Matthew 1:22-23 · Bible study
Matthew 1:22-23 Commentary: The Fulfillment of Immanuel's Birth
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Does Isaiah 7:14 directly predict the virgin birth? Study the grammar, historical context, and theological meaning of Immanuel.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Matthew identifies Jesus's birth as the fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14, declaring Jesus to be Immanuel, God with us.
- Key words: πληρωθῇ (fulfilled), παρθένος (virgin, with article), Ἐμμανουήλ (Immanuel), γέγονεν (has come to pass, perfect tense).
- Main debate: Whether Isaiah directly predicted the Messiah or whether Matthew applied a near-term sign typologically to Jesus.
- Theological theme: God's faithful presence with his people, ultimately accomplished in the incarnation of the Son.
- Best use: Demonstrating Jesus's divine identity and the reliability of God's promises across time.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
23“Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means, “God with us”).
WEB World English Bible 2000
22Now all this has happened that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,
23“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.”
KJV King James Version 1769
22Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23Behold, 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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
22Now all this is come to pass, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,
23Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, And they shall call his name Immanuel; which is, being interpreted, God with us.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
22And all this hath come to pass, that it may be fulfilled that was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,
23`Lo, the virgin shall conceive, and she shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel,' which is, being interpreted `With us he is God.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
22Now all this came to pass that that might be fulfilled which was spoken by [the] Lord, through the prophet, saying,
23Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which is, being interpreted, 'God with us.'
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
22Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying:
23Behold a virgin shall be with child, and bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Matthew 1:22
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Matthew presents the birth of Jesus as a fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy. The Greek text uses the definite article with 'virgin' (ἡ παρθένος, hē parthenos), pointing to a specific person, not just any young woman. Vincent's Word Studies notes this demonstrative force indicates 'a particular person.' Matthew's verb γέγονεν (gegonen, perfect tense) means the events 'have come to pass' in a completed state with ongoing significance. The purpose clause ἵνα πληρωθῇ (hina plērōthē, 'that it might be fulfilled') places the entire event under God's direction. Barnes, Calvin, and Gill all hold that Matthew intends to show Jesus as the ultimate Immanuel, God with us in a way that surpasses the original sign given to King Ahaz. The angel's announcement in verse 21, that Jesus 'will save his people from their sins,' gives concrete content to the name: God's saving presence, not just a title.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Direct predictive prophecy: Calvin, Gill, and Barnes argue Isaiah directly foretold the virgin birth; the Hebrew word almah in context implies a virgin, and the LXX confirms it.
- Typological fulfillment: Cambridge Bible and many moderns hold that the sign had a near-term meaning in Ahaz's day but found its ultimate antitype in Jesus, whose birth perfectly embodies 'God with us.'
- Midrashic or creative reinterpretation: Some critical scholars view Matthew as adapting the Septuagint text freely to express theological truths about Jesus, without requiring a literal original prediction.
What is clear: All Christian traditions affirm that Matthew intends to show Jesus's miraculous conception as the work of the Holy Spirit and that Jesus is truly 'God with us' in the incarnation.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The meaning of παρθένος (parthenos) in Isaiah 7:14 | Greek translators chose parthenos and Matthew uses it to support Mary's virgin conception. | Some scholars argue the Hebrew word almah means 'young woman' not necessarily 'virgin,' while Christians hold that the LXX reading and Matthew's use confirm the virginity. |
| The nature of Matthew's fulfillment formula | Matthew sees the birth of Jesus as standing in continuity with Old Testament prophecy. | Evangelicals often view it as direct predictive prophecy; others see it as typological or midrashic reinterpretation. |
| The meaning of Immanuel as a name vs a description | Immanuel signifies God's presence with his people. | Protestant traditions take it as a description of Jesus's divine nature; Catholic and Orthodox traditions also see it as a title reflecting Mary's unique role in the incarnation. |
| The relationship between the near-term sign in Isaiah and Jesus | Both originally promised deliverance, military rescue for Judah, salvation from sin through Christ. | Some hold that the prophecy had an immediate fulfillment in Ahaz's day and a later fuller one in Jesus; others insist Isaiah intended only the remote Messianic reference. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Isaiah's prophecy, spoken about 734 BC, came during the Syro-Ephraimite crisis. As Clarke and Barnes explain, King Ahaz of Judah faced invasion from Pekah of Israel and Rezin of Syria. The coalition had already killed 120,000 Judeans in one day and taken 200,000 captives. Ahaz's fear, that David's line and Jerusalem would be destroyed, drove him to seek Assyrian help rather than trust God.
