Matthew 1:23 (WEB)
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall give birth to a son. They shall call his name Immanuel,” which is, being interpreted, “God with us.”
As quoted in the map (KJV)
Matthew 1:23 (KJV)
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Key words
- παρθένοςparthenos · Greek
- 'virgin' — Matthew quotes the Septuagint of Isaiah 7:14, which chose the unambiguous word for a virgin.
- ἘμμανουήλEmmanouēl · Greek
- 'Emmanuel,' which Matthew translates for his readers: meth' hēmōn ho theos (μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν ὁ θεός), 'God with us.'
Why it matters
Matthew declares that the virgin's child is Emmanuel, 'God with us.' Pitre's argument for calling Mary 'Mother of God' runs straight through this verse: if her son is God-with-us, she is the mother of God-with-us. The title protects the identity of Jesus, and honouring Mary because of it is not worship — Epiphanius condemned those who worshiped her while insisting she be honoured.