Matthew 1:22-23
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This isn't just a simple announcement of fulfilled prophecy; it highlights that God's purpose in sending Jesus was salvation, and the prophecy was fulfilled along the way, not as the primary reason for His coming. The ancient words were chosen and preserved because they would find their ultimate, profound meaning in Jesus, not just that the events happened to match a prediction.
Matthew has just recounted the miraculous conception of Jesus by the Holy Spirit and Joseph's decision to quietly divorce Mary, before an angel intervened in a dream to confirm the divine origin of the pregnancy. This verse serves as a bridge, introducing the Old Testament prophecy that Matthew sees as directly fulfilled by these extraordinary events surrounding Jesus' birth.
Was God's main goal in sending Jesus simply to check off a prophecy? Or was there something deeper at play?
This verse powerfully states that Jesus' arrival was to fulfill prophecy. But the commentary helps us understand this isn't about prophecy being the goal itself.
Who is speaking here – the prophet, or God himself? And what's the difference?
Matthew 1:22 uses a crucial preposition that illuminates how God works through His messengers.
Understand the original words
plēroō · Greek Verb
To bring to pass, complete, or realize what was promised or foretold by God in Scripture.
parthenos · Greek Noun
A young woman, specifically one who has not had sexual relations. In this context, it emphasizes the miraculous, supernatural nature of the Incarnation.
Emmanouēl · Hebrew/Greek Noun
A Hebrew name meaning 'God is with us,' highlighting the divine presence and fellowship God establishes with His people through the Incarnation.
Matthew presents Jesus' birth not just as a historical event, but as the divinely orchestrated fulfillment of ancient prophecies, demonstrating God's faithfulness across centuries of Israel's history.
c. 740 BC
Syro-Ephraimite War Begins
The Northern Kingdom of Israel (Ephraim) and Syria form an alliance to attack Judah, led by King Ahaz. This invasion threatens Jerusalem.
c. 740 BC— this verse
Isaiah's Prophecy to Ahaz
Prophet Isaiah delivers God's message to King Ahaz, offering a sign of deliverance. Ahaz refuses, and Isaiah declares a virgin will bear a son named Immanuel ('God with us').
c. 732 BC
Assyrian Conquest of Israel
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, ending its existence as a separate entity.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Assyrians conquer and destroy the capital of Israel, Samaria, deporting many of its people and resettling the area with foreigners.
c. 586 BC
This is the specific Old Testament prophecy that Matthew is citing, foretelling the birth of a child named Immanuel to a virgin, directly connecting the event of Jesus' birth to ancient Scripture.
Micah 5:2This prophecy speaks of a ruler coming from Bethlehem, a detail that aligns with the fulfillment narrative initiated by Jesus' birth and connects to the Messianic expectations being met.
Galatians 4:4This passage explicitly states that Jesus was 'born of a woman, born under law,' highlighting the divinely appointed timing and human aspect of his arrival, which Matthew emphasizes is a fulfillment of prophecy.
John 1:14This verse declares that 'the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,' echoing the fulfillment of Immanuel ('God with us') and underscoring the significance of Jesus' incarnation as foretold.
vincentMatthew 1:22: "Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,"
Through the prophet (διά)So the Rev. rightly, instead of by. In quotations from the Old Testament, the writers habitually use the preposition διὰ (through) to denote the instrumentality through which God works or speaks, while they reserve ὑπὸ (by) to express the primary agency of God himself. So here the prophecy in Matthew 1:23was spoken by the Lord, but was communicated…
bensonMatthew 1:22: "Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,"
Matthew 1:22. Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled — That is, by the doing of all this was fulfilled the following prophecy. For we are not to suppose that the bare accomplishment of an ancient prediction was the end God had in view in sending his Son into the world; which would imply that, if no such prediction had been given, God would not have sent his Son. No: G…
This isn't just a simple announcement of fulfilled prophecy; it highlights that God's purpose in sending Jesus was salvation, and the prophecy was fulfilled along the way, not as the primary reason for His coming. The ancient words were chosen and preserved because they would find their ultimate, profound meaning in Jesus, not just that the events happened to match a prediction.
Matthew has just recounted the miraculous conception of Jesus by the Holy Spirit and Joseph's decision to quietly divorce Mary, before an angel intervened in a dream to confirm the divine origin of the pregnancy. This verse serves as a bridge, introducing the Old Testament prophecy that Matthew sees as directly fulfilled by these extraordinary events surrounding Jesus' birth.
Matthew has just recounted the miraculous conception of Jesus by the Holy Spirit and Joseph's decision to quietly divorce Mary, before an angel intervened in a dream to confirm the divine origin of the pregnancy. This verse serves as a bridge, introducing the Old Testament prophecy that Matthew sees as directly fulfilled by these extraordinary events surrounding Jesus' birth.
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Babylonian Exile
The Babylonians conquer Judah, destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, and exile a significant portion of the population. This marks a period of national trauma and spiritual reassessment.
c. 539 BC
Persian Conquest and Return from Exile
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon. He allows the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple, beginning a period of restoration.
c. 2nd Century BC
Septuagint Translation
The Hebrew Old Testament is translated into Greek, making the scriptures accessible to a wider Hellenistic audience. The translation of Isaiah 7:14 uses the Greek word for 'virgin' (parthenos).
"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us)." — This isn't just a simple announcement of fulfilled prophecy; it highlights that God's *purpose* in sending Jesus was salvation, and the prophecy was fulfilled *along the way*, not as the primary reas…