Knew her not: the Hebrew verb “to know” is frequently used in the Old Testament in the sense of “have sex with” (Gen 19.8; Num 31.17; 1 Sam 1.19). Thus the basis for “he had no sexual relations with her” of Good News Translation.

This direct way of speaking is used in many translations besides Good News Bible. However, there are languages in which it is not polite to speak directly of sexual relations, although generally some indirect way is acceptable: “to lie with,” or “to be with her as a man with his wife,” or something similar. Rarely is the Hebrew “to know” understood in other cultures, however, as having this meaning.

Until (so also New English Bible, Translator’s New Testament, An American Translation, Phillips, Barclay, Moffatt) represents a Greek adverbial construction rendered “before” by Good News Translation and “at any time before” by New American Bible. Jerusalem Bible translates the two clauses “and, though he had not had intercourse with her, she gave birth to a son,” and adds a footnote: “literally ‘and he did not know her until the day she gave birth.’ ” Catholic scholars do not attempt to support the doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary on the basis of this verse, as may be seen by the Jerusalem Bible : “The text is not concerned with the period that followed and, taken by itself, does not assert Mary’s perpetual virginity which, however, the gospels elsewhere suppose and which the Tradition of the Church affirms.” The New American Bible footnote is certainly correct: “The evangelist emphasizes the virginity of the mother of Jesus from the moment of his conception to his birth. He does not concern himself here with the period that followed the birth of Jesus, but merely wishes to show that Joseph fully respected the legal character of the paternity imposed on him by the divine will.” In other words, most commentators, Catholic and Protestant alike, agree that the period in focus is the time from the conception until the birth of Jesus. Matthew is not really concerned to make any statement regarding the marital relations between Joseph and Mary after the birth of Jesus. So then, it is best to translate in such a way as to leave open the possibility for either understanding of the subsequent marital relationship between Joseph and Mary. That is perhaps the basis for Good News Translation‘s “before,” since it represents a more neutral interpretation of the text than does until, which definitely implies sexual relations after the time of the birth of Jesus. Translators can convey the meaning with something such as “before the time that…” or “before she gave birth.”

Some languages have a single word for son, but others say “male baby” or “male child.” Whether to say “a son” or “her son” depends on the individual language. In the context the meaning is the same.

And he called his name Jesus: the Greek construction is simply the third person singular verb form without indication as to whether the subject is “he” or “she.” However, in the Jewish setting it would have been the father who gave the name (see Luke 1.63); Good News Translation makes this information explicit: “And Joseph named him Jesus.”

We have already discussed the expression called his name in verse 21. In addition to the Good News Translation way of expressing it, translators may say “The name he gave him was Jesus” or “Joseph said the baby’s name should be Jesus.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .