Matthew 1:20-21

Joseph delivered from his perplexity by angelic interposition. How much painful, distressing, distracting thought he had about the matter day and night can be imagined. Relief came at last in a dream, of which Mary was the subject. ταῦτα … ἐνθυμηθέντος : the genitive absolute indicates the time of the vision, and the verb the state of mind: revolving the matter in thought without clear perception of outlet. ταῦτα, the accusative, not the genitive with περί : ἐνθ. περί τινος = Cogitare de re, ἐνθ. τι = aliauid secum reputare. Kühner, § 417, 9. ἰδού : often in Mt after genitive absolute; vivid introduction of the angelic appearance (Weiss Meyer). κατʼ ὄναρ (late Greek condemned by Phrynichus. vide Lobeck Phryn., p. 423. ὄναρ, without preposition, the classic equivalent), during a dream reflecting present distractions. υἱὸς Δαβίδ : the angel addresses Joseph as son of David to awaken the heroic mood. The title confirms the view that the genealogy is that of Joseph. μὴ φοβηθῇς : he is summoned to a supreme act of faith similar to those performed by the moral heroes of the Bible, who by faith made their lives sublime. τὴν γυναῖκά σου : to take Mary, as thy wife, so in Matthew 1:24. τὸ … ἁγίου : negativing the other alternative by which he was tormented. The choice lies between two extremes: most unholy, or the holiest possible. What a crisis!