Isaiah offered a sign: a young woman (Hebrew almah, Greek parthenos) would conceive and bear a son named Immanuel. Before the child reached moral discernment, the two hostile kingdoms would be deserted (Isa 7:16). The near-term sign promised God's presence to deliver Judah from immediate threat.
Matthew, writing some 700 years later, re-reads this text in light of Jesus's birth. The Cambridge Bible notes that while the sign in Isaiah's day focused on the name and deliverance within infancy, Matthew sees a deeper layer: a literal virgin conceives by the Holy Spirit, and her son is God incarnate. The crisis has shifted from military invasion to sin's tyranny. The first Immanuel was a pledge of rescue from foreign armies; the final Immanuel rescues from sin itself. The Greek Septuagint's choice of parthenos (virgin) made this connection natural for Matthew's Greek-speaking readers.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries note that some Greek manuscripts add 'Isaiah' explicitly in verse 22, but the shorter reading is well-attested and standard in modern editions. No significant variant affects the meaning. The Greek text of verse 23 is stable, with the definite article before 'virgin' (ἡ παρθένος) and the plural verb καλέσουσιν ('they shall call'), both of which are key to Matthew's interpretation.
Reception History
Early church fathers including Justin Martyr and Irenaeus used this passage to defend the virgin birth against Jewish objectors who read Isaiah's almah as merely a young woman. In the medieval period, it became central to Marian theology and was cited in the Liturgy and the Creed ('incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary'). The Reformers, Calvin, Luther, and later Wesley and Gill, insisted on the literal virgin birth and the deity of Christ, often contrasting their interpretation with rabbinic readings that applied Isaiah 7:14 to Hezekiah. Modern evangelical scholarship generally maintains the predictive or typological sense, while some critical scholars view Matthew's use as creative reinterpretation within Jewish midrashic traditions. Across all periods, the passage has been sung in hymns of assurance ('God with us, Emmanuel').
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God keeps His promises across centuries, The fulfillment formula 'that it might be fulfilled' (same pattern in Matthew 2:15, 2:23, 8:17) shows the Lord speaking through the prophet and then acting in history. The verb ῥηθέν (rhēthen, 'having been spoken') in verse 22 points back to the original utterance as still authoritative.
- The virgin birth is a divine sign, The definite article before 'virgin' (ἡ παρθένος) singles out Mary in a way no ordinary childbirth could. As Barnes emphasizes, Matthew clearly understands this as applying literally to a virgin, consistent with Luke 1:34 and Hebrews 10:5.
- Immanuel is more than a name, Wesley explains that 'to call his name' in Hebrew idiom means he will be what he is called. Jesus is 'God with us' not merely in title but in nature and saving work. The name points to his identity as God incarnate and his ongoing presence (Matthew 28:20).
Five-point outline
- The situation: a crisis that threatened God's promises
- The sign: a child born to a virgin, named Immanuel
- The fulfillment: Jesus's conception by the Holy Spirit
- The double meaning: immediate rescue for Judah, ultimate rescue for the world
- The response: Joseph's obedience as the pattern of faith
Illustration hooks
- Reading a great-grandparent's journal with a prayer for future generations, then seeing that prayer answered in a way the writer could not have imagined.
- A weather forecast from last week that had a small detail meant for one region, but the same pattern explains a much larger storm system hitting the entire country.
- Someone given a nickname that later turns out to describe their entire career and character (e.g., 'healer' for a nurse).
