οὗ (ou) in Matthew 1:25: Pronoun Genitive Singular Masculine
οὗ (ou) in Matthew 1:25
Textual Witness
The witness reads ἕως οὗ in Matthew 1:25 within the clause, and the form is part of the time expression that frames the sentence.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form sharpens the time limit in the verse, so the focus stays on the period before the birth rather than on speculative details outside the sentence.
How To Communicate It
In translation and explanation, it can be rendered as a simple relative time link, such as until when or until the time that, depending on the larger clause.
What Not To Say
- Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
- Genitive case here marks relation in the time phrase, but it does not settle every possible interpretive question by itself.
- Masculine grammatical gender is a form feature, not a standalone theological claim.
What Does The Label Mean?
Pronoun: this word stands in for or relates to an earlier reference, helping the clause point back to someone or something already in view.
Genitive: the form usually marks a dependent relationship, and here it fits the time phrase that limits the action in the clause.
Singular: the form is grammatically singular in this occurrence, matching a single referent in the surrounding context.
Masculine: the noun class is masculine in form, but this is a grammatical feature and does not by itself make a theological or biological claim.
What The Form Does In This Verse
ἕως
The form follows ἕως and helps build the time boundary, linking the clause to the event that marks the endpoint.
It introduces a relative time marker, pointing back to the occasion of the birth and defining the duration of the prior action.
It does not supply the main action of the verse, and it does not by itself explain the identity or nature of the person involved.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The genitive relative pronoun helps form the time boundary in a sensitive birth narrative statement.
Genitive relative pronoun in an until phrase. sets a time boundary for the preceding action. Attached to ἕως οὗ. Governed by the temporal phrase that marks the endpoint before the birth. The form helps state the boundary but must not be used to settle questions beyond what the verse says.
What time boundary does the phrase mark? It marks the period up to the birth event stated in the verse.
Direct: The form directly supports temporal wording such as until or until the time when.
An until phrase marks a boundary; it does not by itself settle every question about what happened after the boundary. Masculine gender is grammatical agreement and not a separate theological claim.
Until phrase is made to prove unstated later events: The form marks the stated boundary; later conclusions need the wider passage and canon.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The witness reads ἕως οὗ in Matthew 1:25 within the clause, and the form is part of the time expression that frames the sentence.
The lemma ὅς is a relative pronoun, and here its genitive singular masculine form serves a relational, referential function in the time phrase.
In context, the genitive works with ἕως to indicate when the not-knowing ended, namely at the time of the birth stated in the next verb.
The verse says the marital relation described by the verb continued up to the birth of the son, and this pronoun helps mark that boundary.
The form fits ordinary Greek relative usage, where case can follow the phrase it serves while still referring back to the stated event.
For readers and teachers, the form supports a clear timing statement without requiring more from the pronoun than the sentence gives it.
Do not derive a claim about events beyond the stated boundary, and do not make the masculine form carry a doctrinal meaning that the context does not state.