σου· (sou) in Matthew 1:20: P-2GS
σου· (sou) in Matthew 1:20
Textual Witness
The witness reads 'σου' in Matthew 1:20, with the surrounding text addressing Joseph by name.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form makes the warning and reassurance personal to Joseph, sharpening the command to receive Mary without fear.
How To Communicate It
Render the phrase in a way that clearly shows relationship and direct address, such as 'your wife,' while keeping the narrative flow intact.
What Not To Say
- Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
- Genitive case here signals relation in the phrase, not an independent theological statement.
- Do not overclaim from pronoun form alone when the verse context already governs the meaning.
What Does The Label Mean?
Pronoun: the form points to a person already known in the context, here Joseph, without repeating his name.
Genitive: the form usually marks possession, relationship, or close association, which fits the phrase 'your wife' here.
Singular: the form is grammatically singular and addresses one man directly in this verse.
Masculine: the grammatical class is masculine in this occurrence, but that is a language feature, not a theological claim about gender.
What The Form Does In This Verse
τὴν γυναῖκά
The pronoun is linked to the noun phrase 'your wife,' showing whose wife Mary is in the angel's speech to Joseph.
It functions as a possessive relation within the noun phrase and helps identify the relationship being discussed.
It does not create a new subject, and it does not by itself turn Mary into a different referent or title.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The genitive pronoun identifies Mary in direct relation to Joseph inside the angelic command.
Second-person singular genitive pronoun in a noun phrase. marks Joseph's marital relation to Mary. Attached to the noun phrase "your wife" in the angel's address. Governed by the command not to fear taking Mary. The genitive clarifies relationship within the noun phrase; the narrative and angelic speech define the command.
How is Mary related to Joseph in the command? She is identified as Joseph's wife.
Direct: The form directly supports possessive wording such as "your wife."
The genitive marks relationship in the phrase, not every legal or theological detail of the marriage context.
Genitive settles full relationship theology: Do not make the genitive ending carry more than the relational phrase and narrative context support.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The witness reads 'σου' in Matthew 1:20, with the surrounding text addressing Joseph by name.
The lemma is σύ, the second person pronoun, so the form refers to the one being spoken to.
Placed in 'τὴν γυναῖκά σου,' the form naturally marks Joseph as the one connected to Mary as wife in the speech context.
The angel tells Joseph not to fear taking Mary, since she is identified as his wife and the child is from the Holy Spirit.
Across the passage, the address remains personal and direct, supporting the narrative focus on Joseph's obedience.
In translation and teaching, the form can be rendered simply as 'your,' preserving the direct address without overexplaining the grammar.
Do not derive a hidden doctrine from the case alone, and do not let grammatical form override the immediate narrative sense.