.

Genesis 6:9
These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

Psalm 112:4,5
Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous…

Mark 6:20
For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

a public.

Genesis 38:24
And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.

Leviticus 20:10
And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

Deuteronomy 22:21-24
Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father's house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you…

was.

Deuteronomy 24:1-4
When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house…

Mark 10:4
And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.

Jump to Previous
Determined Disgrace Divorce Example Husband Intended Joseph Kind-Hearted Mind Minded Planned Privately Privily Public Publicly Purposed Quietly Release Resolved Righteous Secretly Shame Unwilling Upright Wanting Willing
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Determined Disgrace Divorce Example Husband Intended Joseph Kind-Hearted Mind Minded Planned Privately Privily Public Publicly Purposed Quietly Release Resolved Righteous Secretly Shame Unwilling Upright Wanting Willing
Matthew 1
1. The genealogy of Jesus from Abraham to Joseph.
18. He is miraculously conceived of the Holy Spirit by the Virgin Mary.
19. The angel satisfies the doubts of Joseph,
21. and declares the names and office of Jesus;
25. Jesus is born














(19) Joseph her husband.--The word was applied with strict accuracy from the moment of betrothal onwards.

Being a just man. . . .--The glimpse given us into the character of Joseph is one of singular tenderness and beauty. To him, conscious of being of the house of David, and cherishing Messianic hopes, what he heard would seem to come as blighting those hopes. He dared not, as a "righteous" man, take to himself one who seemed thus to have sinned. But love and pity alike hindered him from pressing the law, which made death by stoning the punishment of such a sin (Deuteronomy 22:21), or even from publicly breaking off the marriage on the ground of the apparent guilt. There remained the alternative, which the growing frequency of divorce made easy, of availing himself of a "writ of divorcement," which did not necessarily specify the ground of repudiation, except in vague language implying disagreement (Matthew 19:3). Thus the matter would be settled quietly without exposure. The "bill of divorcement" was as necessary for the betrothed as for those who were fully man and wife.

Verse 19. - Then Joseph her husband; and (Revised Version). The thought is slightly adversative (δέ); though this was "of the Holy Ghost," yet Joseph was about to put her away. Being a just man; righteous (Revised Version); i.e. who strove to conform to the Divine precepts manifested for him in the Law (cf. Luke 1:6; Luke 2:25). And not willing; i.e. "and yet not wishing," though the Law, which he was striving to follow, seemed to inculcate harshness. This clause has been taken in the opposite sense equivalent to "and therefore not wishing," because the spirit of the Law, which he had learned to understand, was in reality against all unnecessary harshness. The negative used (if it can be at all insisted upon; cf. Simcox, 'Language of the New Testament,' p. 188) is in favour of the former interpretation. To make her a public example; rather, to proclaim her ("Wold not pupplische her, Wickliffe); avery αὐτὴν δειγματίσαι (cf. Colossians 2:15). The thought is of public proclamation of the fact of the divorce, not that of bringing Mary herself forward for public punishment, and so making her a public example ( παραδειγματίσαι). Was minded (ἐβουλήθη). The tense indicates the resolution come to as the result of the conflict between duty and wish implied in the preceding clause. To put her away secretly. Adopting the most private form of legal divorce, and handing the letter to her privately in presence of only two witnesses, to whom he need not communicate his reasons (cf. Edersheim, 'Life,' 1:154). Observe in this verse Joseph's insistance on his personal and family purity, and yet his delicate thoughtfulness for her whom he loved.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
[Because] Joseph
Ἰωσὴφ (Iōsēph)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2501: Joseph, a proper name. Of Hebrew origin; Joseph, the name of seven Israelites.

her
αὐτῆς (autēs)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

husband,
ἀνὴρ (anēr)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 435: A male human being; a man, husband. A primary word; a man.

a righteous man,
δίκαιος (dikaios)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1342: From dike; equitable; by implication, innocent, holy.

was unwilling
θέλων (thelōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2309: To will, wish, desire, be willing, intend, design.

to disgrace her publicly,
δειγματίσαι (deigmatisai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 1165: To hold up as an example, make a show of, expose. From deigma; to exhibit.

he resolved
ἐβουλήθη (eboulēthē)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1014: To will, intend, desire, wish. Middle voice of a primary verb; to 'will, ' i.e. be willing.

to divorce
ἀπολῦσαι (apolysai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 630: From apo and luo; to free fully, i.e. relieve, release, dismiss, or let die, pardon or divorce.

her
αὐτήν (autēn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

quietly.
λάθρᾳ (lathra)
Adverb
Strong's 2977: Secretly, privately. Adverb from lanthano; privately.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 1:19 Joseph her husband being a righteous man (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 1:18
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