Matthew 1:25 tells us that Joseph did not have a physical marriage with Mary until after Jesus was born, and that Joseph gave the child the name Jesus. The verse answers two questions readers often ask: whether Mary and Joseph had relations before Jesus was born, and why the name Jesus was given by Joseph rather than Mary. The narrator of the Gospel of Matthew speaks this verse, describing Joseph’s obedience to the angel’s instructions in a dream.
And didn’t know her sexually until she had given birth to her firstborn son. He named him Jesus.
Matthew 1:25 (WEB)
What Matthew 1:25 Means
The verb “didn’t know her sexually” is a plain biblical idiom for sexual intimacy, and it is used this way throughout Scripture. Matthew is saying that Joseph and Mary had no marital relations during the period before Jesus was born. The phrase “until she had given birth” marks a clear boundary: the verse describes what did not happen before the birth, and it leaves the situation after the birth open, so it does not by itself settle questions about Mary’s later life.
The second sentence, “He named him Jesus,” shows Joseph’s role as the one who formally gives the child his name. In ancient Jewish custom, naming a child was an act of the legal father, and Joseph’s naming fits the angel’s earlier instruction in Matthew 1:21 to call the child Jesus, a name meaning “the Lord saves.” The verse does not promise anything about Joseph’s emotions or about a particular future for the family. It records a fact and a faithful response to God’s word.
The Context of Matthew 1:25
Matthew was written for a community deeply familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures, and the Gospel repeatedly shows how events in Jesus’ life fulfill older prophecies. Just before this verse, Matthew quotes Isaiah 7:14 about a virgin who will bear a son called Immanuel, meaning “God with us.” Verse 24 describes Joseph waking up and doing exactly what the angel commanded, which sets up the obedience that verse 25 highlights.
Seeing this context changes the verse from a bare biographical note into part of a larger argument. Matthew wants readers to see that the birth of Jesus happened in fulfillment of God’s promises, and that Joseph’s careful, obedient actions helped make that happen. The restraint described in verse 25 is therefore part of how Matthew tells the story of God quietly keeping his word.
Key Phrases in Matthew 1:25
Matthew 1:21
She shall give birth to a son. You shall call his name Jesus, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins.”
(WEB)
This verse records the angel’s message to Joseph that the child will save his people from their sins and should be named Jesus. It is the instruction Joseph follows in verse 25, so reading the two together shows the reason behind the naming.
Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
(WEB)
This prophecy about a virgin bearing a son called Immanuel is the Old Testament promise Matthew quotes just before verse 25. Reading it helps explain why Matthew sees the birth of Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s long-standing word to Israel.
A Short Prayer From Matthew 1:25
Lord, thank you for the quiet faithfulness of Joseph, who woke from sleep and did what you asked without needing every detail explained. Help me to trust your word when the way ahead is unclear, and to take the next step of obedience you have placed before me. Give me patience to wait on your timing and the courage to name what you are doing in my life with gratitude. Let the name of Jesus, the one who saves, shape how I live today. Amen.