Matthew 1:22 is the twenty-second verse of the first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. Joseph has just been spoken to in a dream by an angel.
Content
The original Koine Greek, according to Westcott and Hort, reads:
:τουτο δε ολον γεγονεν ινα πληρωθη το ρηθεν
:υπο κυριου δια του προφητου λεγοντος
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
:Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which
:was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
The World English Bible translates the passage as:
:Now all this has happened, that it might be fulfilled
:which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,
For a collection of other versions see BibleHub Matthew 1:22.
Analysis
This verse sets up a quote from Isaiah 7:14 that appears in the following verse. Brown notes that in some alternate manuscripts this verse actually contains Isaiah's name. This is the first of ten quotes from the Old Testament that appear in Matthew to illustrate how Jesus was foretold by the prophets. The Gospel of Matthew is far more concerned than the others in proving that Jesus is the Messiah spoken of in the Old Testament. The phrase "that it might be fulfilled" is Matthew's standard introduction to these quotes. Boring notes that this verse is also the first of many times that a narrator takes an active role in the Gospel, something that will also continue throughout.
That the name of the prophet in question is not mentioned is generally considered because of its irrelevance to Christology. Carter disagrees with this and argues that it is because the intended audience of the verse would have immediately known which prophet the quote came from and would need no extra information.
Commentary from the Church Fathers
Saint Remigius: It is the custom of the Evangelist to confirm what he says out of the Old Testament, for the sake of those Jews who believed on Christ, that they might recognize as fulfilled in the grace of the Gospel, the things that were foretold in the Old Testament; therefore he adds, Now all this was done. Here we must enquire why he should say all this was done, when above he has only related the conception. It should be known that he says this to show, that in the presence of God all this was done before it was done among men. Or he says, all this was done, because he is relating past events; for when he wrote, it was all done.
References
Bibliography
- Albright, W.F. and C.S. Mann. "Matthew." The Anchor Bible Series. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1971.