Questions your congregation is asking
- Did the Old Testament predict the virgin birth, or is Matthew reinterpreting an older text?
- What does 'God with us' mean for my daily struggles, does it just comfort, or does it change how I live?
- Why is the virgin birth essential to Christian faith? Would Jesus still be God if he had a human father?
Leading a Discussion
This pair of verses stands at the hinge of Matthew's infancy narrative. The angel has already told Joseph that Mary's child is conceived by the Holy Spirit and will save his people from their sins (v21). Now Matthew steps back to show how this event connects to God's earlier word. As a group, explore how the original promise to Ahaz (Isaiah 7) finds new depth in Jesus.
Discussion questions
- Read Isaiah 7:10-16. What was the original situation behind this prophecy? Who needed a sign, and why?
- Matthew writes that 'all this has come to pass that it might be fulfilled' (v22). What does the word 'fulfilled' imply about God's control over history? Does it mean the Old Testament writer consciously foretold Jesus?
- Why does Matthew specify 'the virgin' (with the article) rather than 'a virgin'? What does this suggest about Mary's identity and the nature of Jesus's conception?
- The name 'Immanuel' means 'God with us.' How does Jesus fulfill this name beyond the way a child in Ahaz's day might have done?
- In verse 21, the angel gives Jesus his name and its meaning ('he will save his people from their sins'). How does this saving work relate to being 'God with us'?
- How does the fulfillment formula used here (also in Matthew 2:15, 2:23, 12:17) shape the way we read the Old Testament today? Should we look for predictions of Jesus everywhere, or typological patterns?
- If someone asked you what difference it makes that Jesus is 'God with us,' how would you answer from your own experience?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Kings 8:15 | He said, “Blessed is Yahweh, the God of Israel, who spoke with his mouth to David your father, and has with his hand fulfilled it, saying, |
| I Kings 8:24 | who has kept with your servant David my father that which you promised him. Yes, you spoke with your mouth, and have fulfilled it with your hand, as it is today. |
| Ezra 1:1 | Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that Yahweh’s word by Jeremiah’s mouth might be accomplished, Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, |
| Matthew 2:15 | and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” |
| Matthew 2:23 | and came and lived in a city called Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets that he will be called a Nazarene. |
| Matthew 5:17 | “Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill. |
| Matthew 8:17 | that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.” |
| Matthew 12:17 | that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke shows that Isaiah gave the prophecy of
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes explains that Matthew's use of "fulfilled" does not mean Isaiah directly predicted Jesus. The original prophecy about Ahaz used language so rich and full that it also fittingly describes Christ, especially his miraculous conception and divine nature as "God with us."
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that the name Immanuel means more than a promise of God's help. It points to the actual, bodily presence of God with his people in Christ, not just the shadowy symbolic presence that Israel experienced under the old covenant.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Matthew 1:22 And al this was done that it might be fulfilled, which is spoken of the Lord by ye Prophet, saying, Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgine shalbe with childe, and shall beare a sonne, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which is by interpretation, God with vs.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill insists the prophecy from Isaiah was fulfilled in a strict, literal sense in Mary and Jesus, not merely by accommodation. He defends the translation of virgin against Jewish objections, arguing the wonder is that a pure virgin conceived. He calls Jesus God with us, fully God in human nature.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB draws attention to the definite article "the virgin," pointing to a specific person destined for this unique role. He also clarifies that "Emmanuel" is not a personal name but a title describing Christ's character as God with us, God manifested in flesh who establishes permanent fellowship between God and humanity.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent highlights that Matthew uses "through the prophet" rather than "by" to show the prophet as God's instrument, not the source. The Greek article before "virgin" marks a specific individual, not just any. The shift to "they shall call" expands the prophecy's ultimate fulfillment.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley stresses that calling Christ Emmanuel means he actually fulfills that title in his nature and office as God incarnate. He notes the shift from Isaiah's "thou" (his mother) to Matthew's "they" (all his people), showing believers themselves will acknowledge him as God with us.