John Calvin Commentary Matthew 1:19

"And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily." — Matthew 1:19 (ASV)

As he was a just man. Some commentators explain this to mean that Joseph, because he was a just man, determined to spare his wife,⁹⁸ taking justice to be only another name for humanity, or a gentle and merciful disposition.

But others more correctly read the two clauses as contrasted with each other: that Joseph was a just man, and yet he was anxious about his wife's reputation.

That justice, on which commendation is here bestowed, consisted in hatred and abhorrence of crime. Suspecting his wife of adultery, and even convinced that she was an adulteress, he was unwilling to offer the encouragement of leniency to such a crime.⁹⁹

And certainly, he is merely a pander¹⁰⁰ to his wife, who connives at her unchastity. Not only is such wickedness regarded with abhorrence by good and honorable minds, but the winking at crime that I have mentioned is also marked by the laws with infamy.

Joseph, therefore, moved by an ardent love of justice, condemned the crime of which he supposed his wife to have been guilty, while the gentleness of his disposition prevented him from going to the utmost rigor of the law.

It was a moderate and calmer method to depart privately and remove to a distant place.¹⁰¹ Hence we infer that he was not of such a soft and effeminate disposition as to screen and promote uncleanness under the pretense of merciful dealing; he only made some abatement from stern justice, so as not to expose his wife to a bad reputation.

Nor should we hesitate to believe that his mind was restrained by a secret inspiration of the Spirit. We know how weak jealousy is, and to what violence it hurries its possessor. Though Joseph did not proceed to rash and headlong conduct, he was wonderfully preserved from many imminent dangers which would have sprung from his resolution to depart.

The same remark is applicable to Mary’s silence. Granting that modest reserve prevented her from venturing to tell her husband that she was with child by the Holy Spirit, it was not so much by her own choice as by the providence of God that she was restrained.

Let us suppose she had spoken. The nature of the case made it almost incredible. Joseph would have thought himself ridiculed, and everybody would have treated the matter as a laughing-stock; after which the divine announcement, if it had followed, would have been of less importance.

The Lord permitted His servant Joseph to be betrayed by ignorance into an erroneous conclusion, so that He, by His own voice, might bring him back to the right path.

Yet it is proper for us to know that this was done more for our sake than for his personal advantage, for God adopted every necessary method to prevent unfavorable suspicion from falling on the heavenly message.

When the angel approached Joseph, who was still unacquainted with the whole matter, wicked men have no reason to charge him with being influenced by prejudice to listen to the voice of God. He was not overcome by the insinuating speech of his wife. His previously formed opinion was not shaken by entreaties. He was not induced by human arguments to take the opposite side.

But, while his groundless accusation against his wife was still rankling in his mind, God interposed between them, so that we might regard Joseph as a more competent witness, possessing greater authority as a messenger sent to us from heaven.

We see how God chose to employ an angel to inform His servant Joseph, so that to others Joseph might be a heavenly herald, and so that the intelligence he conveyed would not be borrowed from his wife or from any mortal.

The reason why this mystery was not immediately made known to a greater number of persons appears to be this: it was proper that this inestimable treasure should remain concealed, and that the knowledge of it should be imparted to none but the children of God.

Nor is it absurd to say that the Lord intended, as He frequently does, to put the faith and obedience of His own people to the trial. Most certainly, if anyone maliciously refuses to believe and obey God in this matter, he will have abundant reason to be satisfied with the proofs by which this article of our faith is supported.

For the same reason, the Lord permitted Mary to enter into the married state, so that under the veil of marriage, until the full time for revealing it, the heavenly conception of the virgin might be concealed. Meanwhile, the knowledge of it was withheld from unbelievers, as their ingratitude and malice deserved.

⁹⁸ “Que Joseph a voulu pardonner a sa femme, et couvrir la faute, d'autant qu'il estoit juste.” — “That Joseph intended to forgive his wife, and conceal her offense, .” — “That Joseph intended to forgive his wife, and conceal her offense, because he was just.”

⁹⁹ “Il ne vouloit point nourrir le mal en dissimulant et faisant semblant de n'y voir rien.” — “He did not wish to encourage wickedness, by dissembling and pretending that he did not see it.”.” — “He did not wish to encourage wickedness, by dissembling and pretending that he did not see it.”

¹⁰⁰ “Leno;” — “;” — “macquereau.”.”

¹⁰¹ “Le moyen le plus doux et le moins scandaleux estoit, que secretement il departist du lieu, et la laissast sans faire aueun bruit.” — “The mildest and least scandalous method was, that he should depart secretly from the place, and leave her without making any noise.”.” — “The mildest and least scandalous method was, that he should depart secretly from the place, and leave her without making any noise.”