What does Immanuel mean in Matthew 1:23?

“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”).

MATTHEW 1:23 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE

Matthew quotes Isaiah 7:14 at the end of the account of Joseph's dream and translates the name for his readers: Immanuel means “God with us.” The commentators below discuss why Matthew uses the verse here and how it sits beside the name Jesus, given two verses earlier.

What named scholars say

Three commentaries, quoted, not summarized.

JAMIESON, FAUSSET & BROWN · 1871
verified
Behold, a virgin--It should be "the virgin" meaning that particular virgin destined to this unparalleled distinction. shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which, being interpreted, is, God with us--Not that He was to have this for a proper name (like "Jesus"), but that He should come to be known in this character, as God manifested in the flesh, and the living bond of holy and most intimate fellowship between God and men from henceforth and for ever.
JAMIESON, FAUSSET & BROWN ON MATTHEW 1:23
MATTHEW HENRY · 1708–1710
verified
…He might have done so; for, by the law, a betrothed virgin, if she played the harlot, was to be stoned to death, Deu 22:23, Deu 22:24. But he was not willing to take the advantage of the law against her; if she be guilty, yet it is not known, nor shall it be known from him. How different was the spirit which Joseph displayed from that of Judah, who in a similar case hastily passed that severe sentence, Bring her forth and let her be burnt! Gen 38:24. How good it is to think on things…
MATTHEW HENRY ON MATTHEW 1:23 · FROM THE SECTION BEGINNING AT VERSE 18
JOHN GILL · 1748
verified
Behold, a virgin shall be with child,.... These words are rightly applied to the virgin Mary and her son Jesus, for of no other can they be understood; not of Ahaz's wife and his son Hezekiah, who was already born, and must be eleven or twelve years of age when these words were spoken; nor of any other son of Ahaz by her or any other person since no other was Lord of Judea; nor of the wife of Isaiah, and any son of his, who never had any that was king of Judah.…
JOHN GILL ON MATTHEW 1:23

Public-domain works from the OpenLumin corpus. Quotations are trimmed at a sentence and marked where cut.

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