The idea
Numbers 30:15 says that a husband who annuls his wife's vow after having let it stand 'shall bear her iniquity.' Matthew tells us Joseph was 'a righteous man,' obedient to the Law. So if Mary had taken a vow of abstinence and Joseph accepted it at their betrothal, 'he would have been bound by Mosaic Law to honor her vow of sexual abstinence under the penalty of sin.' Joseph's part in the perpetual virginity is not a pious guess but a legal consequence.
Key verses
- Numbers 30:15 — 'he shall bear her iniquity.'
- Matthew 1:19 — 'Joseph… being a just man.'
- Matthew 1:25 — 'knew her not' — the vow kept.
The connection
| Old Testament root | New Testament fulfilment | |
|---|---|---|
| The Law binds a husband to a vow he has accepted | → | Joseph, the just man, keeps Mary's vow |
The vault's older note said Mary's vow was 'upheld by her husband'; the book says more — that a righteous Joseph could not have done otherwise without sin.