μεθερμηνευόμενον, (methermeneuomenon) in Matthew 1:23: Verb Present Passive Participle Nominative Singular Neuter
μεθερμηνευόμενον, (methermeneuomenon) in Matthew 1:23
Textual Witness
In Matthew 1:23, the witnessed form μεθερμηνευόμενον appears in the explanation of Ἐμμανουήλ and directly follows ὅ ἐστι.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form helps the reader hear Emmanuel as a name whose sense is immediately interpreted, making the verse both prophetic and explanatory.
How To Communicate It
In communication, it signals that the writer is unpacking the name for the audience so the meaning is not missed.
What Not To Say
- Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
- The participle explains the name, but it does not by itself create the name's meaning.
- Do not turn neuter agreement into a theological statement about God or the person named.
- Do not use the grammar profile as a shortcut around the wording and logic of the verse.
What Does The Label Mean?
Participle: the form is a verbal adjective that can describe or explain a noun while still carrying verbal force.
Present: often views the action as in progress, customary, or presently in view. Context decides the exact force.
Passive: presents the subject as receiving or being affected by the action.
Participle: carries a verbal idea while also functioning like an adjective or clause element. Context decides its role.
Nominative: the form is shaped to agree with the neuter pronoun it explains, and here it functions in a descriptive relation rather than standing alone.
Singular: the form is singular because it matches the one explanatory reference in the clause, not because it isolates a separate action.
Neuter: the form is neuter to agree with the pronoun it follows, and this grammatical class does not by itself carry a gendered theological claim.
What The Form Does In This Verse
It is attached to the explanatory pronoun ὅ and the statement about the name Ἐμμανουήλ.
The participle is governed by the clause ὅ ἐστι, where it supplies the sense, is translated or means, and it helps define the preceding name.
It serves as a parenthetical explanation that tells the reader how to understand the name as a translated or interpreted expression.
It does not introduce a new event, a new subject, or a separate assertion that competes with the main sentence.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The participle explains the meaning of Emmanuel inside Matthew's fulfillment quotation.
Explanatory neuter participle. introduces the interpreted meaning of the name. Attached to the meaning of the name Emmanuel. Governed by the parenthetical explanation in Matthew 1:23. The participle explains the name; it does not create a second prophecy.
What does Matthew explain about the name Emmanuel? He explains it as "God with us."
Direct: The participle directly supports a rendering such as "which means" or "which is translated."
The passive participle is explanatory, not a new narrative action. The theology of God with us comes from the name and quotation context, not from the participle alone.
Grammar alone proves incarnation theology: The participle explains the name; Matthew 1 and the canon supply the theological claim. passive participle creates a separate event: The form functions as a translation note inside the verse.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
In Matthew 1:23, the witnessed form μεθερμηνευόμενον appears in the explanation of Ἐμμανουήλ and directly follows ὅ ἐστι.
The lemma μεθερμηνεύω means to translate or interpret, so the form naturally points to meaning explained in another language or phrase.
The participle agrees with the neuter pronoun and functions as an explanatory description, so the verse presents the name as something that is being interpreted for the audience.
The sentence tells readers that Emmanuel is a name whose sense is given as, With us God, so the grammar supports the translation note.
In this verse, the form fits a Gospel habit of clarifying names or phrases for readers who may need the meaning stated plainly.
For teaching or reading aloud, the form invites a brief explanatory pause so the hearer understands the name as meaningful speech, not only as a label.
Do not derive extra doctrine from the participle itself, and do not treat its gender or voice as adding meaning beyond the explanatory context.