φοβηθῇς (phobethes) in Matthew 1:20: Verb Second Person Singular Aorist Passive Deponent Subjunctive

Verb: the form names an action or state, and here it expresses the command not to be afraid.

Aorist: commonly views the action as a whole event. It should not be treated as automatically punctiliar or automatically past in every context.

Passive Deponent: uses a middle or passive form traditionally read with active sense. The lexeme and sentence still govern the meaning.

Subjunctive: often presents potential, purpose, exhortation, or contingency. The clause decides the force.

Second person: the hearer or hearers are grammatically addressed by the verbal form.

Not applicable: this verb form is not using noun case to mark its sentence role.

Second person singular: the form addresses one person directly, namely Joseph in the scene.

Not applicable: this verb form does not use grammatical gender to make its point.

It follows the negative particle μη and is followed by παραλαβειν Μαριαμ.

The negative command frames it as an urgent prohibition or warning to Joseph in the angelic speech.

It functions as the core command that tells Joseph not to fear taking Mary as his wife.

It does not identify the cause of Joseph's fear, and it does not change Mary, Joseph, or the action into another lexical meaning.

High: The form carries the angelic prohibition that directly addresses Joseph's next action.

Aorist passive deponent subjunctive in a prohibition. tells Joseph not to fear taking Mary as his wife. Attached to the angelic address to Joseph. Governed by the negative command with me in Matthew 1:20. The prohibition force comes from the construction, while the context explains what Joseph is not to fear.

What is Joseph told not to do? He is told not to fear taking Mary as his wife.

Direct: The form directly supports the negative command do not fear.

The deponent/passive label should not be turned into a separate theology of fear. The command force comes from the negative construction, not from aorist aspect alone.

Aorist prohibition explains all fear language: The form supports this command in Matthew 1:20, while the verse supplies the pastoral force.

The witness reads φοβηθῃς in Matthew 1:20 within the angel's address to Joseph.

The lemma φοβεομαι concerns fear or being afraid, so the form communicates fear as the issue under correction.

With μη and the surrounding command, the form functions as a clear instruction not to give way to fear before the action of receiving Mary.

The verse reassures Joseph that he need not fear and should proceed with the marriage decision in light of God's message.

This fits the wider biblical pattern in which divine speech addresses fear with instruction, reassurance, and obedience.

For readers, the form highlights a pastoral command: fear is not the governing response, because the message supplies reason and direction.

Do not infer that the verb form by itself explains all fear in general, or that it adds a doctrinal claim beyond the immediate command.