ὄνομα (onoma) in Matthew 1:23: Noun Accusative Singular Neuter
ὄνομα (onoma) in Matthew 1:23
Textual Witness
In the cited text, καλεσουσι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἐμμανουηλ places ὄνομα inside a naming statement tied to the promised child.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The grammar keeps attention on the act and content of naming, helping the reader see that the title Emmanuel is applied to the child and then interpreted.
How To Communicate It
In translation and teaching, this form can be rendered simply as name, with the surrounding clause supplying who is named and why that matters.
What Not To Say
- Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
- Accusative case can mark the object of naming, but the verse context determines the full sense.
- Neuter grammatical gender is a language feature here, not a theological statement about persons.
What Does The Label Mean?
Noun: the word names a thing or concept, here the spoken or assigned name linked to the child.
Accusative: the form usually marks the direct object of the naming verb, or the item named in the clause.
Singular: the form is grammatically singular here, referring to one named expression rather than several.
Neuter: the noun belongs to the neuter grammatical class, which does not by itself carry a theological gender claim.
What The Form Does In This Verse
καλέσουσι
The accusative fits the verb of naming and marks what is being called in the sentence, namely the name attached to the child.
It functions as the direct object of the naming action, introducing the designation that follows, Emmanuel.
It is not the subject of the clause, and the case alone does not force a hidden doctrinal meaning beyond the naming statement.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The accusative noun introduces the name Emmanuel and the verse's interpretive explanation of it.
Accusative object in a naming statement. marks the name being applied to the child in the quoted promise. Attached to τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἐμμανουήλ. Governed by καλέσουσι. The naming phrase leads into the explanatory gloss; the case itself does not supply the gloss.
What name is applied in the quoted promise? The accusative naming phrase applies Emmanuel to the child.
Direct: The construction directly supports rendering they shall call his name Emmanuel.
The case identifies the naming phrase, while the parenthetical explanation gives the meaning. The neuter noun class belongs to name and should not be made into a theological gender claim.
Case ending supplies the Emmanuel interpretation: The case marks the naming construction; the verse explicitly provides the interpretation. name grammar becomes a standalone doctrine: The phrase should be read inside Matthew's quotation and explanation.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
In the cited text, καλεσουσι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἐμμανουηλ places ὄνομα inside a naming statement tied to the promised child.
The lemma ὄνομα means name, and by extension can point to identity, reputation, or recognized status.
Its accusative singular form suits the direct object slot after καλέσουσι, so the verse says what his name will be called.
The verse announces that the child will be given the name Emmanuel, which the following clause explains as God with us.
Within Matthew's opening chapter, the naming supports the birth announcement and the identity of Jesus as the promised one.
Readers should hear both a literal naming and the identity claim carried by that name in the sentence.
Do not derive from case or number alone any claim that the word changes meaning, changes lemma, or independently proves theology.